Enlarger and Darkroom Printing Presentation for West Brook Photography Students.

1. Enlarger
and Darkroom Film Printing

2. Copyright Notice
•
•
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike CC BY-NC-SA
• This presentation is for educational purposes only.
• No money is being made
and is provided with similar allowances for other educators
to use for non-profit, educational purposes.
• Images are from various sources, including many of my own.
If you would like the high res images I have shot, please visit
www.DrewLoker.com for various work online.
If you are the original author of any of the samples, pictures, text, etc.
please let me know if you object to the usage and I will
remove your material promptly.
Photo by Drew Loker

3. Why a Darkroom?
• Special paper will be used
• Think of it like your paper
is a little vampire.
• If light hits the paper, it will
die!
• So, we will construct a
“coffin” for your photo
charged paper. Do NOT
let it “die”!

4. Silver
• The other thing we learn
from vampires is the
significance of silver. We
all know what happens
when a vamp comes in
contact with silver, right?
*see side note
• Well, in photography,
that silver is what is
reacting to the light on
the photo paper.
Mythology:
Why does silver hurt vampires?
It doesn’t really. It came from
confusion over werewolves and
vampires. It has become vogue
lately that silver will kill a vampire.
The best explanation I found was
because vampires represent pure
evil. Jesus was betrayed for 30
pieces of silver and so silver is a
'blessed metal.' That is the
reasoning behind the legend.

5. Remember: If you did NOT complete your Lab Safety last week,
you MUST complete it before you work in the darkroom.

6. IMGP0265

7. • The enlarger is used to
project light onto light
sensitive photo paper.
– 1st Project, we use the enlarger
simply as a light source for
Photograms.
– 2nd Project: We use the darkroom
for the Pinhole Photos, but not the
enlarger.
– 3rd time in the darkroom you will
place Negatives directly onto the
paper to make little prints called a
“contact print”.
– Finally, when a negative is placed
INSIDE the enlarger, the images
are enlarged onto the paper in the
form of prints.

9. The parts of…
Be sure to turn
off the enlarger
when not in use.
Power Cord – Use caution when
adjusting the height of the enlarger
so you do not CUT the cord.
Lamp House
Lamp House Knob –
aka Negative Stage Knob
Contrast Level
Indicator
White Light Lever –
aka Filter Lever (On/Off). Pull
TOWARD you to turn off.
Enlarger Timer –
Turn
to a larger time, then down to
your desired time.
Contrast Control
Knob
Paper Selector –
Leave on ilford
Enlarger Height Knob
– Outermost knob
Negative Carrier – Opens
with Lamp House Knob
Bellows – Focus
Lens – aka Lens Board
Lens includes the
aperture which
controls the quantity
of light.
Enlarger Lock – Should
usually be left loose.
Focus Knob – Inner Lower

10. The parts of…
Lamp House

11. The Light House
Holds the bulb and lens
that in which light is
projected through

12. The parts of…
Be sure to turn off the
enlarger when not in use.
Even if you walk away for a few
seconds…turn it OFF!
Power Cord – Use caution when
adjusting the height of the enlarger
so you do not CUT the cord.

13. Caution:
Be very careful of the cord dangling over the top
of the enlarger getting tangled up in the gears
when using the hand crank to raise the enlarger.

14. The parts of…
Lamp House Knob –
aka Negative Stage Knob

15. Lamp House
allows access to pull out the negative carrier
Be sure the lamp
house is
LOWERED before
turning on the light.

16. The parts of…
White Light Lever –
aka Filter Lever (On/Off). Pull
TOWARD you to turn off.

17. White Light Lever
Pull Forward to cancel
(disengage) the Filter
Push AWAY to
ENGAGE
the Filter

18. The parts of…
Enlarger Height Knob –
Outermost knob

19. The parts of…
Enlarger Lock – Should
usually be left loose.

20. Lock

21. Caution:
Be careful to not try to change the enlarger
height with out Unlocking it first.

22. The parts of…
Focus Knob – Inner Lower

23. Focus Knob
located on the side and below the bellows

24. Focus Bellows

25. The parts of…
Lens – aka Lens Board
Lens includes the
aperture which
controls the quantity
of light.

26. Lens Board
• Has a little
translucent
red peg that
glows when
the enlarger is
turned on to
illuminate the
aperture ring
of the enlarger
lens.

27. Lens Board

28. Aperture Video
• Small number
= Large
Opening =
shallow Depth
Of Field
• Large # =
Small Opening
= Deep Depth
of Field

31. Bellows – Focus

32. Focus Knob
located on the side of the bellows

33. Focus Bellows

34. The parts of…
Negative Carrier – Open
Lamp House to remove.

35. Negative Carrier – The Tongue

36. The parts of…
Paper Selector –
Leave on ilford…we
don’t use this.

37. Paper Selector Lever
• Leave on Ilford (center option) - NOT used

38. The parts of…
Contrast Control
Knob

39. Contrast Control Knob
• Please don’t put your finger IN the little
window…it is NOT a button. Only the KNOB in
the center can be changed.

40. The parts of…
Contrast Level
Indicator

41. Contrast Level Indicator
• Please don’t put your finger IN the little
window…it is NOT a button. Only the KNOB in
the center can be changed.

42. The parts of…
Enlarger Timer –
Turn
to a greater time, then down
to your desired time.

43. Enlarger Timer
Enlarger Timer –
Turn
to a greater time, then down
to your desired time.

44. Old Timey Mechanical Timers
• Ever wondered why your mom
rotated the timer so far back past
the time, then set it at the correct
time?
– Because there is slippage in the
mechanism
• To get the most accurate time, you
have to turn past the number you
want, then dial down to the desired
setting.
– So, if you want the timer to go off in 10
minutes, you would go to 20 minutes,
then back to 10.
• Even though most microwaves,
alarm clocks, etc are digital, toaster
ovens tend to still be mechanical.
Instructions for the timer above from Walmart

45. Enlarger Timer
T stands for Timing
- Button is active
F stands for Focus
- Light Bulb is ON
When on T…press
start button to
begin timer
which will turn the light on.
If you flip to F,
WHILE the timer
is going, it will
reset the timer.

46. IMGP0327

47. Enlarger Timer
Press button
on right hand
side to start
the timer.

49. Remember the Vampire Story
Resin = Plastic
VC = Variable Contrast
-3
5
Stop
or
Fixer
Photo = Silver based, light sensitive

50. Darkroom
Chemicals
Will be pre-mixed for
1st year student
darkroom use

51. Darkroom Printing
Contact Sheet,
Test Strips and Prints
Begin
Focus
#20
Notes

52. Contact
Prints

53. Making a
contact sheet
1.Place the negatives in
rows on top of the photo
paper under the enlarger
as straight as possible
and in order of shooting
2.Lay the glass pane from
one side to the other as
shown.
* EASILY lay down the
glass pane over
the negatives so
as to not disturb
the negatives.
3.Expose your paper and
process
20.1

54. Put your negatives as close as possible.
•
•
24 exposure rolls will fit nicely.
36 exposure rolls will require that the negatives be placed so that
the edges slightly over lap.

55. Place negatives with the arch UP
Your paper will also be arch up.
Emulsion to Emulsion

56. Glass pane for contact sheet print

57. Place Glass on Top of Negatives

58. Make Your Contact Sheet
• Keep the Negative
Sleeve in relative
position in front of
the negatives.
• CS - 20” EL Height,
30 Seconds, f3.5
for Color Negatives
(B&W negatives
don’t take as long)
NO FILTER!!!!
• Remove the paper
so as to leave the
negatives in the
correct order.

59. Begin Making your Print
• Mark w/sharpie your contact sheet with your
favorite/best images…2 for FF, 2 for UP
• Select best for each topic and go to printing.
• Carefully load first negative to Negative Carrier.
• 8x10 Prints…set EL Height to 12.5”
20.2

61. As you insert the negative carrier, lift the lamp house high enough and
20.3
watch for a foam gasket under the light house.

62. Negative Carrier
• The carrier is spring loaded. Once you have put
your negative in place, you will need to hold it
closed.

63. Negative Carrier
• CAREFULLY slide the negative UNDER the tabs.
Be VERY careful not to scratch the underside of
your negative (the emulsion).

64. Place Negative Under Tabs
• As you guide it under the tabs, only gently push
along the sides.

65. Dust Blower/Brush
20.4

66. 4 in 1 Easel
8x10 on one side
20.5

67. 4 in 1 Easel
5x7, 3.5x5, Wallet on the other

68. Common Heights of the Enlarger
For the normal lens (50mm, 35mm negative),
the following heights are the minimum to
make the indicated size:
1. 8x10 Horizontal or Vertical = 12.5"
2. 8x10 Vertical of a horizontal image (or
vice versa) = 16"
3. 5x7 Horizontal = 9.5"

69. Minisight Grain Scope Magnifier
20.6

70. Minisight Grain
Scope Magnifier
• Place it on the
side of the easel
that you are
going to make a
print of. i.e. if
you are going to
make an 8x10,
leave it on the
8x10 side (5x7
is pictured).

71. Focusing on the Grain
• You are NOT
looking for the
image…but the
GRAIN of the
film.
• You will
probably only
see what looks
like sandpaper.
However, you
may see PART
of the image.

72. Focusing on the Grain
• Don’t avoid the
light…the grain
is IN the light.
• Unless you just
happen to see
apart of an
image, you will
only see the
grain.

73. Composing Your Image
• NOT WYSIWYG…ASPECT Ratio
Disagreement.
• When you took the picture, you SAW an
aspect ratio of 3:4…or 8x12.
• When you PRINT, you will be making an
8x10…or a 4:5. This is the same as
watching standard TV on a Wide Screen.
20.7

74. If you just laid a piece of paper down under the
enlarger, this is what you would get

75. The Easel will CROP the image

76. Contrast
• The difference in the black tones and
white tones in your picture. The higher
contrast, the greater the difference.
20.8

77. Contrast
• The higher
the number
of the filter,
the greater
the contrast.
• Black will be
darker, and
white will be
brighter

78. IMGP0284

79. IMGP0338

80. Contrast Filter
Low
0
Normal*
2.5-3.5
High
5
LOWERING # = REDUCE contrast.
INCREASING # = INCREASE contrast.
* Normal - B&W prints from B&W film = 2.5.
Normal B&W prints from color film = 3.5

81. To Increase or Not
• If you have a low contrast image (mostly
gray), use a high # to get MORE contrast.
• If you have a high contrast image (lots of
white and black) use a low # to get LESS
contrast.
• Contrast is a very subjective factor to
consider.
• Contrast is NOT just if something is too
dark or to bright.

86. White Light Lever
Pull Forward to cancel (off)
the Filter
(to Focus and for Contact Sheets)
Push AWAY to
ENGAGE (ON)
the Filter to Print
(test strips and Prints)

87. “Engage”, he said, “Engage”
Engage from Star Trek

88. IMGP0370

89. Making a Test Strip
• There is NO EXACT method
of making a test strip.
• You could use an entire sheet
of paper…or you could use
strips of paper.
• I like to be conservative…but
you can be TOO
conservative.
• First, let’s look at how to cut a
sheet into test strips.
20.9

91. If this was your test strip,
what do you think about the
time for this image?

92. Now what do you think about the test
strip?

93. Make sure the test strip always goes across
the most important part of the picture.

94. Making a Test Strip
• But let’s spare
no expense…
and look at
what an entire
8x10 would
look like as a
test “strip”.

95. Using an entire sheet of paper may seem excessive…but just remember the value of time,
called, Time Value of Money. If it takes 1 hour to make 5 test strips, and you still don’t
end up with a print, then your value for that hour was 50 cents. In contrast, if you can lay
down ONE (1) sheet of paper, and in 5 minutes KNOW what the best exposure time is,
then you have saved nearly an hour of time.

96. Final Print from ONE (1) test “strip”
Most of you all wouldn’t hesitate 1 second to throw down a
$1 for a sack of cookies that is “a moment on your lips…and
forever on your hips”. How much is your time worth?

97. For color negatives to black and white prints, I recommend
putting a time of 20 seconds, cover your paper with all but ¼ of
the sheet with your card board. Progressively remove the card
board with each push of the button adding 5 to 20 more seconds.

98. 5 (20)
Seconds
Cardboard

99. 10 or 40
Seconds
5 or 20
Seconds
Cardboard

100. 15 or 60
Seconds
10 or 40
Seconds
5 or 20
Seconds
Cardboard

101. 20 or 80
Seconds
15 or 60
Seconds
10 or 40
Seconds
Always do another test strip (at a single time) after a
split time test strip to nail down the exact time.
5 or 20
Seconds

102. Always do another test strip if you
move the timer clock hands.

103. • Final Print from 1
large split time
test strip, then 1
final large test
strip. A small
change in time
was made…
resulting in TOO
dark of a print.
• Processing was
also flawed
resulting in
uneven
development.

105. darkroom
printing, 8x10
test strip 3 final

106. Darkroom log
• Be sure to
record
your name
• And at
least the
exposure
time so
you can
start from
where you
left off the
next day.
20.10a

107. My
Darkroom Log
from almost 20
years ago,
including “Live
Bait” (Mounted
print of dog chasing
cat…North East
Wall above the
Comm I white
board.)
20.10b

108. Theoretically, I should be able to walk in the darkroom,
use the settings from the original print and get pretty close
to the same print.
20.10c

109. Always do
another
test at the
beginning
of each
new day.
20.10d

110. 20.10e

111. Easel Placement
•
Should Open
AWAY from
you…so that it is
a like a big
mouth about to
bite you.
•
•
Notice 4 black tabs
Don’t be confused
by the backside of
the tabs for the
other side of the
4in1 easel.
Don’t leave
negatives not in
use laying out at
your station.
•
20.11

112. Paper Placement
• Place paper
against all 4
black tabs
• Slide the paper
back and forth to
make sure you
are up against all
4 tabs.

113. Paper Placement
• Gently lower
the easel lid so
as to not shift
the paper.

114. Dodging and Burning
• Most pictures will require SOME tweaking with the printing…
called custom printing…or dodging and burning.
20.12

115. Dodging and Burning
• Digital Dodging and Burning is one of the best features of both
a FILM dakroom or DIGITAL darkroom. No photoshop at
home? Pixlr.com offers it for free.

118. Dodging and Burning
• Most pictures will require SOME
tweaking with the printing…called
custom printing…or dodging and
burning.

122. Limited Dynamic Range
• Even TODAY, digital cameras LACK the exposure range of
Film which is the ability to bring out detail in either the
shadows or highlights.

123. State of the Art iPhone 4s, Apps help

124. Ansel Adams called this stage the
“Performance part of Printing”

125. Keep the Dodge or Burn tool moving
while you are exposing your image

126. Print Errors
• Let’s look at some ways to avoid wasting
your time and money.

128. darkroom
printing,
challenges
negative
edge,
Finger
prints

129. darkroom
printing,
challenges 4
base fog,
probably
heat (Rita or
Ike)

130. darkroom printing, challenges 5
base fog, probably from Heat (Rita
or IKE)

131. darkroom printing,
challenges 6 base fog,
probably from heat (Rita
or IKE)

132. picture sample, darkroom, fogged even upside down in the developer

133. Entire image with negative edge showing. Dotted line simulates an 8x10 crop.

134. Picture is back lit, needs dodging and burning.

135. picture sample, back lit, now too dark

136. Printing 5x7s
• When you are done
printing the class
requirements, print
some of your other
pictures.
• If you want, you can
print other pictures
as 5x7s. You can
cut 1-8x10 to 25x7s. This will give
you 2 small test
strips that are 1”x5”.
• The time for a 5x7 is
about HALF that of
an 8x10. Be sure to
do a new test strip.

137. • Both of these
prints suffered
from paper
fog OUTSIDE
of the
darkroom
(opening the
black bag in
the light).

139. Test Strips
• Save your final test strips, especially eyes,
for our Front Door.
• Be sure they are properly Fixed and
Washed.

140. Darkroom Reminders
•
Darkroom tips
–
–
–
–
–
–
Do NOT loose your negatives
Put your initials on the back of your paper
You MUST leave your prints in the fixer for the correct TOTAL amount of time. The “1
minute” time is for inspection only. You must put it back in the fixer. Not fixing long will cause
the print to turn yellow in a few hours, days or months.
Move your prints around in the wash to keep prints separate form each other, use both wash
baths to ensure a good washing.
Get the print right on a test strip. If your initial test strips are small, do a final test strip that is
significantly larger.
Always do a new test strip at the beginning of a new day…even with the info from your log
sheet, you still need to do a test strip.
•
Learn the “CLICKS” of the f/stops on the enlarger lens…the numbers are identical to the camera after
the first one, on most of the enlargers.
–
–
–
–
–
•
3.5, 4, 5.6, 8, 11, 16
However, this is a non-click position WIDE OPEN and CLOSED down, that are not really positions, but they are
different than the NUMBERED position.
Rinse and dispose of test strips as you go…do not let them pile up in the developer, stop,
etc.
Do NOT allow any wet strips, not even paper you think is reasonably dry ones, to be at your
EL station.
When trimming your 5x7s, be sure your paper is straight.
Clean up Duties
–
–
“Clean Up Duties” is a class duty. The clean up captain is there to make sure it gets done.
Their job will be to notate what stations/areas are not taken care of, and points will be
deducted from the entire class…1 pt per day off the entire classes focus.
Each class period is a little different…please be sure to put your name on the form, and
complete the correct period. Refer to the clean up captain rotation sheet to determine who is
next, etc.

141. Make sure negative stage stays level with your images.
The image above would probably result in an uneven focus.