My first darkroom printings - advice needed

Hi All,

After two years of shooting film and reading apug comments, I decided to set up a darkroom.
I purchased a bargain color enlarger. I want to do B&W and color prints in the Christmas period!

I need some advice as all my information is from internet forums, youtube, and some books. I've never seen a darkroom before.

1) Which paper do you suggest for my first B&W prints? Ilford suggests this kit:

ILFORD MULTIGRADE developer

ILFORD ILFOSTOP

ILFORD RAPID FIXER m

ILFORD MULTIGRADE IV RC paper

There are some guys who suggest to use fibre based paper instead because of better tonality. What is the truth?

2) When I create the mix of the chemicals into the developing trays, how many prints can I do from the mix? I mean one sheet, 10 sheet? Can I store it in a bottle for later usage? What should I do with the unnecessary chemicals? These are poisons,spilling into the tap probably a wrong idea?

3) Ilford suggests to use multigrade filters. Well, I have a color enlarger. How can I convert the color settings into grade values? Or should I purchase the Ilford filters and use them with the white light?

4) Any recommendation for a color kit?

Thank you for your help, hopefully I can share some results with you very soon!

pcsaba1981 said:

There are some guys who suggest to use fibre based paper instead because of better tonality. What is the truth?

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That is really subjective (the "truth" that is). I would advise starting with RC paper and then trying fiber when you're more comfortable with the process and making your own comparison.

pcsaba1981 said:

2) When I create the mix of the chemicals into the developing trays, how many prints can I do from the mix? I mean one sheet, 10 sheet? Can I store it in a bottle for later usage? What should I do with the unnecessary chemicals? These are poisons,spilling into the tap probably a wrong idea?

3) Ilford suggests to use multigrade filters. Well, I have a color enlarger. How can I convert the color settings into grade values? Or should I purchase the Ilford filters and use them with the white light?

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You can use the color head. The equivalent settings will be included in the instructions with the paper. The capacity of chemicals is also in the instructions for the chemistry. The Ilford website is also a wealth of information.

As to what do do with spent chemicals, that is a hotly debated issue. Generally, the small amounts used by home darkroom workers can be poured down the drain with no ill effects. If in doubt, just save them up (at least the used fixer) and take them to a hazmat disposal facility if you have one locally.

1. Resin-coated (RC) paper is normally considered easier than fiber-based paper (FB) I think mainly because each step is a little bit shorter with RC and its a little bit cheaper. The thing is that FB paper is considered more professional, it feels better to the touch, and I think the little extra time & money is totally worthwhile.

2. Someone else can answer this more exactly but basically: a lot. You can print a whole lot of sheets with it. When you're done you can dump the developer and the stop bath (I don't think they're worth saving at all), but the fixer you do save and reuse until it goes bad. There's a few different way of testing whether its still good or not but you should be able to reuse it several times.
Most of the chemicals are pretty heavily diluted if you were to pour them down the tap (though someone could correct me on that and on how to dispose); the main one to be cautious about is the fixer. You can google disposing of fixer and there are several methods for getting the silver out of it before dumping which I guess makes it okay to dump then?

3. Google, but its not an exact science and it doesn't need to be. Just be consistent. You'll use the yellow and magenta colors (yellow for less contrast, magenta for more) and maybe use them in sets of 25 (they should be numbered). I think that 25-30 is close to one grade. Also, as you add magenta your exposure time will need to change.
You should be fine with the color settings.

Use RC paper until you get good at printing, which will then make purchasing FB paper and the extra steps and time necessary worth it.

Mix your developer up at the time of printing and dump at the end of the session. Stop bath and fixer are both bottled and saved for later use. Keep track of the number of 8x10 prints that you run though the fixer and dump it when it nears exhaustion. The fixer will say how many prints you can get per liter. Dump your stop bath when you dump the fixer and mix both fresh.

You can use your color enlarger to print on MG paper. Read the paper that comes in the package of paper, it will give you the appropriate color settings for your particular head.

Hi there! Glad you're getting into wet printing, it's a lot of fun! I picked up all my knowledge just reading on the internet as well, and figured out a process that works for me after some trial and error. For what you listed in terms of Ilford paper and chemicals, those will work great. I've tried them, but ended up settling on cheaper options as there seemed to be no discernible difference in quality. Ilford Mutigrade IV is great, but lately I've been using Adorama store brand paper in both RC and fiber with great results. I'd recommend RC at first, it's definitely easier to use with shorter developing and washing times and dries flat easily.

As for chemicals, this is where I've noticed no difference in quality. Kodak Dektol diluted 1:2 with water is inexpensive. For printing 5x7 I'll fill a tray with 600ml working solution, and this lasts an entire night's printing. At the end of the night, this can be poured down the drain. I use Ilfostop, and this has a color indicator. As long as it's still orange, you can save it in a bottle for next time. When it's used up, nothing wrong with pouring it down the drain either. Kodafix liquid fixer is easy to use, just dilute it to the proper strength for paper (it's listed on the bottle) and this is good for quite a few printing sessions. A drop of hypo check (not hypo clearing agent- totally different) will show when it's used up. Please don't pour this down the drain once it's exhausted though, as it's very poisonous to any wildlife that comes in contact. Just keep it in an old milk jug, and watch for when your town has hazardous waste collection days. It's worth calling town hall or keeping your eyes open for an announcement, it's usually taken along with old paint or medications that need special disposal.

As for filtration, that's easily possible. Usually the photo paper has a sheet inside the box which shows the proper settings for the magenta and yellow dials in order the get the desired contrast grade. Magenta will increase contrast while yellow decreases.

Wish I could help with color printing, but haven't taken that plunge yet. I'm sure you'll enjoy printing, it's just about the most relaxing thing for me! Earlier this week I finally was able to get a spot in a nearby art gallery, and sold four prints the first night! Must be doing something right, if you have any other questions about my process don't be afraid to ask!

Ilford MG RC is fine. Fiber is more expensive, more difficult to process, but is more archival and has a different surface look. There is zero reason to learn on fiber. The chemicals listed by Ilford are fine, but you can use any paper developer/fix/stop you prefer. If you look at this document, use the dual color approach....much simpler. Also, find a few glass bottles (PET soda bottles are OK too) to store your developer. It will keep far longer. Oxygen is the enemy of developers.

Multigrade developer capacity is 100 8x10 RC sheets per litre, rapid fixer is 80 per litre. Info is available on fact sheets on Ilford web site, good idea to check those out and follow what they say

Use the RC paper for a while. Stay away from color till you're expert in B&W.

I'm sure there are people around who have darkroom skills that aren't used. Try to find someone to get you started. A retired photographer / photojournalist or an older photo club member.

With colour printing I would wait until you are comfortable with darkroom and b&w printing. Colour printing requires a bit more of experience and equipment than just colour head on enlarger. Speaking of, what else, beside the enlarger do you have for your darkroom ? What about dedicated space ? Will you have enough room for practical set up ? Important is the distance from the safety light to the enlarger base and developer tray. First thing to do is a test for that. Do it before Christmas, so if the light would fog the paper you still have time to get replacement. How old is your paper ? If old it may fog anyway. You have to know, how good is your light. Temperature control; developer will work from around 15-16 C, but slowly, you may think that something wrong. By 20 C speed of development is normal, above 25 C speed is high, that may fog the paper to. How you will measure the exposure time ? Timer ? What model. There is a few things to take into consideration beside just the chemicals, to be successful in printing. It's not a big deal, once you will know your environment, but it could mess up first printing session of first-timer without any experience. Judging from the picture you posted in your gallery I just want you to print large and print on FB in the near future. Good luck.

Best place to start is Ilfords website. The guides and fact sheets have all the info you need to get started.

+1 on all of them. Lot of good advice here.

RC paper is a good beginner paper and much easier to work with than fiber-based.

And if you have never printed before, much less seen a darkroom in the first place, I would definitely encourage baby steps as well. Color printing is just like black and white only with a few more steps and much more precision is required. That is not to say you can be sloppy with B&W enlarging/printing. Just that, well, as said before, get used to printing B&W first and then jump into C41, et al.

mr rusty said:

Best place to start is Ilfords website. The guides and fact sheets have all the info you need to get started.

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Probably the best two sentences of advice you will read. In addition I'd recommend that you read Tim Rudman's book: The Photographer's Master Printing Course. Probably the best printing manual I have read

pentaxuser

I just emerged from the darkroom with two good enough prints, four contact sheets, (and innumerable test strips). I've been printing less than a year.

Frankly, it isn't rocket science.

Printing is really about as complicated as you want to make it. Reading around on the subject, especially here at APUG, it could easily seem as if one needs a timer-controlled enlarger, densitometer, dish warmers, $200 focus-finders, expensive rag papers and exotic developers, several deep sinks, a pure temperature-controlled water supply ... and so on.

The fact is that you can make perfectly good prints for yourself with the simple sort of setup you have - it's pretty much what I have. People who have big complicated (expensive) permanent darkroom setups didn't start out with it all, but probably started with with really very basic equipment. Remember many here are professional or semi-pro printers & photographers with decades of experience, and really know what to do with all that gear ... but also remember one of the greatest 20th Century photographers rarely made anything other than contact prints ...

Read up on it, take advice, ask questions ... but really the thing to do is to get in there with the red light on and start exposing paper. And enjoy doing so. It's not meant to be a chore.

Good point, pdeeh. Referring to Edward Weston? Incandescent light bulb and the negative lying on the paper as I recall?

Don't discount the quality of modern RC papers.

Do enjoy yourself!

pdeeh said:

I just emerged from the darkroom with two good enough prints, four contact sheets, (and innumerable test strips). I've been printing less than a year.

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Did you ever think about enlarger analyzer ? Like this ?
http://www.rhdesigns.co.uk/darkroom/html/analyser_pro.html

get a box off x100 postcard RC multi grade
only attempt negs with silver in shadows
do several test strips
develop by time and temp to avoid snatching early
when you finish box get another don't go to 5x7 unless you are real good
good takes time
use a blower bulb on negs every time

And PM me your home address and I will send you a free copy of the MULTIGRADE printing manual, should help save you time and money...

I would recommend you start with RC paper.

I hope and expect you will journey on which you have just embarked.

Simon ILFORD Photo / HARMAN technology Limited

above should read, 'enjoy your journey'

I am honestly so analog...must learn how to edit !

Simon ILFORD Photo / HARMAN technology Limited

Simon was kind enough to send me one of those manuals a while ago, and it is really is very helpful

timor said:

Did you ever think about enlarger analyzer ? Like this ?
http://www.rhdesigns.co.uk/darkroom/html/analyser_pro.html

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That's an excellent example of a piece of darkroom technology that might be extremely useful to someone producing dozens (or hundreds) of prints a week, perhaps from other peoples' negatives, but entirely unnecessary for someone making the odd few prints a month in their home darkroom for personal pleasure. Unless of course they have money to spend on it and also like to acquire interesting technology for the sake of doing so (it costs ~£350/$570, and is thus the equivalent of ~600 sheets of the paper I currently use)

If however someone wants to send me one for nothing, of course, do please PM me for a delivery address

Christopher Walrath said:

Referring to Edward Weston? Incandescent light bulb and the negative lying on the paper as I recall?

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Yep.
I expect it has been posted on APUG many times, but this is such a lovely little film about Weston that I hope it bears repeating:

THE PHOTOGRAPHER - YouTube

Simon R Galley said:

And PM me your home address and I will send you a free copy of the MULTIGRADE printing manual, should help save you time and money...

I would recommend you start with RC paper.

I hope and expect you will journey on which you have just embarked.

Simon ILFORD Photo / HARMAN technology Limited

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Is there a PDF version available?

Thank for everybody for the advice, they are very useful!

In the evening I try to reply.

Thank you Simon, email sent!

RC will be fine and a plus if your just starting out. A bigger question might be: Should you use Glossy or Matt paper?