Trying to create a darkroom...

sperera · Apr 13, 2009

hi there...whats the minimum area you need for a darkroom....am trying to create one at home....we have an outside terrace on the first floor leading out from our bedroom where we could create a custom made wooden garden shed type darkroom....so basically id have a table with an enlarger and another table for the developing/fix/wash trays etc.....whats the very minimum????? talk to me in metres Squared please!

John W · Apr 13, 2009

A darkroom shed sounds like a great idea. Many people have setup working darkrooms in small bathrooms or closets, just a few sq. meters in size. I've found The New Darkroom Handbook to be very useful in planning my darkroom. It has plans and ideas ranging from the very small (a closet with only one place to stand, plus a minimum of shelf and tray space) to larger professional-type setups.

Konical · Apr 13, 2009

Good Afternoon, Sperera,

See the Darkroom Portraits thread here on APUG for a ton of ideas.

Konical

Ken N · Apr 13, 2009

3x4 meters makes for as small as I'd be comfortable recommending for most home darkrooms if you are printing larger than 8x10" prints. I have three workbenches that I use for my darkroom. The two used for the wet side total 4 meters in length and even this isn't long enough if you do a two-stage fix of 11x14 prints. My enlarger workbench is three meters long and has two enlargers on it.

You can get away with an absolutely tiny darkroom if you use NOVA processors.

stwb · Apr 13, 2009

I'm almost finished with constructing a darkroom in my basement. It measures about 5' X 6' so I guess approx. 2 meters by 2 meters. Still small by some standards but it's all the space I have.
They say to have a wet side and a seperate dry side. I just have one side so it has room for one countertop all the way across which will accomodate my enlarger and 3 trays quite nicely. I don't have a sink in the darkroom but there is a laundry sink I will use that is just outside the darkroom door.
I used to have a darkroom in a closet. I only used it once because it was very very cramped and I couldn't get motivated to even use it because of the lack of space. I'm exicited to get going now.
So I guess in conclusion, to answer your question...what's the minimum size? Well, there is no answer. It depends on how well you can tolerate cramped spaces with chemical fumes. You can get away with a really small closet but will it be comfortable.....probably not.
Good luck!

David Brown · Apr 13, 2009

http://wwwcaen.kodak.com/global/en/professional/support/techPubs/ak3/ak3.pdf

ic-racer · Apr 13, 2009

I had a darkroom in a closet. Perhaps one square meter. The door needed to be open to use it (so the whole room needed to be dark). The enlarger was on a shelf, and below that was a shelf that could hold three 8x10 trays. I had a 'drip tray' that I held under the fixer-laden prints that I used when walking them over to the kitchen sink for washing. My current darkroom is a tad bit bigger.

sperera · Apr 13, 2009

thanks for your input everyone....

.....the Kodak pdf was helpful cos I've measured the "wife" allowed space and it measures 119cm x 123cm x whatever height I want.....this will be on an outside terrace, first floor.....it will be created against the house exterior walls so two walls are already accounted for I need two more walls, one holding a door and a roof of some sort.....

........any ideas about what sort of door and roof????

.......the bad thing is we're a sub-tropical climate (just like California) and it would face east.......though the afternoon summer sun will be over the roof and out by 2pm I'd say in summer.....I have to account for that....

........it would be great to have a solar panel on the 'roof' of the 'darkroom' to provide electricity heh heh

perkeleellinen · Apr 13, 2009

I have a Nova slot processor which allows me to print in a cupboard 34 inches wide, 90 inches long and with a sloping roof that means I have to sit on the floor to print. I get sore legs sometimes, but what's the other choice; scanning? You'll find if you're determined, you'll find a way to print in the smallest spaces.

Curt · Apr 13, 2009

http://cgi.ebay.com/US-Army-Darkroo...goryZ629QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

It doesn't have to be huge, just organized.

mwdake · Apr 13, 2009

cos I've measured the "wife"

Rats, I knew there was something I forgot when I planned my darkroom.
Thanks for the chuckle.

BetterSense · Apr 13, 2009

My darkroom is in a walkin closet, about 2m by 3m. Enlarger goes on one side on a dresser/endtable thing, and the other side has a shelf above the clothes rod that I put my trays on. It's quite workable; the worst part is it gets quite hot in there after a while between my body heat and the enlarger bulb, so breaks are good. I put the prints in a tray of water, and when a few accumulate I carry it out and across the room to the sink.

sperera · Apr 14, 2009

mwdake said:
Rats, I knew there was something I forgot when I planned my darkroom.
Thanks for the chuckle.

heh heh isn't that the truth though eh!? so okay.....this is already approved by her so I'm trying to contain the excitement and have conceded to the "it can also be used as a storage area for your shoes".....yes shoe storage is part of the deal.....she's even extended the 'walls' a bit further than I originally dared do so now I have to find someone to build this......I'll let you all know how it goes and if this goes up in 2009 like I'm hoping!!!

Mark Fisher · Apr 14, 2009

I also had one that was about 1.5 x2m. It was quite workable. The lack of running water was not great, but it worked. I had a stool in the middle of an "L". One leg of the L had the enlarger and the other leg had the trays with a bucket for finished printed underneath.

Rick A · Apr 14, 2009

I am currantly working in a 6x8 foot utility room--more specifically, a 6 ft. long counter on one side of the room, with two shelves above the counter dedicated to my gear. I work at night, and commandeer the kitchen, and dining table. I am constructing a darkroom in our basement,however, I have to take some time off. I had surgery on my shoulder a couple of weeks ago, and wont be picking up any tools for a few months(ouch-damn my neighbors dog) So my lovely and talented wife helped me set up in HER area, so I could be distracted while convalesing(I love that woman). Bottom line -- get creative, and be flexable.
Rick

Trying to create a darkroom...

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