Black and White Photography

20, 16, 12, 8, and 4 seconds. When developed, this range should span
from too light to too dark. Such a range will provide a good guide to the
required print exposure for that particular negative.
There are many variations on how to make a good test strip. Some photographers
prefer to use more or fewer exposures—maybe three exposures of 5
seconds each or eight exposures of 3 seconds each; keep in mind that if you
have a bigger strip or a full sheet of paper more exposures are easier to read.
With experience you will learn the best method for your own needs and for the
equipment you use.
Part IV: Processing Printing Paper
Follow these steps to process test strips or final prints. Processing times are
suggestions only, as they will vary somewhat depending on the types of paper
and chemicals you use. Refer to package instructions for specifics. Note that
processing temperatures are not as critical for prints as they are for film. A
range of 65–75ºF is acceptable but 68–72ºF is preferred.
Handle paper with care by its edges; don’t touch the image area. Use tongs
to gently grab the corners of paper in the solutions and when transferring paper
from one tray to another.
1. Slip the exposed paper into the tray of developer. Emulsion side down is best
to quickly soak the entire emulsion in the critical early stages of development;
otherwise you run a risk of streaky results. After 15–20 seconds or
so you may want to flip the paper over to watch the image form.
2. Agitate the solution by rocking the tray to ensure that fresh solution constantly
flows over the paper surface. Agitation should be gentle, but constant.
Develop 1–11⁄2 minutes with RC papers and 2–3 minutes with fiberbased
papers.
Be sure to keep the paper in the developer for the entire recommended
time, even if the image looks too light or too dark. You can’t accurately
judge print density under safelight illumination. In fact, the image sometimes
appears almost fully developed in a relatively short time (maybe
30–45 seconds), but it continues to develop more subtly after that. Another
reason to develop for the full time is consistency; to be able to predictably
repeat print results you must keep both exposure time and developing time
constant.
3. Lift the paper out of the developer solution by one corner, using tongs, about
5 seconds before the developing time is up. Hold the paper—don’t shake
it—over the developer tray for a few seconds so the excess solution drains
off the bottom corner. The image may continue to form as long as the paper

is soaked with developer, which is why you want to take it out of the developer
a few seconds early.
Use different tongs for each solution. Do not allow the tongs from the
developer to dip into the stop bath solution when transferring the print, or
you may contaminate the tongs and the solutions. Contamination can
cause print staining and reduced solution capacity.
4. Put the paper in the stop bath. Soak it for 15–30 seconds (for RC papers) or
30 seconds to 1 minute (for fiber-based papers). The mild acid solution stops
development with no visible change in the image. Agitate in the stop bath
for the entire time by gently rocking the tray.
5. Remove the paper from the stop bath a few seconds before the time is up.
6. Put the paper in the fixer. To avoid contamination, do not dip the tongs from
the stop bath into the fixer solution. Fixing time depends on the type of
fixer you use, its freshness, and the type of paper you use. Standard fixers
generally need 3–5 minutes with RC papers and 5–10 minutes with fiberbased
papers; rapid fixers take about half that time. The shorter times are
for solutions that are newly mixed and the longer times are for solutions
that are almost used up.
Agitate for the entire time the paper is in the fixer by gently rocking the
tray. The fixer clears away the paper’s unexposed and undeveloped silver,
allowing you to view the strip in the light. (Without adequate fixing, the
paper will darken when the lights go on.) You can actually turn on the
lights after a short time in the fixer (after 30 seconds to 1 minute) if you’re
anxious to view the results. Before turning on the room lights, be sure
you’ve stored all unexposed printing paper safely away. And make sure to
put the paper back in the fixer for the full recommended time if you plan to
save the print.
If you’re working with others in a gang darkroom, you won’t be able to
turn on the lights whenever you want to see your print. Instead, rinse the
partially or fully fixed print, place it in a clean, dry tray to keep solution
from dripping on the floor, and carry it out of the darkroom to view and
evaluate it.
7. Remove the paper from the fixer, once it’s fully fixed, a few seconds before
the time is up. Again, use tongs and let the excess solution drain off.
8. Put the paper in the holding bath until it’s ready for a final wash or until you
have filled the holding-bath tray with prints. (It’s okay to use the same
tongs for the fixer and holding bath.) Use a siphon in the holding-bath tray
to recycle the water, or change the water in the holding bath every 15–30
minutes or so. This will prevent fixer from building up in the bath, which
could cause the prints to be overfixed. You could wash each print individually
as you make it, but doing so would be a waste of valuable time and
water.