Last Updated on October 31, 2022
Anyone who has ever been in a darkroom knows the eerie red glow that comes from the safelights. It can be pretty disorienting, especially if you’ve never been in one before. But don’t worry, we’re here to guide you through the process of making a print from a negative in the darkroom, whether it’s in color or black and white.
First things first, you’ll need to gather your supplies.
Making a print from a negative in the darkroom is a process that requires some care and attention to detail. But with a little practice, it’s easy to get great results. Here’s a complete guide to making a color or black and white print from a negative in the darkroom.
The first step is to choose the right paper for your project. If you’re printing black and white, you’ll want to use a black and white photo paper. For color prints, use a glossy or semi-glossy photo paper.
Next, set up your enlarger according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Once it’s all set up, place your negative in the holder and turn on the enlarger light.
Now it’s time to focus the image onto the paper.
Take your time with this step, as it’s important to get it just right. Once the image is focused, turn off the enlarger light and make any adjustments needed to framing or cropping.
When you’re happy with the way everything looks, it’s time to expose the paper to light.
The duration of exposure will depend on your specific setup and film type – consult your camera manual or film packaging for guidance on this step. Generally speaking, however, exposures should be between 30 seconds and two minutes long.
After exposure, turn off the enlarger light and develop your print according to whatever method you’re using – traditional darkroom chemicals or an at-home processing kit like Cinestill Df96 Monobath developer .
How Do I Make a Color Or Black And White Print from a Negative in the Darkroom
In the darkroom, you can make a color or black and white print from a negative. To do this, you will need to have some supplies on hand, including:
-A film negative
-A piece of photo paper
-A printing frame
-An enlarger
-A darkroom timer
First, you will need to load your negative into the printing frame. Then, you will need to position the enlarger so that the image is projected onto the photo paper.
Once everything is in place, you will need to turn on the enlarger and start timing your exposure. Depending on how light or dark you want your print to be, you will need to adjust the aperture of the enlarger accordingly.
Once your desired exposure time has elapsed, turn off the enlarger and develop your print according to instructions for black and white or color prints.
Printing Colour Negatives – ILFORD Photo Darkroom Guides
Conclusion
This blog post walks readers through the process of making a color or black and white print from a negative in the darkroom. The author starts by explaining what materials are needed and how to set up the darkroom. Next, they walk readers through the steps of printing, including how to expose the paper, develop the print, and fix it.
Finally, they offer tips for troubleshooting common problems.