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Darkroom wall paint colour

KenS

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Jan 2, 2005
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941
Location
Lethbridge, S. Alberta ,
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I am about ready to start painting my new darkroom walls... the gyproc has been sealed, and I now have to decide the "best" (or rather, the 'safest' colour) of paint for safety and efficiency. This is my third home darkroom. My first was painted white, the second a mid-yellow (with a dark grey to reduce reflected light 'flare' both above and behind my enlarger. I am not exactly comfortable in a "dark" darkroom (a touch of claustrophobia after having been rolled up inside a large carpet... at about the age of 8... and left alone for a few hours).

My usual printing safelight is a Thomas Duplex with the vanes in the closed position, a red "bullet type for ortho film processing and a green for pan DBI, while now and again, an OC for printing.

Previous colour decisions were made with a deliberate "choice" but I now wonder if there might be a colour that is "best" while appreciating that any safelight colour source being 'bounced around' should still be 'safe'.

Ken
 
Paint it white. All it will do is bounce your safelight around and make the room brighter. The college I live near has a black-painted darkroom; miserable place to work, can't see sh....
 
I painted mine OC, took an OC filter to a big box home improvement center for a computer paint match. I also use a dim green filter for film and a red filter for Adox and Russian paper, so far no problems with other than OC safelights.
 
White. Then, aim your safelight(s) at the walls and/or ceilings to get a more widespread level of safelight illumination (ie, no "hot spots").

The only exception is that the area immediately behind the enlarger (or beside it if its in a corner) could be flat black to minimize reflected spilled light.
 
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I painted my first darkroom with a military surplus super-matt black paint. It was awful and I never made that mistake again. Since then all of my darkrooms have been painted white with the exceptions of enlarger nooks or dedicated loading closets.
 
I know the thread is in the b@W forum, but as I though about my earler post, if you plan to print color a flat black is still best. My color enlarger is very light tight and I dont have a problem with leaks from the carrier and my OC colored walls, but for some this could be a probelm.
 
You must have had one cruel older brother!

I'd go white or a light gray, but paint the walls near the enlarger the deepest non-glare black I could get my hands on.

Why black? Try sitting in your darkroom with all the lights turned off for a couple minutes, then turn on the enlarger with the lens cap on. After shreiking in horror at all the light leaks, put a mirror on the base board and be further horrified by all the light spilling out around the lens board. That's what happened to me...hope it works better for you! (Light can bounce around while burning as well).

Murray
 
The college I work has a largish darkroom with 10 enlargers and all the walls are painted white with no black behind the enlargers. After 10 years working in it, I have had no problems with fogging or anything else.
cheers
Mike
 
I just painted my laundryroom (including darkroom corner) a nice light grey (actually called "sterling"). I thought white would be too institutional for my taste. I plan to use matte black posterboard or similar behind the enlarger.

Adam
 
eclarke said:
Mine is white, works fine...EC
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Same here. I have never had a problem in the darkroom... well at least not one associated with the color of the walls.

Sheesh! Carpet-bagged. I don't blame you for getting a wee bit claustophobic! I hope whoever did that to you got in BIG trouble!
 
Light to medium green.
 
Mine is black behind and to the side of the enlargers, the ceiling is white (as I have my safe lights which are little but bright LED's, made by NOVA pointing directly up at it) and the rest is a lovely egyptian cotton because thats what I had laying around at the time. All works well.
 
Mine is mostly white, some light blue, and the area directly behind the enlarger is fire-engine red.

the floor was brown last time I saw it, it's usually covered in empty paper boxes, paper towels, used gloves and discarded prints...
 
I can't differentiate colors very well in the dark. So, for me it doesn't much matter. But with the lights turned on I'm partial to basic white or lime green.
 
jim appleyard said:
You could always go with plaid.
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Sir Jim....

Tartan paint is somewhat on the expensive side for walls that might usually only be seen when the lights are 'on'.

Ken
 
KenS said:
Sir Jim....

Tartan paint is somewhat on the expensive side for walls that might usually only be seen when the lights are 'on'.

Ken
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Dear Ken,

AND you need a special roller!

My last darkroom was matte black behind the enlargers. This one isn't. Doesn't seem to make much difference. There are pics in 'our darkrooms' in www.rogerandfrances.com.

Cheers,

R.
 
Here's a thought. Eliminate the walls completely. Use the money saved to buy a can of Spam. Share it with a loved one.
 
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