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FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Contents
What is a darkroom?Why build a darkroom?
Can anyone build a darkoom?
Can anyone use a darkroom?
Is Black & White easier than color?
Is it less expensive to process your own?
Why would I process Black & White negatives?
Why would I print my own Black & White photographs?
Why would I process my own color negatives?
Why would I process my own color slides?
Why would I print color negatives or slides?
Should I shoot color negatives or color slides?
Why shoot color negatives?
Should I develop prints in a tray or a processor?
Should I process sheet film in a tank or a tray?
Do I need an expensive temperature controlled processor?
What equipment do I need in a darkroom?
What equipment do I need for a complete darkroom?
What equipment do I need for processing Black & White Negatives?
What equipment do I need for processing Black & White Prints?
What equipment do I need for processing Color Negatives or Slides?
What equipment do I need for processing Color (Negative or Reversal) Prints?
Will a kit help?
What is the purpose of acetic acid in the stop bath?
What books should I read?
What are developing reels?
What are developing tanks, and how are they used?
What is the difference between roll film tank types (plastic .vs. stainless)?
What should I look for when buying a daylight rollfilm tank?
What is the difference between liquid and powder chemicals?
How do I store chemicals?
What is a stop bath?
What is indicator stop bath?
What is glacial acetic acid?
What is hypo?
What is fixer? Hardening fixer? non-hardening fixer?
What kind of thermomemter should I get?
How do you know when your fixer is exhausted?
What is hypo clearing agent?
What is wetting agent?
What is a changing bag for?
What is a safelight, and what is it for?
What kind of timer do I need?
What is the difference between trays and drums?
What kind of trays should I use?
What is a projection print scale?
What is Dodging and Burning?
What is a loupe?
What is a focus tool, and why do I need one?
What is a papersafe?
How do I dry film after washing it?
How do I dry a print after washing it?
What is an exposure meter?
What is a color analyzer?
Can I save money by processing prints and negatives myself?
Can I save money by building my own darkroom?
What is the difference between 35mm and other formats (large format, medium format)?
What kind of enlarger should I buy?
What are the differences between the different types of enlarger heads? (condensor, diffusion, cold-light, dichroic)
What are the differences between Beseler Enlargers?
Could you please recommend enlarging lenses for black & white (35mm film). What do you think of nikon nikkor EL 2.8/50mm or schneider componar-s or schneider componon-s or rodenstock?
What do you think of using glass when enlarging in order to keep the paper absolutely flat?
What magnifying glass or loupe should I get?
I know i need two timers, what do you recommend?
What is the difference between easels?
What is the difference between contact print proofers?
My prints are gray or muddy - what am I doing wrong?
How do I tell if a picture will be good when I look at the negative?
Can I develop all my black and white films in the same developer?
Can you dry film in the reel?
Do I need a darkroom to process negatives?
My prints seem to get darker as they dry, what can I do to compensate for this drydown effect?
I am confused about diluting my chemicals (developer and the fixer).
What is the difference between a condensor enlarger and a diffusion enlarger?
What is the difference between RC & RC Rapid? Which should I choose?
How do I align an enlarger baseboard and lens?
Should the walls of a darkroom be black or should they be white?
My print is too dark.
What kind of sink should I buy, and how much should I pay a person to do it?
What size lens should I get for my enlarger?
How do I get a black border when printing negatives?
What's the best way to store chemicals?
How does water quality affect the darkroom?
after processing my films, they are totally fogged on top, with a light purple color on them and the back of the emulsion is clearer. There are also lines running across, coming from the holes. What can I do?
[ Top ]
Q: What is a darkroom?
A: I found three definitions for darkroom. According to the Hypertext Webster Gateway, a darkroom is "a room in which photographs are developed". The Wordsmyth English Dictionary-Thesaurus defines it as "a room made lightproof and equipped for processing photographic materials", and Merrium Webster says it's "a room with no light or with a safelight for handling and processing light-sensitive photographic materials". Personally, I prefer to define it as a fun place to make pictures.To me a darkroom is a place where we can partake of our hobby of creating pictures. It can be a large, custom built room, with all the amenities, or a small room with the required items. It can be a temporary set-up, even in the bathroom. If there is absolutely no space available, some aspects of the hobby can be done within a changing bag. What a darkroom is to you will depend on why you build a darkroom.
[ Top ]
Q: Why build a darkroom?
A: I can only give you the reasons I built my darkrooms.- Curiosity - I have to know how everything works
- Artistic expression - I want to manipulate the images
- Save money - I thought I could save money in the darkroom, Boy was I wrong!
- Fun - It is fun and rewarding to see the results "come up" in the print tray
[ Top ]
Q: Can anyone build a darkoom?
A: With some reservations, yes, anyone can build a darkroom. Not everyone can saw 2x4's to make walls, or hang drywall, but those individuals can always hire someone to do some tasks. The projects listed on these pages are not so difficult that only trained professionals can accomplish them. Yes, you can try this at home. For those projects that require more ability, I'll try to identify them up front, so you can avoid them if you're so inclined.[ Top ]
Q: Can anyone use a darkroom?
A: With some qualifications, yes, anyone can process inside of a darkroom. I can't think of any situation that would prevent someone from working in a darkroom. I've heard of people with allergies to the chemicals, who wear rubber gloves (or, if they're allergic to rubber, some other gloves). I know that pregnant women should avoid certain chemicals within the darkroom, but hopefully you're not pregnant all the time. The only thing I can think of would be it would be very difficult, though not completely impossible to focus an enlarger if one were blind. But then, one who is blind would get little in the way of satisfaction from having a picture developed anyway, I would think.[ Top ]
Q: Is Black & White easier than color?
A: No. However prior to experience in the darkroom with both, the myth is that Black & White is easier. This myth is supported by these apparent facts.- There are less chemicals involved.
- Those chemicals that are involved are less toxic.
- In Black & White you control the shade of only grey, while in in Color, you control the shade of each of three colors.
- Chemicals for Black & White have a wider tolerance for temperature and time fluctuations.
- Color processing is more exact, there is little lee-way for mistakes.
In Color, if you attempt to change the shade of one color, it affects the shade of the others, so you have to adjust all 3 colors together. The result is that there is less flexibility in adjusting the way a picture appears. This means that in black and white, there are many more possible combinations than in color. Changes in the temperature or time in Black & White processing affect the negative and the print, sometimes quite drastically changing the range of densities on the negative. This means that there are even more possible combinations.
[ Top ]
Q: Is it less expensive to process your own?
A: No. Unless you take into account all the factors, you may be suspect to the myth that you can do it cheaper than the labs. This is because the price of chemicals and paper, when divided by the number of rolls or square inches of film or paper, works out to less than the cost of having a lab do the processing for you. Reality: Processing your own is more expensive than using a labYou have to take into account the cost of the room, the equipment, and your time. Here are some costs, which are only approximations, and they are in US$, but the ratios remain the same whatever monetary unit you choose. Wherever possible, I'm using the cost of used equipment.
| Item | Black & White | Color |
|---|---|---|
| Enlarger | 100-500 | B&W +100 |
| Color Analyzer | 200 | |
| Processor | 400 | |
| Handling items | 50 | 50 |
| Investment total | 150-550 | 850-1250 |
| Chemicals/roll | .25-1.50 | 1.00-4.00 |
| Chemicals/print | .01-.10 | .10-.75 |
| Paper/print | .05-.50 | .10-1.00 |
| Per 36 exp roll | 2.41-23.10 | 8.20-67.00 |
| Time / roll | .5 hr | .5 hr |
| Time / print | .25 hr | .25 hr |
| per 36 exp roll | 9.5 hr | 9.5 hr |
[ Top ]
Q: Why would I process Black & White negatives?
A: For control over the process. As you learn more about negatives and processing you will start to experiment with developing times and temperatures, to achieve different results. You may even experiment with different film and developer combinations. In addition, you may start to use some of the principles of the Zone system, and that requires that you adjust the development time in order to expand or compress the tonal scale of your negatives.[ Top ]
Q: Why would I print my own Black & White photographs?
A: Once again, to control the process. If you want to manipulate your images, either by cropping, or changing contrast, or vignetting, or whatever, the only way to have control over that process is to do it yourself. This is the whole reason for having a darkroom, in my opinion.[ Top ]
Q: Why would I process my own color negatives?
A: Beats me! I don't think you can save money doing it, unless you are doing a lot of rolls. And by a lot, I'm meaning about a hundred rolls a month. You can't control it much, if at all. If you try to adjust the time or temperature to push or pull (like you do with Black & White) you'll skew the color also. If you miss the temperature by a half of a degree farenheit, you'll skew the color too.[ Top ]
Q: Why would I process my own color slides?
A: Personally, I wouldn't. I don't think you can save money doing it, unless you are doing a lot of rolls. And by a lot, I'm meaning about a hundred rolls a month. You can't control it much, if at all. If you miss the temperature by a half of a degree farenheit, you'll skew the results. Kodachrome can't be processed at home.[ Top ]
Q: Why would I print color negatives or slides?
A: Because you want to control the image more than you can through a lab. Maybe you want to crop more specifically, or tint the color a bit. Personally, I only print enlargements myself.[ Top ]
Q: Should I shoot color negatives or color slides?
A: This is an age old question, that has an age old answer. Yes. OK, so the real question should be What's the difference between color negatives and color slides? A:| Color Film | ||
|---|---|---|
| Negative | Slide | |
| Exposure Lattitude | 2 to 3 stops in either direction | 1/2 stop in either direction |
[ Top ]
Q: Why shoot color negatives?
A: Because you want to avail yourself of the advantages of color negative film.[ Top ]
Q: Should I develop prints in a tray or a processor?
A:[ Top ]
Q: Should I process sheet film in a tank or a tray?
A:[ Top ]
Q: Do I need an expensive temperature controlled processor?
A: For color, yes! Resoundingly so. There are people who will disagree with this, but my personal experience tells me that I can not develop color without a temperature controlled, rolling tube processor. However, for Black & White, no, use tanks for negatives and trays for prints, it is much easier, cheaper, and more satisfying. (remember, all of this is my opinion)[ Top ]
Q: What equipment do I need in a darkroom?
A: I can't answer this question for you. You need to ask yourself if you want to process color? Black & White? Negatives? Slides? Are you going to use a processor? trays?[ Top ]
Q: What equipment do I need for a complete darkroom?
A: You need to know if you are going to process color, Black & White, negatives, slides, and prints. You need the following based on your selections:| Black & White Negatives | Black & White Prints | Color Negatives or Slides | Color Printing or Reversal Printing |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
[ Top ]
Q: What equipment do I need for processing Black & White Negatives?
A: You need the following- Changing Bag or Darkroom
- Stainless Steel Tanks w/reels
- Thermometer
- Film Clip hangers
- Graduate(s)
- Stir Sticks
- Process Timer
- Paper Towels
- Scissors
- Bottle Opener (church key)
- Radio (optional)
- Waste Basket
- Film Washer
- Film Developer
- Acid Stop
- Film Fixer
- Bottles
[ Top ]
Q: What equipment do I need for processing Black & White Prints?
A: You need the following- Darkroom
- Enlarger
- Enlarger Lens
- Polycontrast filter kit
- Thermometer
- Graduate(s)
- Stir Sticks
- Trays
- Paper Safe
- Contact Printer (optional)
- Easel
- Safelight
- Print Tongs
- Enlarger Timer
- Paper Towels
- Radio (optional)
- Waste Basket
- Print washer
- Acid Stop
- Paper Developer
- Paper Fixer
- Paper - Multigrade
- Bottles
[ Top ]
Q: What equipment do I need for processing Color Negatives or Slides?
A: You need the following- Changing Bag or Darkroom
- Jobo Processor
- Jobo Film Tubes w/reels
- Thermometer
- Film Clip hangers
- Graduate(s)
- Stir Sticks
- Process Timer
- Paper Towels
- Scissors
- Bottle Opener (church key)
- Radio (optional)
- Waste Basket
- Film Washer
- Film Developer
- Acid Stop
- Film Fixer
- Bottles
- Color Negative or Reversal Developer Kit
[ Top ]
Q: What equipment do I need for processing Color (Negative or Reversal) Prints?
A: You need the following- Darkroom
- Enlarger
- Enlarger Lens
- Dichroic Head on Enlarger
- Jobo Processor
- Jobo Paper Tubes
- Thermometer
- Graduate(s)
- Stir Sticks
- Paper Safe
- Contact Printer (optional)
- Easel
- Enlarger Timer
- Paper Towels
- Radio (optional)
- Waste Basket
- Print washer
- Color Negative or Reversal Print Chemical Kit
- Color Print or Reversal Print Paper
[ Top ]
Q: Will a kit help?
Beseler has a kit with the following:
- Cadet II Enlarger
- 1-Film Tank
- 1-Adjustable Film Reel
- 2-Film Clips
- 1-Safelight
- 1-Quartz Timer
- 3-8x10 Trays
- 3-Print Tongs
- 3-33-oz. Bottles
- 1-8x10 Easel
- 1-Thermometer
- 1-Funnel
- 1-16-oz. Beaker
- 1-Squeege
- 1-Stirring Rod
- 1-Printing Guide
- 1-Package Besfile
[ Top ]
Q: What is the purpose of acetic acid in the stop bath?
[ Top ]
Q: What books should I read?
A: There are a few good books that can be really helpful in the darkroom. I have read several, and bought a few, which I'm comfortable recommending to you. On another page on this site, I have a more extensive list, so here I'll just list a few, start with one of these... John Hedgecoes Darkroom TechniquesThis book is out of print. If you can find a copy of it, it's great! Basic and advanced darkroom techniques.The last time I checked, this book was Out of Print at Amazon.com, and In Stock at Powells. Black-And-White Darkroom Techniques (Kodak Workshop)The last time I checked, this book was In Stock at Amazon.com, and In Stock at Powells. Darkroom Handbook : Photography Consultantby Michael Langford.The last time I checked, this book was In Stock at Amazon.com, and In Stock at Powells. I suggest you check them out at the library first. Then, if you like what you read, and find one or more to be helpful, I suggest you buy the book so you have it available as a reference. Here's the plug... if you buy a book on-line, why not go to your book store through your favorite site, whatever that may be, so that that site will get the credit? (usually about 5%). Was that too shameful?[ Top ]
Q: What are developing reels?
A: Inside of roll film daylight tanks are film reels. The film gets wound onto these reels in a spiral so that the film surfaces don’t touch each other. This allows the chemicals to cover all of the film surface. With stainless steel tanks, you use stainless steel reels, with plastic tanks you use plastic reels.[ Top ]
Q: What are developing tanks, and how are they used?
A: In an amatuer darkroom, roll film is developed in tanks, usually daylight tanks. A daylight tank is a light-tight container which allows for chemistry to be changed with the lights on. In total darkness, the film is loaded onto a reel, and the reel(s) are put into the light-tight tank. The rest of the work can be done in daylight without fear of ruining the film.There are also tanks for developing sheet film, either on hangars or other holders. These tanks look like boxes, some of them are daylight tanks, some are not.
[ Top ]
Q: What is the difference between roll film tank types (plastic .vs. stainless)?
A: There are two basic kinds of daylight roll film tanks.| Stainless steel | Plastic |
|---|---|
| Stainless reels | Plastic reels |
| More durable | Less expensive |
| Easier to clean | Easier to load (unless wet) |
| Interchangeable | Reel and tank must be from same system |
| Stainless cap can freeze, have to be pried off | Wear out over time |
| One reel per film size (35mm, 120mm) | Adjustable reels |
[ Top ]
Q: What should I look for when buying a daylight rollfilm tank?
A: Durability, simplicity, ease of use, volume of chemistry, and type of agitation.- Durability. If you do much developing at all, you’re going to be putting some wear and tear on your tank, and it’s going to do you no good at all if it breaks and leaks chemistry or light at a critical time. Pay particular attention to the top--how does it go on and off? Does it look anything could get caught and snapped off if you don’t put the top on correctly?
- How simple or complex is it? A good tank is going to be simple to assemble, because you’re going to have to put it together in the dark. Some tanks look like puzzles. Beware of anything that requires parts to be seated in a proper position because it’ll probably be a pain to do in the dark. Beware of anything that has more than a couple of parts to put in. Beware of anything that looks like it might break, go down the drain, or disappear easily. Try practice loading the tank (with your eyes closed) at the store before you buy it.
- How much chemistry does it use? Different tanks require different volumes of chemicals to process the same roll of film. A stainless steel tank typically requires 8 ounces for one 35mm roll of film, and 16 ounces for two 35mm rolls or one 120 roll. But a plastic tank may require 9, 10 or more ounces per 35mm reel. This may seem negligible, but if you’re running one-shot development (i.e. you’re dumping the developer after one use), the extra few ounces add up quickly.
- How easy are the reels to load? This is important. You have to load reels in the dark, and it’s real easy to make a mistake. Many reels have gimmicks to make them easier to load. If you can, try and load the reel at the store--either with a roll of film they had laying around or from a roll you brought in yourself. This is particularly useful if they have more than one kind of reel and you don’t know which one works better. Stainless reels are the same to load no matter the manufacturer, however there are some differences in how the film is "attached" to the center of the reel. The best I've seen has little "hooks" for the sprocket holes, the worst uses a spring to hold the reel, in between, and the one I like the most, has no method of holding the film to the center, it just slips inside.
- What type of agitation are you going to use, or limited to use? Agitation is where you stir up
the chemical inside the tank and keep the chemical reactions going evenly and smoothly.
There are, generally, three ways to do this.
- Inversion. The tank has a water-tight cap you place on it after you pour the liquid in. You pick up the tank and turn it upside down and then right-side up again to agitate it. The good part is that this is the tried-and-true method of agitation and it works pretty well. The bad part is that if the tank isn’t well sealed, the chemicals may leak when it’s inverted. This is the method for stainless tanks.
- Spinning by a spindle. A spindle is attached to the reel and it sticks up where you can grab it and spin it for a certain number of seconds. The good part is that chemicals don’t leak out and you don’t have to flip it over. The film may walk off the reel and get stuck to the side of the tank and some people find that the edges of the film develop more than the center using the spin technique. Inversion agitation doesn’t seem to have this problem.
- Spinning by motor. In this case, a watertight cap is placed on the top, then the is set sideways onto a motorized base, which rolls the tank. This is a nice, hands-free tank operation, but the motorized bases seem expensive to me. If you have a processor, like a JOBO, then this might be a good idea. I do have a JOBO, but I use stainless tanks.
[ Top ]
Q: What is the difference between liquid and powder chemicals?
A: Darkroom chemistry can be purchased in three forms:| Powder | Liquid Concentrate | Ready to use |
|---|---|---|
| Requires mixing, may also require diluting later | Requires diluting | Ready to use |
| Usually cheapest | More economical than ready to use | Usually more expensive |
| Least bulky (a factor for mail order) | Less bulky than ready to use | |
| Sometimes complicated and or difficult mixing | Usually dilute 1 part to X parts water | No mixing or diluting |
[ Top ]
Q: How do I store chemicals?
A: Darkroom chemicals have to be stored in bottles or jugs when they’re not in use. In B&W work, all of the steps except developers can be kept in any decent bottle. Plastic or glass is fine, plastic won’t shatter if it’s dropped, glass is more traditional. Remember, you are going to be handling these bottles when your hands will be wet, and some darkroom chemicals (some developers for instance) are extra-slippery. If you get glass bottles, get some with ridges or indentations.Developer should be stored in an air-tight container - either dark glass or plastic designed specifically for developer. Most developers will oxydize over time when they are in contact with air. There are bottles that collapse, to reduce the air in the bottle, and there are floating lids which reduce the amount of air touching the developer. I've heard, but don't know if it works or not (how would you test it?) that if you take a deep breath, hold it as long as you can, and then gently breath into the bottle the carbon dioxide will replace the oxygen, and the developer will last longer.
[ Top ]
Q: What is a stop bath?
A: The stop bath is really a step in the development process, both in film and paper development. It halts the action of the developer by lowering the PH of the residual developer on the film below the working threshold. When the PH drops below a certain level the developer stops working. Most people use acetic acid for their stop bath. You can use water if you wish, but it is no where near as effective (I think that the PH has to go below 8 for the development to stop, water has a PH of 7, and acetic acid is something like 3 or 4). You can stop the development in an acid stop within 30 seconds, but a water stop bath requires several minutes.Acetic acid can be purchased in two concentrations, 28% and 98% (glacial). Glacial is cheaper, but rather dangerous. A pint of 28% will last you thousands of rolls of film, or prints (Black&White, for color it will only last for hundreds of rolls or prints).
[ Top ]
Q: What is indicator stop bath?
A: Indicator stop bath is acetic acid with an indicator chemical. The chemical changes color when the acid is used up. Kodak's is normally orange under white light, clear under the safelight. When the PH gets too high the color changes to purple in white light, dark under the safelight. This is a very safe and economical way to stop development.[ Top ]
Q: What is glacial acetic acid?
A: It is a 98% contration of acetic acid. If you breath it, you may burn your lungs. If you touch it you may burn your skin. Stick to the 28% concentration.[ Top ]
Q: What is hypo?
A: An outdated word for fixer. Older fixers were made from hypo-something-or-other, hence the name.[ Top ]
Q: What is fixer? Hardening fixer? non-hardening fixer?
A: Fixer is a step in the development process. It is where the silver halides are neutralized so they can not develop into silver further, making the print permanent. If a print is exposed to light prior to a complete fixing, the silver halides will continue to develop and or fade over time. Beyond the basic fixer, chemicals are added to give it additional properties. Rapid fixer contains chemicals that make the fixer work faster, but not necessarily better. Hardening fixer stiffens the emulsion on the paper or film. The combinations therefore are: regular fixer, rapid fixer, hardening fixer, and rapid hardening fixer. Often people use a two fixer bath process (which I won't go into here) for archival purposes. Todays film doesn't require hardening fixer, like it used to, but some people still use it. Paper doesn't require hardening at all.[ Top ]
Q: What kind of thermomemter should I get?
A: For darkroom work, temperature control is critical. Developer works faster when the temperature is higher. Even though manufacturers state that you can use different times with different temperatures for the same result when developing film, the results are not exactly the same. For consistency you need to keep the temperature the same for all your films (dependant upon the developer - D76 is 68°F or 20°C while Tmax is 75°F).So you need a good thermometer, but for black and white work it does not have to be perfectly accurate, just the same every time. (One might read 69 while another reads 68, as long as all of your processing is always at 69, the you'll be ok, so a slight deviation from exact is ok). Also for black&white you can use one that is marked in 2-degree graduations. For color you need one in 1-degree graduations - color is pickier about the temperature. In the United States, instructions are usually in Farenheit. For Black&White the temperature range you will be working in is between 65°F and 80°F, for Color, the temperature range is 75°F to 105°F, with some powdered chemicals requiring water at 125°F when mixing. Get a thermometer that is flattened, so that it does not roll around (off the edge of the countertop, breaking on the floor, spilling mercury everywhere).
Glass .vs. Plastic .vs. Metal clad: Glass breaks easier, but reports the temperature faster. Metal clad thermometers use metal to protect the glass.
Linear .vs. dial: Dial thermometers are easier to read, but they need to be adjusted (be sure to get one you can adjust!).
Don't get glow in the dark thermometers, they can fog paper.
Mercury vs. Alcohol: Mercury is the traditional indicator. Alcohol, however, evaporates if you break the thermometer, mercury has to be cleaned up.
Digital .vs. Analog: Digital readouts are very easy to read, but slow to react to the temperature.
Painted .vs. etched: Markings painted on the outside of a thermometer rub off very quickly (like the first time you use them).
[ Top ]
Q: How do you know when your fixer is exhausted?
A: Edwal makes a fixer test solution in a small bottle. You put a couple drops in the fixer and if a precipitate forms, the fixer is spent.[ Top ]
Q: What is hypo clearing agent?
A: Many people use a hypo-clearing agent, which efficiently gets rid of the fixer on the print and cuts down the wash time. Fixer used to be “hypo,” back when the main ingredient, sodium thiosulfate, was called sodium hyposulfate. Thus the name “hypo-clear.”[ Top ]
Q: What is wetting agent?
A: Wetting agent reduces the surface tension of the water on the film. This makes it much easier to sponge off the film after washing, reducing the chance of getting water spots. Kodak’s version is called Photo Flo.[ Top ]
Q: What is a changing bag for?
A: A changing bag is a large, light-tight bag that looks kind of light a coat that was sewn shut. You put the film and the developing tank into the bag and zip it shut, then put your hands into each of the armholes. You can then open the film and load it into the tank. These are very convenient for people who don’t have a regular darkroom, or if you want to develop in the field, or you have a jammed camera and need to get inside of it away from your darkroom. Here is a page on making a changing bag.[ Top ]
Q: What is a safelight, and what is it for?
A: A filtered light source which allows you to see without fogging your film or paper. Black&White paper is not sensitive to certain wavelengths of light, so you can have some light in your darkroom (enough to see) without damaging the paper. Negatives are sensitive to just about all light, so you can't use a safelight with negatives (except for orthochromatic films, which you just about can't find anymore anyway). Color paper, also is less sensitive to certain wavelengths of light, so you can have some light in the darkroom. However the safelights for color are different, and significantly darker than for black&white.Kodak's black&white safelight is called OC, here is a page on building a safelight.
[ Top ]
Q: What kind of timer do I need?
A: You need two kinds of timers in the darkroom. One for enlarging, and one for processing.Enlarger timer:
- This is used to time the exposure on the enlarger.
- It is usually in small increments. I use 3 seconds, or multiples thereof, up to about 30 seconds. Too long of an exposure at a low light level and you will see reciprocity failure, just like in negatives.
- Timers with a plug in for the enlarger are a great help, since they turn the enlarger on and off for you, which does two things. It frees your hands up to dodge and burn. And it makes the exposure time accurate. If you use a watch, clock or metronome (as Ansel Adams did) for timing your exposure, you need to use longer exposures, because in turning the lamp on and off you could have a variance in the time of the exposure, by a half a second or even a whole second, and a 3 second expsosure is 20 percent more than a 2 1/2 second exposure, whereas 50 1/2 seconds of exposure is only 2 percent more exposure than 50 seconds.
- More expensive models will have other options, like drydown adjustments, foot pedal operation, talking clocks, metronome sound, and memory.
- My timer has a focus switch, which when engaged keeps the lamp on while I focus. Then I turn off the focus, remove the paper from the paper safe and put it in the easel, set the desire print time, then depress the print button.
- The cheap, Time-o-Lite timers work just fine for beginners. Save your money here toward that enlarger lens.
Process timer:
- This is an area where you can use a wall clock, or a watch, if you like.
- Normal intervals are 6 to 10 minutes for the developer, 30 seconds for the stop, and two minutes for the fixer, with only the developer time being critical.
- I use a Gralab timer, because it has a large dial, the hands glow in the dark (I cover it with half a cardboard box during printing), and it will circle around and around for an hour before I have to reset it.
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Q: What is the difference between trays and drums?
A: Paper, and sometimes sheet film, is usually processed in trays or drums. A tray is just a flat, shallow, lidless pan that you can fill with chemicals and drop paper into. A drum is like a developing tank, usually light-tight, cylindrical with end caps. You put the paper into the drum, then pour the chemicals in, then roll the drum around for agitation. Trays are most common in B&W work because you can use an adequate safelight with them. Drums are more common in color work because trays are much more difficult to use in the dark, but drums (the ones rated for daylight) can be used in room-light conditions.[ Top ]
Q: What kind of trays should I use?
A: First, you'll need trays large enough for your paper, and enough to handle all of the steps. The steps are developer, stop, fix, wash. Some people add a second fix tray and a pre-wash tray. You can use trays that are bigger than the size prints you want to make, it just requires more chemicals, but since you are probably making more than one print, not much will go to waste.Consider using trays a size bigger than you are printing, so that it is easier to remove the paper from the tray when you are done with that step.
When looking for trays, you want one that has ridges on the bottom of the tray, to allow liquid to flow under the print, and to make it easier to remove the print from the tray.
When you finish your session you will want to empty the trays, many times into a bottle, it helps if the tray has a spout on one of the corners.
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Q: What is a projection print scale?
A: This is a little pie-shaped step wedge. You put it on the paper and make a 60-second test exposure and then pick the pie-shaped wedge that looks properly exposed. I prefer to make a test print so that I can make larger test areas.[ Top ]
Q: What is Dodging and Burning?
A: These are opposites of each other. Dodging is the act of reducing the exposure in a certain area of the print, while burning is the act of increasing the exposure in an area of the print. I discuss how to dodge and how to burn on seperate pages.[ Top ]
Q: What is a loupe?
A: It’s a little magnifying eyeglass that jewelers use to examine gems. They’re useful for examining negatives and slides. Prices range from fairly cheap ($10 or so) to extremely expensive. The cheap ones are good to start with.[ Top ]
Q: What is a focus tool, and why do I need one?
A: This is a tool which you put under the enlarger, on top of a sheet of paper (used, because you are going to expose it to white light to focus) to help in focusing the enlarger. They have a mirror that reflects the image into an eyepiece. You adjust the focus on the enlarger until you can see the grain clearly. Many people focus without one, I found that having one makes it much easier to focus.[ Top ]
Q: What is a papersafe?
A: This is a place to store your paper where it will not be fogged (exposed to light) while you are printing. You can use the box the paper comes in, putting the paper back into the black bag and inside the box. I made mine in a drawer and it is extremely convienent.[ Top ]
Q: How do I dry film after washing it?
A: I discuss this in more detail in my film development page, but to answer the question here: Hang it up, and leave it alone for several hours, make sure you don't stir up any dust.[ Top ]
Q: How do I dry a print after washing it?
A: I discuss this in more detail in my print developing page, but to answer the question here: For RC paper, hang it up, for fiber paper, lay it on a print drying rack.[ Top ]
Q: What is an exposure meter?
A: A light meter for printing. It goes on top of the easel, under the enlarger to read the light level. It is supposed to help in getting the right exposure without making test prints. I prefer to make test prints, for several reasons, including actually seeing the effects of different exposures on the paper.[ Top ]
Q: What is a color analyzer?
A: A special kind of light meter for printing color. Just like an exposure meter, they set on the easel under the enlarger and measure the light intensity of light through different filters. Once you understand them well, they are good for getting the filtration for color right. They are not inexpensive, however.[ Top ]
Q: Can I save money by processing prints and negatives myself?
A: Only if you are going to process a lot of pictures.[ Top ]
Q: Can I save money by building my own darkroom?
A: Yes, otherwise I wouldn't have put this site together![ Top ]
Q: What is the difference between 35mm and other formats (large format, medium format)?
A: A 35 mm neg is 35mm wide * 24mm high.- Large format negatives are much larger, 4x5 (4 inches by 5 inches) or 8x10 (8 inches by 10 inches) for example.
- Medium format negatives are somewhere in between, 6x4.5 (6cm by 4.5cm or 2 1/4 inches by 1 1/4 inches), 6x6 (6cm by 6cm or 2 1/4 inches square) or 6x7 (6cm by 7cm or 2 1/4 inches by 2 3/4 inches).
- A 6x6 negative has about 4 times the area of a 35mm negative.
- A 4x5 negative has about 4 times the area of a 6x6 negative, and an 8x10 negative has about 4 times the area of a 4x5 negative. An 8x10 negative has 64 times the area of a 35mm negative.
- However, the film is the same, so the size of the grain in a 35mm negative enlarged to 8x10 would be significantly larger than an 8x10 negative enlarged (contact printed?) to 8x10.
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Q: What kind of enlarger should I buy?
A: I'd be hard pressed to answer this question for you, but I can give you some things to think about in your search.First, ask yourself these four questions
- What’s the biggest film size you want to work with?
Think long term. You might want to use a larger format camera later, so it makes sense to buy that capability now.
- What’s the biggest print you want to make?
If you want to do a lot of cropping, get an enlarger that will handle maximum-sized prints.
- Do you want to print color, black & white, or both?
If you are interested in color printing, a an enlarger with a diffusion dichroic head is a must. Even for black and white, it may be worth the difference.
- What’s your budget range?
As with everything you want to get the most for your money. Our darkroom experts will help you find the best balance between the features you need and your budget.
- If you are printing black and white on graded paper, you don't use filters.
- If you are printing black and white on variable contrast (VC) paper, you will need to use filters (it seems lately that most people are using VC paper by the way)
- If you are printing color you will need to use filters.
- There are three kinds of filter systems.
- Dichroic head. This is a different lamp housing which has adjustable filters built into it. You dial in the filtration you need. You can use the filtration settings in a dichroic filter for VC paper or color. This has the most flexibility in adjusting filtration also. In addition some heads require no adjustment in exposure for a change in filtration. This is the most expensive type of filtration.
- Filter drawer above the negative carrier. You insert or remove filters into this drawer to adjust the filtration. You use more than one filter at a time to achieve the filtration you need, (ie. 32 Yellow would be 3 filters, 20 Y + 10 Y + 2 Y). Scratches on filters are diffused so there is no effect on the print. You have to adjust the exposure time for different filters. This type of filtration system is built into the enlarger - usually the color option.
- Filter holder mounted below the lens, or attached to the lens. You insert or remove filters into this holder to adjust the filtration. You use more than one filter at a time to achieve the filtration you need, (ie. 32 Yellow would be 3 filters, 20 Y + 10 Y + 2 Y). Scratches on filters can have an impact on the print. You have to adjust the exposure time for different filters. If your enlarger has no filtration option, you are almost forced to use this option.
- The bigger enlargers usually have more stable columns. The Beseler 23 for example, has two columns instead of one. The Beseler 4x5 has a monster pair of columns. A more stable column means less vibration, and therefore sharper prints, at larger enlargements.
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Q: What are the differences between the different types of enlarger heads? (condensor, diffusion, cold-light, dichroic)
A: There are 3 types of enlarger heads. Condensor, Diffusion, and Cold light. There have been lots of articles and discussions about the merits of each, but basically a condensor head has sharper light quality - dust and scratches on the negative are more prominent in the print. Cold light and diffusion head both are more difuse, hence the diffusion moniker. A cold light head does not generate anywhere near as much heat as either of the other two, and must be controlled with a special controller, they output more accurate light levels. Cold Light heads are skinny flourescent tubes wrapped back and forth in the head. Ansel Adams swore by Cold Light heads. But many of the best printers will argue that condensor light is better, and many others will argue that diffusion heads are better. Dichroic heads are diffusion heads with color filters built in. Dichroic heads can be used to print on Variable Contrast paper, by dialing in the correct color combinations.There are a couple other variants: Variable Contrast diffusion, and Variable Contrast Cold Light. These were specifically designed for Variable Contrast (VC) paper. Rather than use a table of color combinations to determine the setting for VC paper, dial the contrast grade in on the head and print. VC Cold Light heads have two light tubes, instead of one, and adjust the output between the two tubes for the desired contrast grade.
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Q: What are the differences between Beseler Enlargers?
A: Below I've listed several models of Beseler Enlargers, and attempted to point out the differences. the difference between the models. I chose Beseler for this discussion for two reasons. First, most questions seem to be about Beseler. Second, I would love to own a Beseler 45.| Model | Head*1 | Largest Negative*2 | Filters*3 | Approx Price USD | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cadet II | Condenser | 35mm | None | $175 | Short column, max 8x10 print from 35mm, if you crop then you can't make 8x10. Price includes lens, 35mm carrier. |
| Printmaker 35 w/Lens Kit | Condenser | 35mm | None | $300 | Short column, max 8x10 print from 35mm, if you crop then you can't make 8x10. Price includes Beslar 50mm f3.5 lens, 35mm carrier |
| Printmaker 35 Dichroic | Dichroic | 35mm | Dichroic | $430 | Taller column than other Printmaker 35 (I think). |
| Printmaker 67 Kit | Condenser | 6x7cm | None | $320 | Taller column than 35. |
| 67-XLC | Double condensers | 6x6cm | Drawer | $480 | Lens kit: $125, Neg Carriers $60 each. |
| 67-XLD | Dichroic | 6x7cm | Dichroic | $600 | Lens kit: $125, Neg Carriers $60 each. |
| 23C III-XL | Double Condensers6x9cm | Drawer | $600 | An industry standard for over 30 years. Large, stable column. Lens kit $150. Neg carriers $65 each. | |
| 23C III-XL Dichroic | Dichroic | 6x9cm | Dichroic | $750 | An industry standard for over 30 years. Large, stable column. Lens kit $150. Neg carriers $65 each. |
| 23C III–XL Variable Contrast Diffusion Lamphouse | VC Diffusion | 6x9cm | VC Diffusion | $720 | An industry standard for over 30 years. Large, stable column. Lens kit $150. Neg carriers $65 each. Head designed specifically for VC paper. Dial in the paper grade instead of the combination of colors for a paper grade. |
| 45MX-II | Dichroic | 4x5" | Dichroic | $2,500 | This is on my wish list! Extremely stable dual column. Neg carriers $100 each. |
- *1 Condenser heads focus the light more, where diffusion heads difuse the light. Condensers tend to print a little more contrasty. Dichroic heads are diffusion heads. Many people will argue the merits of each, and there is no real "best" choice between diffusion and condenser. However once you refine your process, you'll find that negatives print differently on different heads.
- *2 Bigger enlargers can use smaller negative carriers also. A 4x5 enlarger can hold a 35mm or a 6x9cm negative for example.
- *3 Dichroic filters allow you to dial in the color filtration for color printing. They also can be used for Variable Contrast (VC) black and white printing - you have to know the color combinations for each grade, but that is often with the paper specifications.
- *3 Filter Drawers allow you to put square filters above the negative for VC or color printing. This is preferable to below the lens filters.
- *3 If an enlarger has no allowance for filters, then you have to put them under the lens (in a holder). Scratches on the filter are more prominent in prints with this method.
- *3 VC Diffusion filters are for printing VC paper or graded paper only, not color. They allow you to dial in the paper grade rather than looking up the color combinations on a chart.
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Q: Could you please recommend enlarging lenses for black & white (35mm film). What do you think of nikon nikkor EL 2.8/50mm or schneider componar-s or schneider componon-s or rodenstock?
A: I don't like to recommend specific brands, but you've picked three very good manufacturers. I have a Nikon Nikkor 50mm f3.5. I love it. I only paid US$50 for it about 6 years ago, used. From what I've heard the Schneider lenses are the best. I wouldn't hesitate to use any of these lenses. 50mm is good for 35mm, f2.8 is rather a wide aperature, making the lens more expensive. F3.5 is adequate for enlarger work, you'll do most enlargements at f8 or f11.[ Top ]
Q: What do you think of using glass when enlarging in order to keep the paper absolutely flat?
A: If you need glass to hold the paper flat you may have a different problem than just keeping the paper flat. If you are using an easel that holds the paper down (not a borderless easel) then if the paper is not laying flat you either have very high humidity or very low humidity. If it's damp in your darkroom, I'd suggest using an air conditioner to dry the air, or a dehumidifier. If you have very dry air, then I'd suggest putting hot water in a tray in your darkroom, this will evaporate in the room and increase the humidity. If you are using a borderless easel, then you might want to try heavier paper (double weight instead of single weight). If you are just laying the paper on the baseboard, then also try heavier paper.If you still can't get the paper to lie flat, then you can try using glass on the paper. The problem with that is that the glass adds two surfaces that the light must pass through, and these can reflect light, causing diffusion of the light (fuzzier prints) and a reduction in contrast. But if you can't get around it, try it.
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Q: What magnifying glass or loupe should I get?
A: Go cheap to start. These are used to look at slides and contact prints, not for focusing the enlarger. If you find that you can't see enough, then get a higher power later, if you need more light to see, then get a light gathering magnifier later. I have a cheap 6x magnifier that I use, and it's just fine for me.[ Top ]
Q: I know i need two timers, what do you recommend?
A: For the enlarger, you want one that turns the lamp on/off at the start/end of the time. The basic Time-o-Lite can do the job, to start, eventually you might want to be able to set the time within a fraction of a second. You should be able to get one of these for less than you have listed below. I'd use the money to get a really nice enlarger and lens. If you are going to spend a lot of money on a timer however, you might want to look for one that has a dry down feature - I discuss dry down at /tech-print-drydown.shtml - basically it has to do with the tones in the paper change as the print dries, and so what you see in the darkroom is not what the resulting print will be, it's usually a 3-6% reduction in exposure time. Another feature to look for in an enlarger timer is an audible tone every second (or user definable interval) this is useful when dodging and burning, as you can count the tones to know how long you are manipulating the print. I have a Zone V studios timer, with all these features, and more, that I really like, I don't remember how much it was, I think it was about US$150 about 8 years ago.For the processing you can use anything with a minute hand and second hand. Sometimes it's easier to use a timer that counts down, but it really isn't necessary to start. I have a Gralab, and love it, but if I was just starting out I would just get a large wall clock with a second hand. When you are processing films, you are going to develop for a specific time (usually somewhere around 6 to 10 minutes) and only need to be accurate within 15 seconds or so, the stop is 30 seconds, approximately, it doesn't have to be exact, and the fixer is either 2 minutes or 4 minutes, not precise either. For paper, the developer is 2 minutes, stop 30 seconds, and fix either 2 minutes or 4 minutes. None of these processes require accuracy beyond a few seconds, so you can use a wall clock. Also, you will have a safelight on or room light (for film) so you don't need a glow in the dark (luminescent) dial.
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Q: What is the difference between easels?
A: Easels are used to hold the paper flat for an enlargement. There are three types of easels, borderless, fixed, and adjustable.- Borderless easels are a flat piece of metal, with the edges bent up just past 90 degrees, so that they hold the edges down, without blocking the light from reaching all of the paper. You will want to use heavy paper with these easels (double weight in stead of single weight) in order to keep them flat.
- The other two kinds hold the paper down by the edges, creating an edge that receives no light during exposure, which for black and white or color work leaves a white boarder, for slides it leaves a black border.
- Fixed easels are made like a book. The top has a hole the size of the print, the bottom is a flat piece of metal. The paper is set on the bottom, in guides, then the top is folded down over the paper, to hold down the edges.
- Adjustable easels are similar to fixed easels, except they have two blades. One is hinged on the top, and the other on the side. The top blade can slide left-right, and the side blade can slide up-down. The paper is set on the bottom piece of metal, slid under the top and side overlaps, into one corner. Then one blade is folded down over the paper, then the other blade is folded down.
- Fixed easels are tougher than adjustable ones, because there is only one hinge, and it is the entire length of one side of the easel, whereas on adjustable easels the hinges are much smaller, and they must slide. Also, the top on a fixed easel is a solid piece of metal with a hole in the middle cut out for the light to pass through, whereas each of the blades on an adjustable easel are long and thin.
- Adjustable easels have the advantage when it comes to making odd sized prints however, since no-one makes a 2x10 fixed easel for example.
- A hybrid is the multi-fixed easel. One model is called the 4 in 1, for example. It has 4 fixed windows, so you can make 8x10, 5x7, 3.5x5 and wallet sized from one easel.
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Q: What is the difference between contact print proofers?
A: There are two kinds of proofers. With or without glass. The glass helps to hold the negatives flat on the paper, however it introduces two more surfaces for light to pass through, risking diffusion and reflection, and to clean. Both kinds have holders that you slide the negatives into. Then you place the proofer on top of your paper, then expose. I use a Saunders Super Proofer. I used to use a simple sheet of glass, and that is very workable, however you have to re-arrange the negatives every time you make a new test print.[ Top ]
Q: My prints are gray or muddy - what am I doing wrong?
A: There are many possible reasons.- The negative might be of an image that has no whites.
- The negative might be over developed.
- You might be exposing the print too long.
- The paper might be fogged in the box (pre-fogged).
- Your room might have light leaks.
- If you are using a safelight it might be fogging the paper.
- You might not have diluted the developer properly.
- You might be over-developing the print.
- Your stop bath might be exhausted.
- Your fixer might be exhausted.
- Test the SafeLight
- Test to see that the room is light tight
- The results from these two tests should tell you where your problem is:
- Paper pre-fog, or developer concentration or over developing print. Indicated by the one area that received absolutely no illumination being gray. First re-confirm the manufacturers recommended time and temperature for paper development, re-test if it's not what you've been using. Next, re-mix the developer, from scratch, and double check the dilution, re-test. Next, try some new paper, re-test.
- Safelight(s) not safe. Indicated by an outline of the opaque object (ruler / pencil) on the safelight test. First, check the safelights to see that the filters are still intact, not deteriorated, replace if necessary, and re-test. Next, check the wattage of the safelight bulbs. Most manufacturers seem to recommend about 15 Watts. Next, check the distance from the safelight to the paper. Most manufacturers recommend several feet, I like to reflect mine off the ceiling, which gives a lot of distance, as well as spreading the light more evenly throughout the darkroom. As you make adjustments, re-test.
- Room light not safe. Indicated by seeing the key in the room light test. Read the page on making a room light tight for ways to block the light. After making adjustments, re-test.
- None of the above. You might not be making the print with the right exposure, or on the right grade of paper, for the negative that you are printing. Try this page on making a test print to help you get a better exposure / f-stop and paper grade combination.
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Q: How do I tell if a picture will be good when I look at the negative?
A: This is a talent that takes time to learn to do well. This is why most people make contact sheets. But some people are scanning the negatives into their computers, so they don't want to make contact proofs. The first thing you want to do is to use a good magnifying loupe. Also, you want to crop the image with two L shaped peiced of paper, so that you aren't distracted by other negatives. To get you started, you are looking for a few things, the range of tones, the contrasts, and the basic composition. Sharpness is near impossible to tell in a 35mm negative, you'll have to enlarge it before you know if it's really sharp.[ Top ]
Q: Can I develop all my black and white films in the same developer?
A: The short answer is No. But it's far more complicated than that. Some Black&White films are really color films that only develop in shades of black and white, these can not be developed in Black&White developer (well, actually they can, but the results are not "normal"). Some Black&White films react differently to different developers. A "slow grain" film, developed in a "fast grain" developer gives different results to development in a "slow grain" developer. So, you can develop many films in the same developer, however the results will be different. You'll have to experiment to see which combinations you like.[ Top ]
Q: Can you dry film in the reel?
A: Yes. But you probably don't want to. When you dry film on the reel, the film tends to be extremely curly, and very difficult to lay flat on a scanner or sheet of paper for making a contact print. And no, using a sheet of glass to hold the negatives down doesn't help, because you put one strip down, put the glass over it, put the next strip down, start to move the glass to cover it, and the first strip springs away - this is from experience. The way I dried films before I built a film drying cupboard was to hang it in a dust free area for about 3 hours (I used my darkroom, turned everything off and left for that time).[ Top ]
Q: Do I need a darkroom to process negatives?
A: Not if you have a changing bag or a closet and a daylight tank. You need to load the films onto the reels in complete darkness, hence the changing bag, or you can use a dark closet. Once the film is on the reel, the reel in the tank, and the lid on the tank, you can process in daylight, hence the name daylight tank. You'll still want access to water, but you can use a hose, or bottles of water. There are people who process their negatives in the field, all the time.[ Top ]
Q: My prints seem to get darker as they dry, what can I do to compensate for this drydown effect?
A: When you view a print through water, or when it is wet, it appears lighter than it will when it is dry. This has been called drydown. I have created a page about drydown and how to compensate for it. Basically, you make test prints with less exposure, and them compare them to the wet print to see what compensation you will need to make in the darkroom.[ Top ]
Q: I am confused about diluting my chemicals (developer and the fixer).
I know once I mix them, they need to be diluted before I use them. Does this mean I have my main batch and then another bottle of deluted chemical that I can use over and over? A: Almost. What it means is this. You mix up the chemicals (or buy liquid concentrates) according to the manufacturers recomendations. But these concentrates are not always the concentration you want for the developer, fix, stop, or wash aid. Instead, what you do is dilute them, at the time of use, to the concentration you desire for that process. For example, you might be using the same chemistry for the stop bath for negatives and prints, but the dilution is different for each. What I do is mix up the concentrates, label them properly, then mix up the working solution as I need it. When developing negatives, I use the developer and stop bath 'one-shot', and re-use the fixer. I store the fixer in a seperate bottle (from the original concentration) and label it with the number of rolls I've processed, as well as the date it was mixed. I have to calculate the number of rolls that can be processed based on the manufacturers recommendations. When developing prints, I mix enough working solution for one session, and keep track of the number or prints I make. I don't replenish the developer, but I do save the indicator stop bath - in a seperate bottle from original concentration - but I keep about a gallon of indicator stop in one bottle. For the fixer, I track the number of prints/rolls processed.Some people reuse the developer, but use a replenisher to keep it fresh. I haven't had consistent results this way, so I don't do that.
So, in answer to your question, keep the original concentration seperate from the working solution. You can reuse the fixer with no problems, as long as you track the number of rolls/prints you process. To reuse the developer you need a replenisher. The acid stop bath or wash aid (in working solution) aren't worth saving. Indicator stop can be saved, in working solution, as long as you check the color before each roll, and during printing.
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Q: What is the difference between a condensor enlarger and a diffusion enlarger?
A: These are basically the same, with different light sources.A condensor lightsource gives the highest contrast prints by aiming the light through one or more glass condensers, or lenses, and providing brighter illumination and faster printing times. They are also the least expensive. Color printing is possible, but less consistent.
Diffusion lightsources give better modulation of middle gray tones in black and white (they are less contrasty), and allow negatives to closely match grade 2 printing paper with less manipulation. They are also more forgiving of less than perfect negatives. Their higher initial investment will be recovered through fewer spoiled prints from dust. Modern diffusion enlargers are generally fitted with Dichroic Filters that can be used for color correction in color printing, as well as for contrast control in black and white.
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Q: What is the difference between RC & RC Rapid? Which should I choose?
A: C photo papers come in two varieties: RC and RC Rapid. They are essentially the same papers with one difference; the rapid paper is developer impregnated. This means that it has developer chemistry built in to the paper. Just for the record, Kodak's rapid paper now bear the designation "III" while their non-rapid papers are"II". Most other manufacturers still use the "rapid" designation. The rapid papers were originally designed for stabilizer processors used by people with a lot of short deadlines (typically newspapers). The stabilizer processors used two chemicals, an activator and a stabilizer, and they used special stabilizer process paper as well. The activator brought up the image and the stabilizer fixed it (but not for long). People who used this process only needed the image to look presentable for a short time (long enough to make a plate for printing the newspaper) and then it was discarded. The RC Rapid papers were a significant improvement in quality for stabilizer process users. They were standard photographic papers and the developers incorporated into them (and which where activated by the activator chemicals) produced much better results. They could also be fixed using standard fixers for a longer archival life, if needed. Alright then...which paper should you choose? RC or RC rapid? Well... the rapid papers are still developer impregnated so they develop a little faster. The developer is not as high quality as many of the popular standard developers and the quicker development times, though only minimally quicker, slightly reduce the tonal range. The regular non-rapid RC papers develop more slowly but have a wider tonal range. The Bottom Line: if you are in a hurry - use the rapid (it's faster), if you aren't - use the the regular (it performs better).[ Top ]
Q: How do I align an enlarger baseboard and lens?
A: This is an exageration of what a misaligned negative carrier looks like:
As you can see, one side of the lens is closer to the baseboard than the other. Two things result when this happens. 1) you can't get all four edges of the print in focus unless you stop the lens way down. and/or 2) you can have a 'vignette' or loss of light on one edge of the print. To align your negative carrier, take two strips of glass mirror. One slides face down into the slot where the negative carrier goes and the other goes onto the baseboard, face-up. If the negative carrier and baseboard are parallel, the mirrors should reflect back and forth, to infinity. You can't see this because if you put your head in there you'll block the reflection. But if you take a razor and scrape away the metal (aluminum?) from the back of the mirror in a tiny area, you can peer through to see if the mirrors are doing this. To help further, draw a bullseye target around the scraped-away part and if you see one bulleye inside another, inside another, etc. you're good. All that's left is to make sure your lens axis is aligned with your negative carrier but this is more likely to be ok. Further...
Get an alignment negative (or use a piece of engineering paper - with small squares) and put it in the negative carrier. Project the image onto your baseboard, use the back of a piece of printing paper (the largest size you have). The distance from the top left corner to the bottom right corner should be the same as from the top right corner to the bottom left corner. Also you should be able to focus one corner, and have all the rest of the image in perfect focus.
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Q: Should the walls of a darkroom be black or should they be white?
A: Many people believe that a darkroom should be painted black inside, I don't agree. I've worked in darkrooms for several years now, and I'm most comfortable with white walls. A low wattage safe-light (7w or 15w) provides plenty of light in such a room. I point the light at the ceiling or the wall, and the entire room lights up, not enough to really see, but enough that I don't bump into anything, and can tell what I'm doing comfortably. I also can use a low enough wattage bulb that I have no problem with fogging. Here are my reasons for having the walls white- If the room is truly light tight, then when the lights are turned off inside the darkroom, there will be no light to affect the process, so wall color is immaterial.
- When you turn on a safelight in a room with dark walls, the light does not reflect, so it can be very dark, but if the walls are white, then the light is reflected, and the entire room appears lighter, making it easier to see.
- If you shine the safelights up, at the ceiling, the whole room is lit up, making it easier to see things, and avoid bumping into things.
- If you shine the safelights up, it increases the distance from the lamp to the paper, making the safelight actually safer.
- White walls in a darkroom (or some other lighter color, pale yellow for example) are much cheerier, and make the room "feel" bigger.
- White walls, instead of a light pale color, don't affect the "color" of the light in the room. (others people use pale yellow, or some other light color with success, so I don't know if this is really a concern)
- When you turn on the white lights in a darkroom with dark walls, you need a more intense light to have the same level of light as you need in a room with white walls (I use a 40 watt bulb in the darkroom, and the light is REALLY bright, I could use 15 watts), if you're using a higher wattage bulb (60 or 100 watts) to make up for the dark walls, your eyes take longer to adjust when you switch from room lights to safe lights.
- In disucssions on the newsgroup rec.photo.darkroom most people are using light colored walls in their darkrooms for these reasons.
- In looking at darkroom magazines, or photo magazines when they show the interior of darkrooms, I've seen that most of the printers prefer white walls, some even go so far as to put white tile on the walls, so the lights are reflected.
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Q: My print is too dark.
When I tried to make my first print, I set the lens at f8 and did test exposures...well, they were wayyyy too dark. so i cut down the exposure time....i had to set my timer at 1 second to get a decent print, yet it was still a little dark. The negative i was using was processed by someone other then myself, and it was very translucent, with a few major dark areas, the orignal prints i had looked fine, but i am having an extremly hard time replicating them. I hope you can school me in what exactly im doing wrong here.... any help is appreciated! A: There are a few things to look at.- The lens should have more f-stops than just f8, so you could change it to f-11 and use 2 seconds, or f-16 for 4 seconds, or f-22 for 8 seconds, and then adjust from there to get a better print.
- You could use a neutral density filter to reduce the intensity of the light, a 2-stop filter would mean that you could double the exposure time, a 3-stop would mean you could quadruple the time, etc.
- Your light source might be too bright, especially if you've just started using this enlarger, and it's a condensor type (a light bulb with lenses to focus the light), you might be using a bulb that's too bright, like a 60 watt bulb, when you should be using 25 or 15 watts. I don't know your enlarger, so I don't know about this.
- Then there's the negative itself.
If you can get a copy of "An Ansel Adams Guide - Basic Techniques of Photography" by John P. Schaefer, then look for the negative evaluation pages, they're on pages 222 and 223 of my 1992 copy. They show 9 prints of 9 different negatives of the same subject,
A. underexposure, under developed shows very low contrast, absence of shadow detail
So what is your negative? You'll have to ask and answer these questions, and without a reference print it's hard... so if you have a reference print, like a b/w print from an art store, which is not perfect, but is a start... if you have a really good print made from a good printer, like Fred Picker used to sell, for example, then that's a better reference.
B. normal exposure, under developed shows low contrast, lost of some detail in deep shadow areas
C. overexposure, under developed shows low contrast, excellent detail in both hightlights and shadow areas
D. underexposure, normal development shows normal contrast, serious lack of detail in shadow areas
E. normal exposure, normal development shows normal contrast, excellent detail in both highlights and shadow areas
F. overexposure, normal development shows normal contrast, excellent shadow detail but "blocked" highlights
G. underexposure, over development shows high contrast, adequate detail in all but the darkest shadow areas
H. normal exposure, over development shows high contrast, excellent shadow detail but "blocked" highlights
I. overexposure, over development shows high contrast, brighter areas of the scene are completely "blocked"
"Blocked" highlights are completely white and there is no detail in them.
From your answers you should be able to figure out which of the above your negative falls into. You can make excellent prints from negatives which are either C, E, or G. The rest will require efforts to salvage the print, and may or not be acceptable, depending on how extreme the effects.- Is the contrast normal? Low? or High? In other words, are the tones all similar across the print, but the subject shouldn't be that way (low)? or is there either black or white, with little in between (and the subject isn't that way)? or does it look normal?
- Is there detail in the darkest shadows? Can you print it so that you can see details?
- Is there detail in the brightest highlights? Can you print it so that you can see the details?
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Q: What kind of sink should I buy, and how much should I pay a person to do it?
I am thinking about turning my garage at home into a darkroom. I was wondering how I should go about getting a sink put in. I have no skills to do such a project, but was wondering how much you think I should pay a person to do it and what kind of sink I should get. A: There are hundreds of choices here, it's no wonder you're confused! Have you worked in a darkroom much before? Because if you have, then you might want to get the same kind of sink as you used in the past, or you might know what features are important to you. If you haven't then you might want to rent some time to find out what's important before you spend much money on a sink. I've heard lots of ideas on sinks, besides making them out of plywood. Industrial sinks seem to be popular, if you can find a restaraunt that is going out of business for example. Or there are darkroom sink makers, like Akray. Buying a sink can run anywhere from $100 for a used industrial sink (read on rec.photo.darkroom), to $1,000 for a good one from a sink maker with bells, to $2,000 for one with bells and whistles. You've also got to consider the water supply, and that can run up the bill too. If you're going to have it built, then I have no idea what a carpenter would charge to follow my rough plans, or anyone elses for that matter, but I'd guess that you wouldn't save any money over a steel sink from Akray. You'd save money if you made it yourself, but that's just because you're not paying $50/hour to have someone else build it. So I guess I'd recommend looking at a Porters catalog, and a B&H catalog, then contacting the sink manufacturers, like Akray, and getting more information, but not until you know what features you want based on experience. As for installing it, and the supply, then you're going to have to have a plumber do the connections, and they charge more than $50/hour. Even if you made the sink, you might have needed the plumber to put in the drain/supply lines in the wall. I think the reason I'm putting up this information to you, is that I think you could spend a couple thousand dollars, and then find out you don't have what you really want, after you use it for a while. I guess I'm assuming that you don't have much experience in the darkroom, based on wanting to know what kind of sink to get. If you are new, don't be discouraged, becuase you don't need a "darkroom sink" to have a darkroom, you can use a laundry tub sink, and a counter top. Many people have done this for many years making many wonderful prints. It's just easier to be able to wash things down if you can "hose down" the "counter top".[ Top ]
Q: What size lens should I get for my enlarger?
A: It depends on your negative size, the following table lists the minimum lens focal length by negative format.
So, if you're printing 6x7 and 35mm on your 6x7 enlarger, then you could use a 100mm lens for both, or a 50mm for 35mm and a 100mm for 6x7.Negative Format Focal Length 35mm 50mm 2 1/4 x 2 1/4 inches (6x6cm) 80mm 2 1/4 x 2 3/4 inches (6x7cm) 90-100mm 2 1/4 x 3 1/4 inches (6x9cm) 105mm 4x5 inches 150mm 5x7 inches 210mm 8x10 inches 300mm [ Top ]
Q: How do I get a black border when printing negatives?
A: One method is to- Expose the print as you normally would
- Remove the print from the easel
- Place an opaque material (cardboard works great) on the print, leaving the edges you want to be black uncovered by cardboard
- Flash the print with white light, either under the enlarger for a while, or just turn on the room lights for a second or so
- Develop as normal
- Start with a piece of cardboard the same size as your print.
- Draw the shape/size and location of the print, leaving the border, which will be black, outside that shape.
- Cut out the shape on your drawn lines
- Put both pieces on the paper
- Remove the outer piece, the inner piece is now always in the same place on your prints
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Q: What's the best way to store chemicals?
A: This was presented by Michael Gaston on photo.net: Don't refrigerate your chems because some if the chemicals will come out of solution at low temps. Long term storage of developer is the big problem as it will oxidize pretty quickly. Fix will last a long time and stop will last forever(as far as I can tell). You can tell when your fix has gone bad, it develops a mighty stench. Here's the big secret for developer. I promise it will work. Get yourself a bunch of 16oz Gatoraid bottles. The glass kind with metal lids, made to hold a vacuum. Mix your developer from powder at 125 degrees. I know that is hotter than the instructions say but it will be ok. As soon as everything is desolved while it's still nice and hot, pour the developer into the bottles. Leave about an inch of air space. Without the air space it will not develop a good vacuum. Lay the lids on top of the bottles but don't tighten them yet. Let it sit for a minute or two, long enough for the air in the bottle to heat up. Now tighten the lids. As they cool off a vacuum will develop in most of the bottles. You will be able to tell if they have a vacuum because the little vacuum indicator bump on the lids will be sucked down. Use any bottles that failed to make a vacuum first. Use the ones that did make a good vacuum at your leisure because apparently they will never oxidize. When I got rid of my darkroom about a year ago, I threw away a 16oz bottle of D76 that was left over from when I switched to XTol about 4 years prior. The D76 was still as clear as water. It showed no sign of oxidization.[ Top ]
Q: How does water quality affect the darkroom?
A: There is a lot of discussion about quality of water.- Does water from different cities cause different results in developing? Yes
- Does water from the same city cause different results in different neighborhoods? Yes
- ...different houses? Yes
- ...the same house? Sometimes
- Does soft water give different results than hard water? Maybe
- Should you use tap water? Maybe
- ...bottled water? Maybe, it depends on the bottled water, some isn't very pure.
- ...distilled water? Maybe
- Should you care about this at all? Not for your first few rolls of film.
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Q: after processing my films, they are totally fogged on top, with a light purple color on them and the back of the emulsion is clearer. There are also lines running across, coming from the holes. What can I do?
A: Fogged on top: do you mean top of the frame with respect to how it was loaded in the camera? or top of the frame with respect to how it was loaded in the film canister? or top of the frame with respect to how it was loaded in the developing tank? Is the fogging consistent across all negatives? If it's in the same place on all the negatives, but not related to the top or bottom of the developing tank, the fogging is due to exposure fogging which is happening in either the camera or the film canister. however, based on your other problem, lines running across, coming from the holes, i think that your problem has to do with agitation. Agitation is what you do to the developing tank during the developing process, turn, thump, thump, twist, twist, bang. How often do you do it? I'm guessing you're not agitating at all. People do agitation differently, but the way that I used, based on the books I read, and finally settled on this method is: Lift the tank, turn it upside down, right side up, rapidly (an inversion) (renverser la creme renverser) Tap it on a solid surface, like the edge of the sink, once or twice (thump, thump) Twist the tank rapidly about 90 degrees and back, twice (twist, twist) The purpose of agitation is move the chemistry around, stir it up, so that it does not develop more in certain areas of the negative. When there is no agitation, the negative will not develop the same all over, and sometimes you get developer to accumulate in certain areas and then "run". The inversion stirs the chemistry top to bottom, the twists stir it side to side, and the thumps dislodge air bubbles (the air bubbles are not formed during agitation, they are formed during development, and as the bubbles slide up the negative they can cause streaks also - and if there were air bubbles in the holes and they moved up the negative, you'd get streaks from the holes). You do the agitation immediately after pouring in the developer, stop, or fixer, and every minute during the process. People argue over how often, how rapid, how forceful, how many times to twist, how many times to invert, how many times to thump, but everyone agrees that some form of agitation is required.[ Top ]
Visitor Comments
The comments stated below are not necessarily the opinions of Andy Hughes or DarkroomSourceMinor quibbles : Please note "Ascetic" acid is actually spelled "acetic" acid. And I believe that by "waveform" of light you actually mean "wavelength" of light.
Contributed by on 2000-01-09 00:00:00
As some of you have noticed, spelling is not mi strong sute. I've fixed the acetic asid spelling, and the waveform reference.
Contributed by on 2000-01-10 00:00:00
--Andy
You forgot one of the main reasons to have light colored walls, it is easy to walk into a black wall in the dark and also painful.
Contributed by on 2000-04-28 00:00:00
With regard to the FAQ answer on printing with a black border: The original method is to use a negative carrier that is larger than the negative image size, thus projecting some of the unexposed film edge onto the paper. Frequently this is accomplished by filing out the carrier, then painting the filed edges black. This can be done with smooth or rough edges, depending on the look you want the edge of the printed image to have. Similar effect can be acheived by making a cardboard negative frame. This method only works on un-cropped prints.
Contributed by on 2001-04-09 00:00:00
Another way to add a border around a picture, is the negative carrier itself. You can buy negative carriers that are larger in the frame size than normal, which gives a border. However, if you don't have one like this, you can also file it down with a filer. This will also give it that artistic rough-edge border, as it can't come out straight when filing.
Contributed by on 2004-04-15 23:55:59
