How to Develop a Black and White Photo

Being able to print images from a negative distinguishes the serious photographer from those who simply take snapshots. Learning your way around a camera is only the first part of a complete process that culminates in the darkroom.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Timers
• Drying Cabinets
• Tongs Or Spatula
• Enlargers
• Focusing Aids
• Safelights

Making a Contact Print

1. Secure the lens in the enlarger head, which sits directly above the baseboard. Rotate the aperture ring on the lens to f8 and switch on the enlarger light.
2. Raise or lower the enlarger head using a knob typically located on the right side of the enlarger support column. Focus the light using a knob usually found just to the right of the lens until a rectangle of even light covers the baseboard.
3. Switch off the enlarger light. Place a sheet of print paper on the baseboard, emulsion, or shiny side, up.
4. 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.
5. 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.

Developing the Print

6. Place the exposed print paper in the developer tray. (Time varies by paper type. Resin-coated paper stays in the developer 1 minute, while fiber-based paper stays in for 2 or more minutes.)
7. 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.
8. Place in stop bath tray, leaving resin-coated paper in the stop bath for 15 seconds and fiber-based paper for 30 seconds.
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. Take out of wash and place on drying cabinet.

Making the Test Strip

12. Review contact sheet and pick a negative to enlarge. Take negative strip out of sleeve and place inside the frame in the center of the negative carrier. Make sure the emulsion side of the film, or shiny side, faces up.
13. Close the enlarger head using a lever to the right of the negative carrier slot. Switch on the enlarger light.
14. Focus the image on the easel using the white side of a piece of exposed print paper. Switch the enlarger light off and place a strip of print paper on the easel. Make sure the ends are held in place by the easel arms.
15. Place a piece of cardboard over the test strip, leaving a small part exposed. Set the timer for 2 to 5 seconds and switch it on.
16. After each exposure, move the cardboard to reveal more of the test strip until it is completely exposed.
17. Develop the test strip. Once the strip has been in the fixer for 2 minutes it is safe to take it into the light.
18. Take the test strip into a lighted room and decide which exposed segment looks best. Use this as a gauge for deciding how long to expose the print paper when making an enlargement, whether to use filters, and which aperture setting to use.

Making the Print

19. Switch on the enlarger light. Place a masking easel - a flat metal plate with sliding arms on all four sides for cropping the image manually - on the baseboard.
20. Place a used piece of photographic print paper white-side-up on the easel. Switch on enlarger light. Scale and focus image. Create a border around the image by sliding the easel arms up to the edge of the image so it just overlaps.
21. Switch off the enlarger light and place a sheet of unused print paper emulsion-side-up on the easel. Close the top of the easel so that the arms are centered on the page.
22. Select a filter if using variable contrast paper. Filters are usually placed inside a slot in the enlarger head and come in five grades, 1 being low-contrast and 5 being high-contrast. Place filter in filter holder and close securely.
23. Set the aperture and timer using the test-strip as a guide. Switch on timer. After exposing the print paper, place it in the developer tray and proceed with processing.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure the negative carrier holder in the enlarger head is closed before switching on the enlarger light.
• Familiarize yourself with the enlarger controls before printing.