My first box of paper just arrived. Any tips for me?

[Manuel Madeira]

Hi guys. My first box of photographic paper just arrived, its an ilford multigrade IV rc deluxe. do you have any tips for my first enlargement process with this paper???

 

[Valerie]

Don't be afraid to make mistakes. My students who excel are the ones who aren't afraid to use much paper during the learning process. Yes, a lot goes in the trash...but learn from those.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

Keep it simple. Have fun.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Only open it in a dark room with or without a safe light. Evidently people on the internet especially eBay do not know that.

 

[Rich Ullsmith]

Tips? Buy or make a paper safe, and think twice before flipping the lights on. Lest it all go poof!

 

[MattKing]

Small prints are nice too, and allow you to learn more from the same box.

 

[Chris Coppola]

Make absolutely certain that you have CLOSED your nice fresh box of paper COMPLETELY before turning on the lights. Ask me how I know this one. Lol. Light is amazing at penetrating and torching paper.

 

[MattKing]

As has been suggested, a paper safe is a great accessory. A small portion of the box goes into it, and the rest goes back into the inner envelope, and outer box.
If you don't have a paper safe, keep your first box and inner envelope after it is empty, to be used as a slightly more awkward version of a paper safe.

 

[faberryman]

I have never used a paper safe. I just open the box, take a piece of paper out, close the box, put the paper in the easel, expose the paper, place the paper in the developer... A paper safe just takes up counter space, which many of us do not have. Keep things simple. It is not really hard to remember to make sure you close the box after you take the paper out. Of course, everyone's darkroom routines are different.

 

[bdial]

Don't under process it, most developers need at least one minute to give you the best range of tones in your print, especially for the black or near black areas. No matter how dark the print looks under the safelight, give it the full time in the developer, then stop and fix and evaluate the print in white light.

 

[Rick A]

Don't under process it, most developers need at least one minute to give you the best range of tones in your print, especially for the black or near black areas. No matter how dark the print looks under the safelight, give it the full time in the developer, then stop and fix and evaluate the print in white light.

Use a timer when developing for consistent results. Adjust exposure times until you have it dialed in. I process my RC prints for 2 minutes in the developer, 10 seconds in stop, and 90 seconds in fix (manufacturer recommended time for my brand). YMMV

 

[Pieter12]

Don't under process it, most developers need at least one minute to give you the best range of tones in your print, especially for the black or near black areas. No matter how dark the print looks under the safelight, give it the full time in the developer, then stop and fix and evaluate the print in white light.

I usually develop both RC and fiber papers for a full 3 minutes. That way I know I am getting maximum black.

 

[removed account4]

Don't forget to have fun !
John

 

[Jay Schrotenboer]

I have never used a paper safe. I just open the box, take a piece of paper out, close the box, put the paper in the easel, expose the paper, place the paper in the developer... A paper safe just takes up counter space, which many of us do not have. Keep things simple. It is not really hard to remember to make sure you close the box after you take the paper out. Of course, everyone's darkroom routines are different.

I have personal only exposed test strips to light (luckily). I have drawers that I keep my paper in and thought that was enough to keep the strips safe, until I opened the drawer in full light (oof). Now they go in the paper box. Lesson learned. Lol

 

[TmRn]

Make sure someone shows you the secret handshake.

 

[tballphoto]

use 1 sheet as a test method of figuring out the surface orientation of the paper..

 

[mooseontheloose]

If you're not sure about the emulsion side of the paper, usually it's the shiny side (you can see it if you hold near the safelight). Or, you can touch the tip of it to your lips. If it sticks, that's the emulsion side, if it doesn't, flip it over. That's one of the first darkroom tricks I learned when I first got into the darkroom 16 years ago.

Also, when you are figuring out your exposure times, don't go by "seconds" increments (5-10-15, etc) - work in full (or half) stops (5-10-20-40), especially if your prints are too light or too dark. There are lots of "f-stop printing" charts online, print one out and tape it next to your enlarger. My work improved substantially (and my wasted paper decreased as well) when I moved to f-stop printing.