Temperature effect within the darkroom for enlargement

Rom · Jul 26, 2013

Dear all,

I found a lot of documents related to developpement of films and compensation related to Temperature.

Now, i plan to print some RC and FB tonight or this week-end. The temperature now at my home is quite high and i think the whole room will be between 25 to 28°C.

What will be the effect to work at this temperature ? I will be using Eukobrom from tetenal.

Sorry if this question has been already posted but i didn't find anything and also, i didn't find any technical documents on the eukobrom.

Thanks in advance for your help.

ic-racer · Jul 26, 2013

The paper will develop to completion sooner at the higher temp.

Mark_S · Jul 26, 2013

You will also feel warmer. Temperature is not so important for paper since we develop to completion, rather than developing for a precise timing as you do for film.

Enjoy your weekend in the dark!

Gerald C Koch · Jul 26, 2013

When developing to completion you watch the print and not the clock. Changes in appearance of the print with time will tell when development is complete.

DREW WILEY · Jul 26, 2013

Developers are not composed on one ingredient but several. Depending specifically what you are using, some developing agents might be more
affected than others in nonstandard temperatures. This could affect things like final image color. In other words, "completion" might come sooner with respect to one ingredient than another, if you even want to go that far. This has more to do with fine-tuning your results. And it
can be an issue if you are trying to replicate an effect you got during a significantly different time of year. The most important thing is consistency, so you can realistically predict your results. You can always use a tempered water jacket too - a larger tray around your actual
developing tray. You also have to be aware of perspiration on your fingers affecting materials - it's a chemical agent too! I'm lucky to have
one of those old Zone VI compensating developing timers - it works remarkably well for modest changes in fluid temp.

Bob Carnie · Jul 26, 2013

The chemicals in open tray will balance to the ambient room temp, in my darkroom the temp and humidity is constant so I have repeatable results.
If the room cools down you will notice your dev drop and you will need to compensate, if your room heats up same thing.
if the room temp does not fluctuate much over the evening session then you have nothing to worry about.

I will say that there are those here who work in slow methods, let prints dry and then evaluate..then go back later to print final.

If the room temp is not constant then this method of working can introduce a whole can of whoopass as there will be no repeatable starting points there for no established way of predicting results.

To the OP if you finish each negative in an efficient manner the room temp should not affect you whatsoever.

tkamiya · Jul 26, 2013

Bob Carnie said:
I will say that there are those here who work in slow methods, let prints dry and then evaluate..then go back later to print final.

Now, I don't know anyone who does that kind of crazy thing.... Hehe.... that's ME!

To OP:

I live in central Florida. My house is "cooled" to 81F which is 27.2C and my darkroom tends to be just a little warmer than that. Temperature doesn't fluctuate much as that's where my thermostat is set to. Tap water (which I dilute my Dektol) is a bit warm too, so the temp fluctuation of the developer is not great. I actually have not observed any meaningful difference.

Taking Bob's advice, it's probably a non-issue provided you let your developer reach an equilibrium or close to it, before you start your process.

DREW WILEY · Jul 26, 2013

My film and sink rooms have R23 insulation - ideal temp almost any time of yr, and very easy to keep comfortable in winter - at least if I don't need to turn the air exchange fan on high! - that has happened few times because it's a huge exterior-mounted squirrelcage exhaust fan, and
to wild bees it looks like a great spot to start a new colony. There can sure be persistent! One time I had to keep that fan running high for
three days straight before they finally gave up. There were little bits of chopped up bees landing in the darkroom sink.

Rom · Jul 28, 2013

Dear all,

Thanks for all good advices.

So i printed on friday night, waited midnight ti be ready.

Indeed the temperature was very high. I managed to get some prints and i would say that i am quite happy.

It s more than a year that i switch from an appartement to another place and it's the first time that i was able to print again.

Anyway many thanks for your help. So i developped the paper fully. I think i will have to adjust the exposure when i will print again in cooler times.

Here is my first print in my new darkroom. Nothing extraordinary but i wanted to print it becaus i have some nice blacks, whites and a lot of greys.

Grade 2, 10s. At f11

The other one is difficult to print because the contrast is high. Perhaps will need to try with filter less than 2 and another developper (i heard and see that eukobrom gives deep blacks and good contrast)

Sorry for the snapshots taken with my phone.

Rom · Jul 28, 2013

DREW WILEY said:
My film and sink rooms have R23 insulation - ideal temp almost any time of yr, and very easy to keep comfortable in winter - at least if I don't need to turn the air exchange fan on high! - that has happened few times because it's a huge exterior-mounted squirrelcage exhaust fan, and
to wild bees it looks like a great spot to start a new colony. There can sure be persistent! One time I had to keep that fan running high for
three days straight before they finally gave up. There were little bits of chopped up bees landing in the darkroom sink.

Dear Drew,

Did you try to take them in another place ? In my place, people are growing wild flowers to bring back bee. This type of flowers is like a bakery for childrens, they love it so much so they will stay next to and don't bother the rest of the environnement.

tkamiya · Jul 28, 2013

Looks great, actually. I really wouldn't worry about the temperature thing unless you are doing something critical. I don't worry about it myself, and I often work in hotter environment than you do.

I like your second one because it is a great photograph. I like the kid looking back at the lower right corner.

Rom · Jul 28, 2013

Thanks,

This was done on a side road between arusha and dar el salam in tanzania. People are selling vegetables around every village.

gleaf · Jul 28, 2013

We had a darkroom in semi desert. AC for room temp. cold water tap temperature about 98 - 102 F. No problems with developing unless someone decided to chill their chemicals to 68 - 75 F, sudden shift to hot water wash would do very strange patterns in the grain.

kobaltus · Jul 29, 2013

For metol-hidrokinon developers temperature effect is:
Low temperature:longer developing times, less contrast prints, cool print color
High temperature:short times,more contrast,warm prints

CHHAHH · Jan 16, 2014

Hey guys!

I would like to pick up the topic. My darkroom (aka my basement) is slightly colder these days. I think something around 18°C or slightly less.
What i understood is, that you'll develop paper for completion rather that on the spot as for negatives.
If it's warmer that the 20°C in the data sheet, this point will come sooner. If colder, probably later.

But i just don't get how can i check in my open tray that the print is ready? How will it look like if i overdevelop that print?

It's confusing for me that there is no temperature compensation curve in the data sheets of Ilford....

Maybe one of you can help me getting around that corner?

MartinP · Jan 16, 2014

It's possible that cold print-developer won't really ever give you a solid black. There are probably variations between developers as well (I never tested). In my experience, 'colder' is more of a problem than 'warmer'.

My solution many years ago was to buy a dishwarmer to stand the tray on. These are no longer cheaply available of course, but an alternate is to go to an animal-husbandry shop and buy one of the heated rubber mats used for keeping baby piglets, and other small animals, at the right temperature.

CHHAHH · Jan 16, 2014

Thats a good idea! Thanks, i will give it a try!

CHHAHH · Jan 17, 2014

Gave it a very quick test last night. 18°C and the stuff was working fine

Temperature effect within the darkroom for enlargement

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