Dear fellow LF'ers,
Next year I hopefully will start building a house. What would be the minimum size I need for a darkroom?
I only print black & white, max print size will be 50cm x 60cm, with only a Durst 138S for medium format till 5x7". In the future hopefully bromoil and carbon transfer.
I was thinking about 2,5m x 3m. Is this reasonable...?
Tom Keymeulen
The size of your sink is a key determinant. If you're doing 20x24, you'll want enough space for at least four 20x24 trays (1 developer, 1 stop, 1 fix, 1 wash). If you prefer two fix trays, then five. You might add some extra space for a 20x24 washer as well. That said, there's lots of people that do with a lot less. For example, I have an 80" sink, it holds four 16x20 trays comfortably. When I'm printing 20x24, I use three trays in the sink (dev, stop, fix) and have a fourth wash tray adjacent to the sink. It's a hack but it works. So, it's possible to be creative with darkroom layouts. It all depends on the space. I think a good rule of thumb, go as large as you can with your sink.
One place to start is checking out the Darkroom Handbook. It contains lots of different darkroom layouts (wet, dry) for ideas and provides documentation for water and electrical setup. I have the book and found it helpful. In fact, I built my sink stand from a plan offered in the book. Good luck.
http://www.amazon.com/New-Darkroom-H...dp/0240802608/
That might work! I print small, so 50x60cm is reasonable and it is what I produce. My darkroom is small with a 5' sink on a 6' wall and no running water so I use a bucket to collect, but I have an industrial sink only 10 foot away to finish work such as washing. It works because my volume as an amateur (now, I was not always) works.
In that little room I have, as I mentioned a 5' sink, and a 4x5" and 6x10cm enlarger. It works for me and might for you. Just my two bits worth.
Best of luck!
Jac
I learned darkroom work in a 4x6 darkroom, but we made smaller prints. My last darkroom is about 6x8, and accommodates one 4x5 and one smaller enlarger and a 6' sink. If space is scarce, trays can be vertically stacked. If there is no limit on the available space, you can eventually fill it all. Agregov has good suggestions. Properly designed power, water, heating and air conditioning, and ventilation are important to long-term safety and comfort. Install two or three times as many electrical outlets as you ever expect to use. It's much easier and neater to do while building a darkroom than afterwards.
Build to anticipate future needs. Space for a 4x5 enlarger for example. Consider a dry and wet room or at least a dry and wet side in the same room. Go bigger! Good ventilation and drainage is key.
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Good advice above!!! I'll add that if there's little room for a wet+dry area, consider carefully the areas around your workstation... At least is there places that can be multi-use so at least those areas can be converted to be an expansion area for your lab... But for the lab, the bigger, the better!!!
Another often overlooked much needed thing is more than one large table, counter, or other horizontal work surface to do different operations on like cutting film/paper, mounting/framing, holding gear in use, and so many other things!!!! And don't forget to add storage areas (with different sized shelving) to hold gear not in use, supplies, negs/prints, and anything else that needs to get out of the way... You won't regret if if you have enough storage...
And a separate workshop away from the lab to build/fix stuff that won't make sawdust contamination, etc is a big+++...
Steve K
Thanks for the valuable reactions gentlemen! Much appreciated. I will look into that book.
Cheers!
Tom Keymeulen
The largest darkroom I've ever had was a converted closet at 1.5 x 2m. I managed just fine. Yes it would be nice to have a bedroom-sized space like I've seen in the darkroom thread here, but small can be efficient if space is at a premium.
What size darkroom? Make it as large as you are able. You will eventually use all of the space. It may be just me but it seems that my darkroom has shrunk over the years. My rule of thumb is to figure how much space I will need and then build it at least 1.5 times larger. This includes the sink. If you figure you can get by with a 6' sink make it at least 9'. It is much easier to build it the right size the first time than to try and expand it later.
Design the darkroom first, then build the house around that.
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