A few newbie darkroom questions...

[Lumipan]

Hi everyone,
I set up my darkroom two weeks ago and printed 2 dozen of pictures. I use a Meopta Opemus III BW enlarger, ADOX Neutol ECO, Adostop ECO and ADOFIX P II with FOMA Fomaspeed Variant 313 Matte paper...

I have some questions, so if any of you are in the mood for helping me I'd greatly appreciate it...

In order to focus properly the paper should lay flat on the surface, I have achieved this by wetting the surface and sticking the paper with water, is there a better way of doing this?
Is it ok to focus on the surface without paper and assume that the focus should be ok after putting the paper on. I've been focusing on the used (wasted paper) and after would switch the papers without refocusing, not sure if that is needed, it would be simpler to focus to the surface only...
I have an old enlarging mask, which seems to be ok, I develop on it but without the "masking frame"(?) as I don't want any margins/passepartout on the paper... How would one properly use the masking frame/enlarger mask tool?

I think I'll buy some multigrade filters as I quickly realized that I'd like to have some contrast control on the images, some negatives come out either greyish or burned, can't get them right... I found used Ilford multigrade filters kit (00-5) with a filter holder, should that be good? I suppose that I'd outgrow the 2,3,4 grade starter kit very soon. The Ilford ones should work on different branded paper? Although I plan to use Ilford paper in the future as it is locally available...

I don't have running water or a sink/drain in my 'darkroom', so I did all the washing in the bathroom. It is a bit annoying to go to the bathroom after every or every other image. Would it be ok to put all (or a few) images in a water filled container and then go and wash them all at once later after 15-30min...

Thanks for your help

Here is one:

 

[AnselMortensen]

Wetting paper before development is not a typical practice.
In order to hold the paper flat during exposure, you need an easel.
Since you do not want borders, you will need to look for a 'borderless easel'...they are out there, at garage sales, swap meets, auction sites, etc.
A distant second choice would be a sheet of clean, scratch-free glass (with taped edges to avoid cut fingers!)
Standard practice for focusing is to focus on (the back of) a junk piece of the same paper as you are using, as it simulates the exact thickness of the paper for more precise focusing.
Bucket of water would work...maybe put some wash aid (hypo clear, etc.) in there to reduce wash time...
Hope this helps.

 

[Pieter12]

The other option for borderless is to use an easel (it does not have to be an adjustable one) and trim the edges.

 

[Lumipan]

Thanks for the info, I actually have an easel, just didn't know the word. I called it masking frame / enlarger mask tool in the original post... I'll find some info now.

I can print and cut obviously, but so far the water sticking has been ok. Just need to be careful not to have any water on the front side of the paper...

Along with darkroom equipment I got a rubber roller. Not sure what it should be used for do you know? Thanks

 

[MattKing]

Do you have a grain magnifier/focus finder? Putting that on the piece of used paper in the easel will mean you can see what your cropping is, and focus so the grain is sharp.
You don't really need the paper there - its thickness doesn't make a material difference to focus - but it makes it easier to see the cropping and to choose what you are focusing on.

 

[albada]

I think I'll buy some multigrade filters as I quickly realized that I'd like to have some contrast control on the images, some negatives come out either greyish or burned, can't get them right... I found used Ilford multigrade filters kit (00-5) with a filter holder, should that be good? I suppose that I'd outgrow the 2,3,4 grade starter kit very soon. The Ilford ones should work on different branded paper? Although I plan to use Ilford paper in the future as it is locally available...

Yes, contrast filters made by Ilford will work on any brand of paper.

I don't have running water or a sink/drain in my 'darkroom', so I did all the washing in the bathroom. It is a bit annoying to go to the bathroom after every or every other image. Would it be ok to put all (or a few) images in a water filled container and then go and wash them all at once later after 15-30min...

Ilford says that its RC paper should not be wet for more than 15 minutes. This limit is to avoid having water soak into the edges of the paper. FB paper can be kept wet for much longer.

I suggest that you *not* water-stick paper to the easel or baseboard. The extra accuracy is not needed because depth of field will cover the tiny space between easel and paper.
Most people separate their darkrooms into dry-side and wet-side, and enlargers are always in the dry side.

Mark

 

[Kino]

Here's an old thread on a "Sticky Easel" formula to allow border less printing.

Anyone know of Steve Anchell cookbook formula for "sticky easel"?

Some years ago I read in one of Steve Anchell's "The Darkroom Cookbook" a recipe/formula for something I believe he called a "sticky easel"- it was a coating made with Karo syrup and hardener (and other stuff) that when properly mixed and applied to a surface would allow you to temporarily...

www.photrio.com

 

[redbandit]

the wet surface of a piece of enlarging paper when wet will act as glue when it dries.

I had some interesting results seperating prints that had been moist when they made contact, and the next day after they were dried, the emulsion ALWAYS came off

 

[Hassasin]

Focusing aid is all you need to get print sharpness matching that of on negative. And no, don't focus on easel surface, easy to see that difference when you have a grain focuser in place.

If you think about it, how much do you need to change focus (rotate focusing knob) before you see change in sharpness? It should be next to nothing. Higher grade enlargers have fine focusing mechanism that allows more precise control with tiny movements with just a touch.

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

Focusing is done wide open, the lens is stopped down for printing - just as with a camera.

You don't need a sheet of paper in the easel when focusing - the topic has been discussed more than has stop bath. Focusing on the back of a piece of printing paper can be easier as there is more light to see by. If you want to place a 'grain focusing' magnifier on a sheet of paper it won't hurt anything and may give you piece of mind; don't take the peace of mind thing to extremes, though. There is plenty of depth of field on the paper side of the lens; on the negative side not so much. Be sure to check your enlarger alignment. A very accurate jig can be made from two mirrors, a bit of a PITA to use, though. A good machinist's level will also get you there.

You can make a borderless easel with two strips of plastic magnet to hold the paper on two edges. The paper edges 'just' go under the magnet.

Stacking prints in a tray of water before washing is just fine. A good flow is

• fix
• slight rinse in a tray of water
• hypo clear (S. Sulfite from the swimming pool store is good enough)
• hold in a tray of water with other prints
• take out to the bathtub and wash

If you are lacking contrast be sure to check the enlarger lens is clean. Another loss of contrast can come from light leaks around the enlarger - put a white sheet of paper on the easel and turn on the enlarger/turn off the safelight - how much light do you see leaking out of the enlarger or bouncing off the paper and onto the walls and ceiling?

* * *​

Neither a borrower nor a lender be;
To thine own self be true;
Blah, blah, blah;
And all that rot.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I was introduced to a grain focuser at Kodak and found it allow the grain to pop into focus. I prefer the Peak Focusers. https://www.peakoptics.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=64 They are brighter and easier to use. The also work well in the corners. I put is on a piece for print paper but that does not apparently influence the focus. Check FreeStyle.biz for great prices.

 

[GregY]

Lots of good advice, especially.....
"Most people separate their darkrooms into dry-side and wet-side, and enlargers are always in the dry side."

Looks like the Peak Design Grain Focuser is no longer available new.... but it is that good!

Peak Critical Grain Enlarger Focuser 2000 Model I (Micromega Omega) | eBay

When used with a properly aligned enlarger, the focuser aids in finding the critical focus position by allowing you to focus on the grain structure of the negative being enlarged. Arguably the best possile grain focuser ever made.

www.ebay.com

 

[Sirius Glass]

Lots of good advice, especially.....
"Most people separate their darkrooms into dry-side and wet-side, and enlargers are always in the dry side."

Looks like the Peak Design Grain Focuser is no longer available new....

Peak Critical Grain Enlarger Focuser 2000 Model I (Micromega Omega) | eBay

When used with a properly aligned enlarger, the focuser aids in finding the critical focus position by allowing you to focus on the grain structure of the negative being enlarged. Arguably the best possile grain focuser ever made.

www.ebay.com

I have separate wet and dry darkrooms not by choice but by necessity.

 

[Pieter12]

Lots of good advice, especially.....
"Most people separate their darkrooms into dry-side and wet-side, and enlargers are always in the dry side."

Looks like the Peak Design Grain Focuser is no longer available new.... but it is that good!

Peak Critical Grain Enlarger Focuser 2000 Model I (Micromega Omega) | eBay

When used with a properly aligned enlarger, the focuser aids in finding the critical focus position by allowing you to focus on the grain structure of the negative being enlarged. Arguably the best possile grain focuser ever made.

www.ebay.com

A lot of darkroom equipment is no longer available new, and what is can be expensive. The Peak (or Omega branded version) is quite good, but almost any grain focuser is better than none. You can find many that are 1/10th the price of the Peak Model I. Just learn how to use it properly.

 

[GregY]

A lot of darkroom equipment is no longer available new, and what is can be expensive. The Peak (or Omega branded version) is quite good, but almost any grain focuser is better than none. You can find many that are 1/10th the price of the Peak Model I. Just learn how to use it properly.

" any grain focuser is better than none"..... absolutely correct.

 

[Pieter12]

Not sure if this helps, but I was just at Freestyle Photo and they had a couple of Peak grain focusers on the shelf fo $100. Not the one with the elongated mirror, but still nice.

 

[Donald Qualls]

I find I can't get full use out of most cheap grain focusers. I'm very nearsighted, and wear my reading/computer bifocals in the darkroom -- that is, the upper "distance" part of the lens puts my focus around 80 cm, while the lower "reading" portion then gives about 40 cm. Problem is, cheap grain focusers have a lens that puts the virtual image at optical infinity -- and I can't wear my distance glasses for darkroom work, because I can't see anything else within arm's length clearly.

What I usually do is focus by eye -- but without my glasses. This gives me a focal distance of just under 15 cm, at which distance my unaided vision is similar to a 7x loupe and I can easily see grain in any enlargement bigger than 4x from ISO 100 cubic grain films (like Foma 100, FP4+, etc. -- and never mind ISO 400). T-Max is the exception (probably Delta and Acros as well, but I haven't used those much).

When enlarging from microfilm like Imagelink or Copex Rapid I have to focus on sharp features in the image, because even at 8x magnification and my 7x vision, there's no grain to focus.

Once I get printing fully back in operation, I'll probably try to find a grain focuser with adjustable diopter eyepiece, so I can use it without my glasses. That should let me focus on grain even in Acros and TMX, maybe microfilm too (given I mostly shoot that in 16 mm so typically enlarge much more than larger film).

 

[Lumipan]

Thanks for your help, sticky easel seems like a good idea. I'll try to make something but not on my easel. I think I have a piece of white plexi somewhere. Although this FOMA paper is in a cardboard envelope so it comes out pretty bent, maybe other brands come a bit flatter to start with. Ilford comes in a box if I remember correctly?

I have ordered the Ilford 12 filter set, so enough new toys for April.
My eyesight is still perfect, so I feel OK with focusing without aids. Although I'm sure with a focusing aid it is more precise and easier to do... Maybe I could use a regular magnifier for this application? Or a reversed camera lens?

The enlarger doesn't reflect much light on the walls, I think nothing is malfunctioning. Contrast on images is ok, I'd just like to have more control, to make the blacks black without making the whites grey...

 

[summicron1]

A grain focuser is a godsend -- just put it on top of a scrap sheet of enlarging paper and all the distances will be fine and you will have sharp focus. No, you can't do it easily with a lens or magnifying glass. They are not expensive and will pay for themselves in less paper waste in no-time. An 8 by 10 sheet of Ilford is about 75 cents now.

No need for a sticky easel or anything like that -- the printing frame holds it flat enough. I've been doing this for 55 years and never an issue.

I have never ever heard of wetting the enlarging paper to make it stick down.

Contrast filters are, as others note, interchangeable. Whatever you have will be fine, since most of their use comes from experience. Keep in mind that darkroom work is not cut-and-dried rules. Seat of the pants and guessing are not only ok but recommended. It's art, not science.

Make liberal use of test strips -- one 8 by 10 sheet makes 30 or so properly sized test strips.

I've not had a sink in my darkroom once in 55 years and never missed it. Rinse prints in trays in the kitchen sink. I use RC paper mostly and just towel the prints off and set them out on the sofa or something to dry -- for Fiber papers I do use "drying racks" which are, essentially, two window screens.

If you ever see in your travels a Leitz Focomat I-C autofocus enlarger jump on it even if you have to eat beans for a month. They are really cheap these days -- everything is -- and are god's gift to darkroom workers because they are ALWAYS in focus, no need to grain focus or anything, just set it and forget it.

 

[summicron1]

One word of advice: Always -- and I do mean ALWAYS -- develop the print for the full time, whether that is one or two minutes. One for RC. NEVER pull it early if it looks as if it is getting too dark. This is the chief cause of gray prints, muddy prints, and so on.

Imogen Cunningham actually advised -- and I agree -- that it's good to let prints develop for maybe 50 percent longer -- and if you have to decrease exposure slightly, do so -- but the longer development gives darker blacks and brighter whites. It's the same as slightly pushing film.

Pay attention when exposing the film -- a properly exposed negative will usually print well with No. 2 filter -- which is what RC multi-grade paper is without a filter -- but of course if you want to alter how the end print works go for it. Remember, as I said above, it's art, not science.

 

[Mick Fagan]

I have owned two Meopta enlargers, but not the Opemus III.

It is possible that your enlarger has an inbuilt focusing aid, which in the case of the Meopta units I have owned, is in the negative carrier.

In a darkened room, pull the negative stage almost out, leaving the enlarger light on. If you see a little straight line with a definite split in the middle, then you are in luck and have an inbuilt focusing aid that is very good and certainly better than using your eyes, whether they are good eyes or not so good eyes..

Once you have the negative stage almost out and can see the irregular line, adjust the lens focus up and down until you have a straight line. Once you have a straight line, you negative is focused very well.

I just did an onl;ine search and found a manual for this enlarger, it does have the inbuilt focusing aid. Pages 6 and 7.

Opemus III Manual : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Manual for the Meopta Opemus III (74220) enlarger.

archive.org

 

[Roger Cole]

One word of advice: Always -- and I do mean ALWAYS -- develop the print for the full time, whether that is one or two minutes. One for RC. NEVER pull it early if it looks as if it is getting too dark. This is the chief cause of gray prints, muddy prints, and so on.

Imogen Cunningham actually advised -- and I agree -- that it's good to let prints develop for maybe 50 percent longer -- and if you have to decrease exposure slightly, do so -- but the longer development gives darker blacks and brighter whites. It's the same as slightly pushing film.

Pay attention when exposing the film -- a properly exposed negative will usually print well with No. 2 filter -- which is what RC multi-grade paper is without a filter -- but of course if you want to alter how the end print works go for it. Remember, as I said above, it's art, not science.

+1

I routinely develop FB prints I intend as finished prints for 5 minutes. A bit overkill, maybe, but I find a slight but real improvement over, say, two minutes. I use two minutes for RC "just to be sure." Sure it takes longer, but darkroom work is my meditation anyway.

I'd quibble about the grade 2. That depends on too many other factors, starting with development and the enlarger light source. Grade 2 was "normal" for decades but along the way grade 3 became "normal" for many and it really doesn't matter as long as one develops with the intended grade in mind.

While most VC papers (which is pretty much all paper now except I think Foma makes graded papers?) they may give grade 2 contrast without a filter but are usually much faster with no filter. I prefer to print with a grade 2 filter even if contrast is the same, to get some reasonable matching of speed. Of course "speed matching" isn't exactly possible without specifying the print density to be matched but "it's close" and helpful when switching grades for a bit more or less contrast.

 

[MattKing]

My eyesight is still perfect, so I feel OK with focusing without aids.

I have absolutely no idea what the availability of darkroom accessories is in Croatia - so take the things said here with that fact in mind.
A focus aid makes a real difference, even with great eyesight.
The depth of field (depth of focus?) at the negative is really shallow, and even a 1/16 turn of the focus adjustment on most enlargers makes a big difference.
It is quite difficult to focus accurately - particularly if you are using well developed, fine grain film.
If you can't easily locate a grain magnifier of reasonable quality, I find high power "reading" glasses on a neck string to be a partially successful, short term replacement. And you can use them later, for print spotting .

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

The Meopta focusing system should be as good as any grain magnifier.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Not sure if this helps, but I was just at Freestyle Photo and they had a couple of Peak grain focusers on the shelf fo $100. Not the one with the elongated mirror, but still nice.

I never said that they were cheap. I said they are great and worth the money.