Black and White Photography

Dirty negatives cause some of the most annoying and time-consuming darkroom
problems. Some amount of grit, dust, scratches, or fingerprints on processed
film is not unusual, particularly when you are working in gang darkrooms.
Sometimes you won’t notice these defects, but more often you will;
during exposure, they block light from reaching the printing paper, so they
usually show up as light or white (and occasionally dark) spots or marks on the
resulting print.
The best defense against dirty negatives is to keep them from getting dirty to
begin with. Dry your wet negatives in a dust-free environment and store them
safely away in negative protectors immediately. Keep your darkroom clean by
vacuuming regularly and wiping down counters and other surfaces with a damp
cloth. Before printing each negative, brush or blow off surface dust and dirt
with compressed air or a soft brush. If none of this works, use a film-cleaning
solution with a soft cloth.
Few negative are totally dust-free, despite all these precautions. Spotting is a
technique for covering up print spots (and other defects), usually by using a
fine-tipped brush to apply a dye solution to blend the spots with the areas
around them.
Spotting can be tedious and frustrating. You will need a steady hand and
much patience. However, a print covered with small spots and scratches is a
sloppy print, so consider the time used for spotting well spent. You’ll need these
materials:

Spotting brush. Use a high-quality, fine-tipped brush. A brush’s size is rated numerically:
the lower the number, the smaller its tip. Thus a #1 brush can make
a smaller spot than a #3 brush because it has a smaller tip. An extra-small brush,
such as a #000, #0000, or #00000, is ideal for print spotting. Camera stores
generally carry spotting brushes, but you’ll find a wider selection of fine-tipped
brushes at an art supply store.
Spotting dye. Spotting dyes (and pigments) are available in both liquid and dry
form. There also are sets of spotting pens that come in packs offering a range
of grays. You will need to mix both liquid and dry dyes with water for use.
When diluted, both types produce a shade of gray that can be used to match
those areas that need spotting.
Cotton gloves. Handle prints with care when spotting, as fingerprints or skin
oils can cause smudging. Simple, white cotton, lintless gloves are available at
camera stores for this purpose.
Blotting material. It’s best to spot with a nearly dry brush—one that is not too
wet with solution. Use almost any type of blotting material, such as a paper
towel, sponge, or blotter paper, to absorb excess dye from your brush and get
it to match the tone of the area surrounding the spot.
White match paper. Before you apply spotting dye to your print, you will need
white border of a duplicate or discarded print (preferably made with the samea method to match its density to the areas that need spotting. Use a piece of the type of paper as the print to be spotted) to help make the match.
White saucer or dish. Use a small white saucer and/or dish to hold a dab of spotting
dye and water, and to provide a bright background for diluting the dye.
Spotting techniques vary but all require diluting, applying, and reapplying
spotting solution to match various tones in a print. Following is a suggested
method: