Making A Black And White Print

Equipment

Timers

Drying Cabinets

Tongs Or Spatula

Enlargers

Focusing Aids

Safelights

Chemicals

Developer

Stop Bath

Fixer

Wash

Summary

Focus the light using a knob usually found just to the right of the lens until a rectangle of even light covers the baseboard. Switch off the enlarger light. Place a sheet of print paper on the baseboard, emulsion, or shiny side, up. Place negatives emulsion-side-up on top of the print paper and lay a piece of glass over the negatives to hold them in place. Set the enlarger timer for 10 seconds. Time will vary depending on the density of the negative. Switch on the timer. After the print paper has been exposed, remove it and place it in a developer tray.

Resin-coated paper stays in the developer 1 minute, while fiber-based paper stays in for 2 or more minutes. Take the paper out of the developer with tongs. Let all excess liquid drain off of the paper before placing it in the stop bath tray. Place in stop bath tray, leaving resin-coated paper in the stop bath for 15 seconds and fiber-based paper for 30 seconds. Take paper out of the stop bath and place in fixer for 1 to 2 minutes for resin-coated paper and 2 to 10 minutes for fiber-based paper. Remove from fixer and place in wash for 2 to 5 minutes when using resin-coated paper and 30 to 60 minutes when using fiber-based paper. Take out of wash and place on drying cabinet.

Emulsion

A composition sensitive to some or all of the actinic rays of light, consisting of one or more of the silver halides suspended in gelatin, applied in a thin layer to one surface of a film or the like.

Aperture

Also called aperture stop . Optics . an opening, usually circular, that limits the quantity of light that can enter an optical instrument.

Masking Easel

Baseboard of an enlarger that holds photographic paper flat during exposure.

Exposure

The image resulting from the effects of light rays on a photosensitive surface.

Safe Light

A darkroom light with a filter that transmits only those rays of the spectrum to which films, printing paper, etc., are not sensitive.

Dodging

Also, hold back. Photography . (in printing) to shade (an area of a print) from exposure for a period, while exposing the remainder of the print in order to lighten or eliminate the area.

Burning

Burn in, Photography . (in printing) to expose (one part of an image) to more light by masking the other parts in order to darken and give greater detail to the unmasked area. Also, print in.