معمل التصوير أو الحجرة المظلمة Dark Room ..كتاب فن التحميض والطبع والتكبير

the fourth chapter

Photo lab or dark room

Because photosensitive film and paper are very sensitive to light, they must be handled in complete darkness; Or in the presence of a safety light that does not affect sensitive film or paper.

And your dark room may be just a bag or a changing bag, as previously mentioned, and it may be one of the rooms of the house that is temporarily modified to work as a dark room, or it may be a room completely dedicated to photography work, and this of course depends on the capabilities available to the photographer.

Amendment For amateurs, there is a photo lab or a permanent darkroom that is fully equipped for developing, printing and enlarging; It is not possible, but what is possible is a change bag or one of the rooms of the house, a temporary adjustment to the work period.

It has already been mentioned how to make a changing bag, and for this we will focus on the temporary dark room that you make in your home, and then mention a very brief idea about the room

Temporary Dark Room

Any room in your house can be completely darkened to make it safe. This is me

Films and sensitive paper. The dark room is divided into two parts: a dry side section, in which light-sensitive paper is exposed, whether for contact printing, proof pinting, or enlarging. The second section is the wet side, where solutions for display, stopping, fixing, and washing are dealt with. etc.. section
Let's review together the rooms of the house to choose the most suitable one as a dark room: 1- The kitchen: it is distinguished by the presence of running water in it and the presence of a place to place the amplifier. Its fault is the frequent entry and exit in and out of it during the day. As well as the possibility of contamination with toxic chemicals.

Bathroom and toilet: characterized by the presence of running water. The disadvantage is that he frequents him frequently, especially during the day. And it is suitable to work as a wet side section of the dark room, but it usually does not have enough place for the amplifier, and the possibility of exposure to electric shock increases if we use electricity sockets in it while working with water and solutions. And usually used

The bathroom as a wet section!

The salon, the dining room, and the dining room (the dining room): the disadvantage is the large number of openings and the inability to be alone in them except at night.

4- The bedroom: This would be excellent as a dry section, especially if you are alone

sleeping in it

E - A room in the basement: This is very excellent due to its moderate weather in summer and winter. You can also connect water to it and thus make the two parts of the dark room. 6- A room above the roofs: This is defective because it is very hot in the summer and very cold in the winter, so you cannot store chemicals or sensitive paper in it.

As for me, I use the bedroom as a dry section and the bathroom as a wet section. And set the time for doing the takbeer, printing and acidification at night after everyone has fallen asleep. To transfer the sensitive papers after exposing them in this room to the bathroom, there are two ways: I put the papers that were exposed to light in an old sensitive paper box inside the light-blocking metal bag. The second: I put the sensitive paper inside the colored development cylinder. See the devices and machines required in the first printing
The first chapter, and by closing this cylinder, it is completely impermeable to the colored one.

to light

Darken the room by covering the windows

How to darken the dark room: from the skin and you can make sure of a piece of covering the windows with a cover that does not permeate light, such as a thick blanket or a piece. Black industrial that can be installed on windows with drawing pins. As for the door, some old newspapers can be placed to prevent light from entering from under it. The keyhole can be closed with an adhesive plaster. Thus, the room becomes completely dark. This is done by staying in it in the dark for a few minutes until your eyes acclimate, and here you will see if there is any place from which the light penetrates, so you can block it. A practical and scientific way to test the darkness of the dark room is to take sensitive paper and put any metal object on it such as a key or a coin. Leave the paper in the dark for five minutes. The paper has been acidified. If a white shadow appears on the coin, the room is not safe. And if you find the sensitive paper completely white, the room is dark enough.

As for the bathroom or the wet side of the room, it is often darkened, especially when developing films in a developing tray or developing sensitive paper in a developing cylinder. As for acidification in the ponds, there must be complete darkness. or by using an appropriate safety light. A wicker board can be placed on the wash basin or bathroom bathtub, and acidification basins are placed on this board, sometimes we do not need
Or the water bath of acidification cylinder or tray. The safety light is placed on the wall at a height of more than 120 cm above the acidification basins. It is preferable to have a chair (plastic) for your convenience during acidification.

As for the dry section, the magnifier should be placed on a completely stable table that does not vibrate. Next to the magnifier, the sensitive paper box, shading tools, burning tools, and a timer should be placed. As for the safety light, it is 120 cm away from the base of the amplifier

Permanent Dark Room.

That on it from these outside the scope of this book, which was written specifically for amateurs, but we will write some points necessary to be available and for those who wish to know more

Read the following references:

Development, printing and enlargement: Abdel Fattah Riyad.

Dark Room Techniques Andreas Feininger - Y . Focol Encyclopedia of Photography

Color Printing Techniques Kodak -

Color photography: Abdel Fattah Riad

Model of a standing darkroom
Some important points that must be available in the dark room:

1- It is necessary to separate the dry part from the wet part.

2- The need for a ventilation system that does not allow light to leak. It is preferable to pump the air into the room through a fan with a dust filter installed, so the air pressure inside the room is greater than outside it so that it does not leak.

dust inside

The floor should be easy to clean and not allow dust to accumulate. The room should not be exposed to very hot or cold weather. It is preferable to have an air conditioning system in the room.

E- It is necessary to make the electrical connections by an expert electrician who provides the following not to touch the electrical connections in the wet section with wet hands, for example by making light buttons that work with foot pressure. : i

B- Making a connection that makes opening the sensitive papers cabinet separate the light from all

The lights inside the room.

Make safety lights at a distance of not less than 120 cm from sensitive papers. It is preferable that the lights be turned off immediately after the safety lights are turned on automatically. 6- Making a latch for the door so as not to open it by mistake, a trading place from outside.