Lights in the darkroom

[Joe O'Hara]

Regarding the white lights that you use for viewing your prints, I would caution you to not make them too bright, especially if they are "white" LED lights. If you view a print (especially a wet print) under a light that is overly bright, you may find that your prints look too dark once they are dried and ready for display. I would also be concerned about the "optical brightening" dyes that are present in some papers being activated by LED viewing lights, also making the print look lighter than it would under incandescent or daylight illumination.

My darkroom has a conventional '60s-style ceiling fixture with two 100-watt incandescents and a glass diffuser. I view my wet prints, after carefully sponging off all of the surface water film, about 2m away from that fixture, and find I get good predictability about the final print appearance.

Of course, our Government has decided that incandescent lights are Bad, so these days one might have trouble finding them, in the US, anyway. I bought a lifetime supply of the things the first time they started to make noise about that, about 10 years ago. Though very inefficient from a power consumption point of view, they have a continuous blackbody spectrum like daylight and are not subject to the metamerism problems of other light sources.

Good advice above about painting the room white, except around and above the enlarger. After painting the latter area flat black, and spray-painting my Saunders easel black as well, I've noticed a subtle but definite improvement in my print quality.

[pau3]

I do have red led strips. They are true monocolor red, not the RGB type, and dimmable, with a controller. Inexpensive and easy to install. I installed them because my paterson safelights
fogged Foma paper, even if they where at the recommended distance with the recommeded bulb. I've tested the led lights using Kodak method and they are completely safe (and much brighter than the paterson ones).

[Bob Wagner]

In addition to regular room lighting, I have a 7.5 watt incandescent refrigerator bulb for when I just need more than safelight level to see or find something but don't want to ruin my night vision.

[jp]

I have switches for white light and red light. When building the darkroom, I put a power outlet on the ceiling for the safelight. (old Kodak box safelight). Since then I've installed a tracklight for red LEDs for the safelight. Then I can aim/add/remove lights as desired.

I put a white LED undercounter tracklight on the underside of the shelf that's over my sink. This is brighter than the white overhead light and is good for viewing prints/negatives drying.

Also have a small lamp with a low wattage incandescent bulb for use when coating cyanotypes.

[Rod Klukas]

One other note. When prining B&W, Use a light af 40watts or less and not super close to prints, to make judgements on dodging/burning etc.

Because we are often in galleries or even at home with less than optimal light, the low watt lamp will help to get a print that allows good view when in less than optimal viewing conditions.

Hope this helps.

Rod

[Pieter]

I used to have a white LED strip light over my developing area, covered with 2 layers of Rubylith. Then I decided I preferred to work with amber safelights and like them much better. I have a 95 CRI LED strip over the developing area for inspection. Final inspection of dry prints is in an industry-standard viewing station.

[phdgent]

I was lucky to find a few old fashion (Belgian made-) NARITA darkroom light fixtures, the ones with removable glass filters and work with an 'ordinary' E27 light bulb inside.
So, I put some cheap household LED bulbs in them and fixed two sheets of Red Rubylith between two thin glass sheets.
Then I hung one, with a strong LED bulb in it, reflected on the white ceiling and 3, with lesser strong LED bulbs, directly pointed towards the places I need them to be, these are switched with the enlarger clock.
I test the whole setup by placing a piece of paper half covered during about 10 min. next to the enlarger, where the paper is normally used uncovered the longest time, and then developing it face up.

The Baryta VC paper I use is better of with red light, according to the manufacturer, it's FOMABROM FB...

[Doremus Scudder]

... The Baryta VC paper I use is better of with red light, according to the manufacturer, it's FOMABROM FB...

Foma papers need red safelight. Either have filters you can switch out when you use Foma papers or standardize on red (like I did) to avoid fogging.

Doremus

[phdgent]

Foma papers need red safelight. Either have filters you can switch out when you use Foma papers or standardize on red (like I did) to avoid fogging.

Doremus

Yes, I know that, anyway I never liked these greenish-yellowish-whatever-colour safelights as with these I couldn't really orientate in my darkroom...

[Ben Calwell]

Foma papers need red safelight. Either have filters you can switch out when you use Foma papers or standardize on red (like I did) to avoid fogging.

Doremus

Doremus, I certainly will defer to you on all things darkroom related, but the data sheet that came with my Fomatone MG Classic glossy paper states that orange safelight or another "type of safety illumination" is called for. I've used OC filtered (orangish?) safelight in my tiny darkroom for years and have not noticed any fogging with the Fomatone MG glossy, or with Ilford or any other brand I've used. Based on your assertion, though, I will do a safelight test.