How to Set Up a Darkroom

When your photography hobby becomes something more than a hobby, you’ll need to set up a darkroom. Of course you can also build a darkroom if you only do your photography a few times a month, but would rather develop the film yourself instead of trusting it to a lab. Building your own darkroom is fairly easy as long as you use the right equipment. To get started, make sure you have everything you’ll need and pick a spot.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Velvet fabric (dark color)
• Signs for the door
• Pans
• Dryer
• Enlarger
• Miscellaneous photo supplies
• Rope (optional)
• Clothespins (optional)

1. Decide on a place where you want your darkroom to be or pick a location. Remember that the room must be dark and you need to have the doors and windows blacked out because even the slightest amount of light can ruin the development of your pictures.
2. Purchase dark pieces of velvet fabric from your craft store or fabric store to hang over any windows and doors. This is an easy alternative to those expensive blackout shades sold in photography supply stores. As long as the fabric panels are as wide as your openings and long enough to reach the bottom of the opening, you’ll be all set.
3. Set up a system for others in the area so they know where you’re in your darkroom. An elaborate lighting system is one way, while others might prefer to hang a sign on the outside of the door that says “do not enter” or “safe to enter”.
4. Design your wet area and dry area, making sure to leave enough space between the two areas so you can safely walk around without bumping into anything. In your wet side you’ll need pans for the developer, stop, fix and wash solutions. The dry side should contain your dryer, enlarger, timer and anything else you need.
5. Hang one of your velvet fabric panels over the door leading into the darkroom. You’ll want the fabric to easily move when you walk into the room, but still be able to push the fabric back in place to hide the light. You might find it helpful to hammer nails into the fabric to keep it in place.

Tips & Warnings

• You can install a rope across the top of your darkroom to use as your dryer. Place a low running fan near the rope and hang your photographs from standard clothespins.
• Make sure you have a ventilation system in place, even if you’re using a room in your home. A fan pointing out of the room can in some cases be strong enough. Breathing in the fumes from your solutions can make you sick.

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