Printing images from a negative distinguishes those who simply take snapshots from the serious photographer. Learning your way around a camera is only the first part of a complete process that culminates in the darkroom.
Instructions
Making a Test Strip and Making the Print
1. Review contact sheet and pick a negative to enlarge. Take negative strip out of sleeve and place inside the frame in the center of the negative carrier. Make sure the emulsion side of the film, or shiny side, faces up. Close the enlarger head using a lever usually located to the right of the negative carrier slot. Switch on the enlarger light.
2. Focus the image on the masking easel - a flat metal plate with sliding arms on all four sides for cropping the image manually - on the baseboard. Adjust the easel arms to mask off a portion of the image that gives a fair representation of the range of colors in the image. Switch the enlarger light off and place a piece of print paper on the easel. Make sure the ends are held in place by the easel arms.
3. Place a piece of cardboard over the test strip leaving a small part exposed. After each exposure move the cardboard to reveal more of the test strip until it is completely exposed.
4. Make several test strips using the same time intervals, but increasing the amount of two of the colors on the color dial each time. For example, the color dial in the first test strip might read yellow 60, magenta 30 and blue 0, the next one yellow 70, magenta 40, and blue 0.
5. Develop the test patch and take it into a lighted room. Decide which exposed segment looks best. Use this as a gauge for deciding how long to expose the print paper and set the color dials when making an enlargement.
6. Switch on enlarger light to make the print. Place a piece of used print paper white-side-up on the easel and focus the image. Create a border around the image by sliding the easel arms up to the edge of the image so it just overlaps.
7. Set the color dial and timer based on the test strip and switch on the timer.
8. Remove the print from the easel and begin developing.
Developing the Print
9. Curve the sheet of exposed paper slightly and place it in the processing drum in complete darkness with emulsion - or shiny side - inward. Place the lid securely on the drum and turn on the light.
10. Remove the lid from the opening in the processing drum cap without removing the entire cap. Pour prewash solution in the same volume as the cylinder into the processing drum. Agitate the drum by rolling it for the prescribed amount of time.
11. Pour out prewash and add bleach/fix, followed by wash and stabilizer. Pour out each before adding the next solution.
12. After pouring out the stabilizer, remove the print from the drum. Remove excess solution with a squeegee and feed the paper through an air dryer.
Making a Contact Print
13. Secure the lens in the enlarger head, which sits directly above the baseboard. Rotate the aperture ring on the lens to f8. Switch on the enlarger light.
14. Raise or lower the enlarger head using a knob typically located on the right side of the enlarger support column. Focus the light using a knob usually found just to the right of the lens until a rectangle of even light covers the baseboard.
15. Set the color dials on the front of the enlarger head. Begin with a standard setting (i.e. yellow 60, magenta 30 and blue 10).
16. Switch off the enlarger light. Place a sheet of print paper emulsion-side-up on the baseboard.
17.Place negatives emulsion-side-up on top of the print paper and lay a piece of glass over the negatives to hold them in place.
18. Set the enlarger timer for 10. Time will vary depending on the density of the negative. Switch on the timer. After the print paper has been exposed, remove it and place it in the processing drum. Secure the lid on the drum and begin developing the print.
Tags: print paper, enlarger light, Switch enlarger, Switch enlarger light, enlarger head, processing drum, color dial