Airport Security Film Pouch Tells Staff ‘Do Not X-ray’ in Seven Languages
Traveling through airport security while carrying film can be a stressful affair. Analog photographers often request staff hand-check film to avoid it getting fried in an X-ray machine and it is luck of the draw whether they cooperate or not.
But photographer Sissi Lu and Roberts Distributors have teamed up to help with the issue by offering a “DO NOT X-RAY” film pouch to “facilitate airport hand check for undeveloped films.”
The pouch features a prominent “Do Not X-ray” warning in seven languages: English, Traditional Chinese, French, German, Spanish, Italian, and Filipino as well as descriptive image icons. A further 20 translations are provided on a safety card inside the pouch. Each pouch also comes with cute celluloid-themed stickers.
It is worth noting that the pouch itself is not X-Ray proof, rather it is designed to be a polite request to airport security staff not to X-ray the contents of the bag.
“For the past eight months, I’ve been working with Roberts Distributors to scale production of my little pouch — so it can finally be more accessible to everyone,” Lu writes on Instagram.
“What started as a DIY project slowly turned into a real business. From prototyping, sourcing materials, and finding the right manufacturer to bring my vision to life, to packing every order on the floor of my studio apartment … it completely took over my life. At one point, I honestly couldn’t keep up with demand on my own.”
The bags are 9.25 by 6.75 inches and are designed to fit 10-20 rolls of film. Each unit retails at $15.99 and can be purchased on Sissi Lu’s website or general camera stores across the US and Canada.
Airport Security and Film
There has been much debate over the precise danger of taking film through airport scanners. In general, it’s accepted that the higher the ISO, the more risk there is to the film. And undeveloped film that has been exposed but not processed is more at risk than unexposed film.
CT scanners have become more and more common in airports in recent years which pose a greater threat to film and prompted Kodak to put out a warning about them.
The TSA should hand-inspect film when requested but some airports have different policies.
