How to Set Up a Home Darkroom

A home darkroom doesn't need to be a dedicated room. Many photographers print in a bathroom, laundry or closet, set up for an evening and packed away again. What matters is that the space is truly dark, safely ventilated, and organized so chemicals stay away from dry materials.

Making a room light-tight

Developing film needs total darkness only for loading the tank. Printing needs a room dark enough that photographic paper doesn't fog over a few minutes under the safelight.

Cover windows with blackout fabric, foam board or opaque plastic, taped at the edges.
Seal light under and around the door with a draft stopper or weatherstripping.
After 10 minutes in the dark, look for light leaks; your eyes will find any.
Unplug or cover LEDs on chargers and appliances.

Test for fog: leave a piece of paper half covered by a coin on the counter under the safelight for five minutes, then develop it. If the outline of the coin shows, the room or safelight is fogging your paper.

Safelights

Black and white printing paper is sensitive to blue and green light but not to amber or red, so you can work under a safelight of those colors. Variable contrast papers need an amber or red safelight rated for them. Keep it at the recommended distance, usually at least four feet from the paper, and don't leave paper exposed under it longer than necessary. Panchromatic film must never be exposed to a safelight; it needs total darkness.

Wet side and dry side

Organize the space into a dry side, for the enlarger, paper, negatives and timer, and a wet side, for trays of chemicals. Keep them apart, ideally on opposite walls or with a clear gap, so chemical splashes never reach paper or negatives. Many bathroom darkrooms put the enlarger on a table and the trays in the bathtub.

The enlarger

An enlarger projects a negative onto paper. Choose one that takes your largest format: a 35mm enlarger can't print 6x7, but a medium format enlarger can usually print 35mm too. There are two main types:

Condenser enlargers use lenses to focus light through the negative, giving crisp, contrasty prints that also show dust and scratches more.
Diffusion enlargers, including color heads, spread the light, giving softer prints that hide dust. Color heads with yellow and magenta dials work with variable contrast paper.

Use an enlarging lens matched to the format: 50mm for 35mm, 80mm for 6x6, 90 to 105mm for 6x7. Add an easel to hold the paper flat, a grain focuser and an enlarger timer.

Trays and chemicals

You need at least three trays, one size larger than your paper: developer, stop bath and fixer, plus a water holding tray or a sink for washing. Use separate tongs for each tray so chemicals aren't carried back into the developer. Label everything.

Ventilation and safety

Ventilate. A light-trapped exhaust fan is ideal; at minimum, crack the door between sessions.
Wear gloves or use tongs; some people develop skin sensitivity to developers.
Never eat or drink in the darkroom.
Store chemicals in labeled bottles out of reach of children and pets.
Handle electrical equipment with dry hands and keep cables away from the wet side.

Renting darkroom time

If you don't have the space, many community darkrooms and schools rent time by the hour, with enlargers and chemistry provided. See the directory of darkroom rentals. When you're ready to print, move on to darkroom printing.