Developing contact prints without a Dark Room. Is that possible?

[pepeguitarra]

I am getting into 8x10 and want to do my own contact prints. The problem is that I do not have a dark room available for trays, etc. I could light proof a bathroom, but no trays. So, I have been thinking that I could use a desk lamp to provide the light source, then, after exposing the contact sheet and turning the light off, I would place the 8x10 paper inside a large Jobo tank, put the lid on it, and turn the lights on. Then, I would develop the paper by rotation (as I do with the 4x5), using the stop bath, and then the fixer. I will be able to see the picture only after it has been fixed. Any advice?

[John Kasaian]

My current dark room is a half bath. A wooden plank supported by what little counter space I've got supports the trays. You can also put a small plank over a closed toilet lid and either place a small enlarger on top of that, or use a desk lamp sitting on top of the tank for printing.

Another alternative is to built a rack for your trays to stack them three high, limiting the foot print.

If you have the floor space, a small folding table can provide plenty of real estate. Mine's a 2'x4' plastic Lifetime I bought from Costco

[Pieter]

185832
You could use a vertical processor such as the Nova (not cheap, must order from England unless you can find a used one locally). Doesn't take up much room, but has 3 slots: develop, stop & fix. I use on with 2 trays for an initial rinse and hypo clear. You'll need a safelight to see what you are doing.


I am getting into 8x10 and want to do my own contact prints. The problem is that I do not have a dark room available for trays, etc. I could light proof a bathroom, but no trays. So, I have been thinking that I could use a desk lamp to provide the light source, then, after exposing the contact sheet and turning the light off, I would place the 8x10 paper inside a large Jobo tank, put the lid on it, and turn the lights on. Then, I would develop the paper by rotation (as I do with the 4x5), using the stop bath, and then the fixer. I will be able to see the picture only after it has been fixed. Any advice?

[Jac@stafford.net]

It would be wonderful if we could get Printing Out Paper (POP)!

[scm]

It would be wonderful if we could get Printing Out Paper (POP)!

PRINT-OUT PLATINUM-PALLADIUM PRINTING
(https://shop.inkjetmall.com/site/newinkjetmall-htmls/what-is-malde-ware-platinum-palladium-printing.html)

InkjetMall
(https://shop.inkjetmall.com/Shop-by-Alternative-Process/Platinum-and-Palladium-Print/) sells the premixed solutions.

[Michael Kadillak]

Stacking 8x10 trays takes up little space so figure out where to put them. A hanging low wattage light source would be optimal. Get those sticky tabs precluding drilling a hole that have a hook on them for hanging pictures and hang its off of the hook. Your next challenge is getting your printing dialed in. My personal recommendation would be to get some large sheets of colored Roscoe film and use Ilford multi grade printing paper and with a combination of exposures from the green filter and the blue filter you can get a full range of paper grades to match your 8x10 negatives and do it in a small area. As the old saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention. 8x10 is an absolutely incredible format as you already know. Kick it up and get printing.

[invisibleflash]

When I was a kid just starting out Freestyle had some printing out paper. No darkroom needed. It was expired, like most things Freestyle had in the 70's, but it worked OK.

[pepeguitarra]

185832
You could use a vertical processor such as the Nova (not cheap, must order from England unless you can find a used one locally). Doesn't take up much room, but has 3 slots: develop, stop & fix. I use on with 2 trays for an initial rinse and hypo clear. You'll need a safelight to see what you are doing.


Pieter: I found the Nova, and I like. I think I will be buying one. It seems like it will fit on the counter. Thanks, Pepe.

P.S. Thank you everyone for the responses. I feel honored to receive so many responses.

[Andrew O'Neill]

If you're going to go to all the trouble of light proofing the bathroom, then work with trays. Actually, you could work with one tray, and three containers. I did it that way for years when I lived in Japan. I used the corner of my kitchen... and lots of blackout material. When working with paper, you want to see the image "emerge". Grab a safelight, too. A piece of 1/4 inch black foam, and 1/4 inch plate glass... or be like Edward Weston and use a printing frame.

[esearing]

Is there a tub in your bathroom? a sheet of plywood cut to fit over it provides a nice but low working surface for your 3 8x10 trays. And if you have a print washer or larger tray, you can run the water from the tub faucet. Otherwise stacking trays (plastic drawers from walmart) works ok too if you are not too sloppy.

[Pere Casals]

I am getting into 8x10 and want to do my own contact prints. The problem is that I do not have a dark room available for trays, etc. I could light proof a bathroom, but no trays. So, I have been thinking that I could use a desk lamp to provide the light source, then, after exposing the contact sheet and turning the light off, I would place the 8x10 paper inside a large Jobo tank, put the lid on it, and turn the lights on. Then, I would develop the paper by rotation (as I do with the 4x5), using the stop bath, and then the fixer. I will be able to see the picture only after it has been fixed. Any advice?

For BW prints forget the jobo. You will need to make test strips, etc, and the rotary is a mess for that, trays are the right choice. Paper development takes a very short time, it takes less to develop than to setup the rotary... When paper has been in the stop bath for a few seconds you can open lights if you want.

4 trays of 8x10 size takes around 40x10", you may wall mount some folding shelvings if using a bathroom, this solves most of troubles in that situation.

185867

If developing in a bathroom remember to use the safest chem possible and find the way to prevent any spill. I'm a true specialist in Bathroom darkrooms :), what it was more complicated to me it was zeroing spills, but simply one has to find the way.

[Randy]

My "darkroom" is a small bathroom with a tub. I covered the window simi-permenently with a sheet of thin plywood. As for the door, I use a length of rolled up black fabric for the space under the door. I have been processing roll films and sheet films in there for many years. As for contact printing, I use a small (8") reflector utility light with a LED bulb screwed into it. I just hold it a couple feet above my contact printing frame and turn it on for the few second exposure. My processing trays are in the tub with chemistry.
Lately though, I have been mostly printing cyanotypes, so total darkness is not needed.

[Pat Kearns]

Before venturing into LF my bathroom was my darkroom. One side had a small sink with a long counter where I set up an Omega B22 enlarger. The other side had the bath tub that I covered with a piece of plywood cut just short of the faucet with the chemical trays on top. A large tray was in the tub under the faucet for washing. So a bathroom will work. Light proof it and start printing.