3 Ways To Tell if Your Film Reels Are Damaged

Film reels are not immortal—after many years of use or sitting in storage, they can become damaged and unusable. Our guide will show you how to tell if your film reels are damaged, from physical damage to surface distortion.

Rust on the Reel

Before you even open the canister and look at the reel itself, there are signs you can look for to tell if your film reels are damaged. For one, if you spot rust on the outside and on the reel itself, that’s a sign that the film is not in good shape.

We all know that rust comes from water—so if you spot some new rust on the reel and canister, that typically means there’s been some water damage. The rust particles can scratch and ruin the film reel, and water droplets can also seep into the film and ruin the reel for good.

Pro Tip

When storing film reels, ensure they’re in a dry, climate-controlled environment at a moderate temperature.

Cloudy Film

You spot rust, but how can you tell if there’s water damage to the reel? Look closely at the reel and see if there are cloudy spots—sure signs of water damage and mold.

A few droplets of water on a film reel can cause mold to take root and spread. But we’re not talking about fuzzy mold—mold on film turns the surface cloudy and ruins the image. You've got water and mold damage if you spot rust on the reel and gray spots on the film.

Physical Damage (Tears, Holes, and Scratches)

Film reels are sensitive—typically, the most common damage comes from physically mishandling the reels. While handling the reels, it’s easy for someone to accidentally tear or rip the reel along the perforations or splices.

Scratches can also occur from particles like dirt or dust getting onto the surface and of the reel during handling and causing scratches when going through the machine. In the film, these slight but noticeable scratches are called “rain” because it creates a distorted image that looks like falling rain.

How “Cinching” Can Cause Scratches on Film Reels

One of the most common ways a film reel can get scratched is from what’s called “cinching.” Cinching happens when the film is wound too tightly on the reel and fed through the projector machine.

As the film goes through the roll, slippage occurs, resulting in longitudinal scratches on the reel, referred to as cinch marks. Ensure that you wind and rewind the reel so that you don’t cinch it too tight, or else the reel could get ruined from cinch marks.

If you’re worried about possible damage to your reels, you can preserve them now and convert film to digital, so you have a copy. That way, if damage occurs to the film later, you’ll still have a copy in perfect condition.