Transporting prints from community darkroom

[farpointer]

I don’t have a full printing darkroom at home yet and I’m using a great community darkroom, but it’s 30 minutes away on a good day, more in traffic.

They have drying racks for prints but it’s not easy for me to get back there just to pick them up.

I’m considering collecting my (only partially dry) prints at the end of the session, transporting them home in a blotter book ( if those are even still available) and then transferring them to some kind of drying rack as soon as I get home.

Does that seem like a usable approach? I’m open to other advice too.

I made a bunch of contact sheets on RC paper the last time I was there, brought them home damp, and didn’t separate them and now they’re stuck together.

 

[wiltw]

Why not bring a blotter book to the darkroom, and put the prints in them for transportation home?

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(I have never owned or used a blotter book,)

 

[Alex Benjamin]

I made a bunch of contact sheets on RC paper the last time I was there, brought them home damp, and didn’t separate them and now they’re stuck together.

For RC paper, if you don't have time to let the prints dry completely (usually not that long a wait if they are hanging), bring a hair dryer, use it on low setting to finish drying them.

For fibre paper, no choice but to wait a day or two before taking them home.

 

[GregY]

For RC paper, if you don't have time to let the prints dry completely (usually not that long a wait if they are hanging), bring a hair dryer, use it on low setting to finish drying them.

For fibre paper, no choice but to wait a day or two before taking them home.

I wouldn't leave prints in a shared public darkroom.
Transporting them home in a blotter book seems like a good idea for FB prints

 

[pentaxuser]

Assuming you are using RC paper, and not FB is there no means of using a heated dryer such as an Ilford 1250 RC or heated drying rack? The Ilford machine dries RC paper instantly and if the community darkroom is well frequented it is surprising there isn't a means of drying prints quickly.

Short of this ,what wiltw has said sounds pretty good to me.

pentaxuser

 

[Alex Benjamin]

I wouldn't leave prints in a shared public darkroom.

Depends on what the rules and procedures are. In the community darkroom I use, fibre prints are left to dry on the racks for 16 to 24 hours. You're supposed to leave an empty box next to them so that if you don't have time to come and pick them up, the next person to use the racks simply puts them in the box so they have room to put their own prints.

Since not that many people use fibre, it doesn't happen that often. Most important, people are all extremely respectful of each other's work, so they handle the prints very carefully.

 

[GregY]

Depends on what the rules and procedures are. In the community darkroom I use, fibre prints are left to dry on the racks for 16 to 24 hours. You're supposed to leave an empty box next to them so that if you don't have time to come and pick them up, the next person to use the racks simply puts them in the box so they have room to put their own prints.

Since not that many people use fibre, it doesn't happen that often. Most important, people are all extremely respectful of each other's work, so they handle the prints very carefully.

"Most important, people are all extremely respectful of each other's work, so they handle the prints very carefully."
If........

 

[cliveh]

How about a partial wash in the community darkroom, squeegee them on a flat surface and stack between cling film (if that would work?), take them home and wash and dry at home.

 

[GregY]

How about a partial wash in the community darkroom, squeegee them on a flat surface and stack between cling film (if that would work?), take them home and wash and dry at home.

Clive that sounds reasonable, but i guess it depends on what size photos and what washing facilities you have at home. (I don't use a community darkroom..... but i can wash prints up to 20x30.")

 

[Chuck1]

I used to use a spiral bound archival watercolor paper pad after washing to transport them home

 

[cliveh]

Clive that sounds reasonable, but i guess it depends on what size photos and what washing facilities you have at home. (I don't use a community darkroom..... but i can wash prints up to 20x30.")

Bath or sink with plug half in allowing continuous flowing water, hang with clothes pegs to dry.

 

[GregY]

Bath or sink with plug half in allowing continuous flowing water, hang with clothes pegs to dry.

Clive, apart from unexpected time pressure, I can't see any reason not to complete the wash cycle in the darkroom? We were discussing the drying part....

 

[cliveh]

Clive, apart from unexpected time pressure, I can't see any reason not to complete the wash cycle in the darkroom? We were discussing the drying part....

But my suggestion gives the option of not having to wait for complete washing. Purely optional depending on when you want to go home.

 

[Ben 4]

I used a shared darkroom for the better part of a decade and have lots of experience with this. RC prints were easy—squeeged then held on drying racks until the end of the session. They were always dry by the time I was ready to go. Fiber prints were fully washed and, exactly as you suggest, carried home in a blotter book. Don’t sweat it—this is the easy part!

 

[mshchem]

Hair dryer

 

[MattKing]

Our darkroom group darkroom includes what is referred to as "***'s (one of the owner's) hair dryer". Given his bald head, that always makes me chuckle!

 

[mcfitz]

Assuming you are using RC paper, and not FB is there no means of using a heated dryer such as an Ilford 1250 RC or heated drying rack? The Ilford machine dries RC paper instantly and if the community darkroom is well frequented it is surprising there isn't a means of drying prints quickly.

Short of this ,what wiltw has said sounds pretty good to me.

pentaxuser

I did a web search for the Ilford 1250 RC dryer. Found links to instructions for its use, but only one link to an available dryer. Used, in good condition (apparantly) for a mere £1795.

ILFORD 1250 RC PAPER DRYER*** – Secondhand Darkroom

www.secondhanddarkroom.co.uk

Too bad, an RC dryer would indeed be very useful. Do you know if this Ilford dryer is even manufactured now?

The handheld hair dryer solution is a great alterntive, as has been stated.