![]() Masking frame during the darkroom printing process You should be able to get roughly ten 10 x 5cm pieces from a 10 x 8in sheet. Now remove a sheet of paper and cut it up to use for test strips. Turn off the enlarger until ready for exposure. Check sharpnessĬheck for critical sharpness by using a focus finder if you have one, but remember to set it for your own eyesight first. This should be 2 stops darker than the lens’s maximum aperture. Turn the lens’s aperture ring until you feel two clicks and see a slight darkening of the projected image. Turn on the enlarger and alter the aperture ring of the lens until the brightest image is projected onto the baseboard. Each time you alter the height, refocus the image. Set the enlarger at the correct height to give a projected image big enough for the chosen print size. Once the chemicals have been measured out, place the negative in the enlarger carrier with the shiny side upwards and the numbers away from you. ![]() Step by Step Guide to Darkroom Printing 1. I hope you give it a go, as having actual prints that you created yourself from your own negatives is very rewarding. A wobbly enlarger will give you blurry prints and you don’t want spillages in the dark. It’s no use balancing everything on boxes. ![]() Make sure the surface for the enlarger and trays is steady. You will need a power supply for your enlarger and safe light, although a battery-powered red bicycle light can be used at a pinch, so long as it is well away from the paper. Negatives and contact sheet – guide to darkroom printing Cover any stray light from digital clocks, LEDs and electrical equipment, and keep your phone in your pocket. Small amounts of stray light can make a difference over a period of time. Once you have all the lights out, if you can still see across the room there is too much light. If you leave your printing until the evening, you will probably be able to cover the windows and cracks of light with a couple of layers of black bin-liner plastic, stuck up with masking tape. You can work with an orange or red light, but I would suggest turning this on after you have checked the room is totally dark. Beyond that, you could have a big bucket of water to put your prints in to be washed after the printing session.īefore you open your box of paper, remember that it is sensitive to light and will be ruined if there is any stray light. You should have the developer nearest to the enlarger, then the stop bath and then the fix. Once you have the equipment and you are satisfied that the wiring is safe, set up an area with the enlarger and enough space for three 10 x 8in trays (roughly 1 metre x 40cm. Optional: electronic timer, focus finder.Plastic bottles to store mixed-up chemicals.Multigrade paper developer, stop bath and fix (check dilutions before use).Enlarger (with 50mm lens if printing 35mm film).Guide to Darkroom Printing: Equipment Needed You will also need a set of Multigrade filters for altering contrast, which are easily found online. Remember that you will need plastic trays for the chemicals, and flasks/measuring jugs to mix up solutions. Ask at your local camera club if anyone has any old equipment looking for a home. ![]() Second-hand darkroom gear is ridiculously cheap and sometimes even available for free. The hardware for printing is easy to acquire.
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