This is a technique to make a print without an enlarger.

Early photographers who were using view cameras that had large negatives used this printing method. Have students review the work of early photographers to find examples of work done using contact printing. Images produced from press cameras were often proofed as a contact print until the 1960s when the 35mm format camera with an electronic flash became more popular than the larger heavier cameras.

Have the students choose a single negative or strip of negatives and make a contact print. The negatives created in the pin-hole camera activity would illustrate this printing method.

Have the students prepare a proof sheet in order to evaluate their negatives. It is possible to produce a proof sheet by contact printing the negatives through the plastic storage sleeves. The sleeves are useful to hold the negatives in place and keep them clean.

The students should learn to be selective about the negatives they choose to print. Careful examination of the negative for proper exposure, compositional elements, scratches, dust spots, fingerprints and sharp focus will make the printing process more successful and enjoyable.

There are a variety of developers on the market with individual characteristics that might significantly affect the results. Make certain that students are aware that film and print developers are different.

The students need to be cautioned that good ventilation and careful handling of photographic chemicals is very important. Rubber gloves, waterproof aprons and eye protection should be used, particularly when mixing stock solutions. In addition, for powdered chemicals, a mask is recommended to prevent inhalation of air-borne dust particles. They should carefully read and follow all directions that accompany the different types of chemicals.

Have the students prepare a list of safety precautions that are necessary when they are handling photographic chemicals in a concentrated or in a working solution form.

Remember: add acid to water. As acid generally has a higher density than water there will be a larger surface area (as the acid moves through the water) to dissipate the heat generated by the mixing reaction. If reverse mixing occurs the water will float on the acid and the heat generated by the reaction may create a vapour that will carry acid molecules that mix with the air in the room. The resulting mixture can create a health risk.

Required chemicals include a developer, stop bath, fixer (hypo), and a wash bath. Additional chemicals that will improve the end result and quality of the print are a second fixer bath and a hypo-clearing agent. In most processes, the developer may be the only chemical that is different from those used for black and white film development.

The students require a developer (for paper not film), stop bath, fixer (hypo), hypo-clearing agent (not required with variable contrast papers) and water at the proper temperature (20°C).

Follow the chemical manufacturer's recommendations for the use and storage of chemicals.

Some chemicals are reuseable and can be stored for short periods of time in air-tight containers.

The test strip is important to establishing the proper exposure time for both the proof sheet and the final print.

Have students prepare a procedure list to help them work independently when they are in the darkroom. The goal is to develop a specific sequence of steps for print development.

It may be helpful to laminate the procedure sheet to make it waterproof.

Have the students identify the main parts of the enlarger and identify whether it is a condenser-or-diffusion type of enlarger. A labeled diagram or cross-sectional view of an enlarger would help to insure that the description is complete.

As the aperture control on the enlarger operates the same as a camera lens, have students focus the negative on the printing surface at the brightest setting (widest aperture) and then stop down to the middle aperture of the enlarger lens (or use f/11, the sharpest aperture).

Maintain a record or log sheet for each enlargement that might include the following items:

• Enlarger height
• Lens aperture
• Exposure time
• Print dimensions
• Development time
• Paper selected
• Contrast filter number or paper grade
• Additional printing controls, see Module 14 in this guide.

The strip of printing paper used should be large enough to allow for four or five, five-second intervals to determine the final time exposure for the print.

Follow a standard procedure for the developing process according to the paper and chemical manufacturer's recommendations.

Remind students of the need to keep their hands clean and dry before they begin to do darkroom work. The acids and oils in the skin can adversely affect both film and paper.

The format of the photograph will be vertical (portrait style) or horizontal (landscape style). Students will need to move the easel to create the best composition for the desired photograph.

To produce an even border on a print, insert a piece of paper the same size as the required print into the upper left corner of the easel (2 blade style) and mark the top and left margins with a pencil. Remove the paper with the penciled corner and rotate the paper so that the pencil mark is in the lower right corner. Position the moveable easel arms so that they align with the pencil mark. The border on the finished print will be the same on each side.

A border of 5mm (1/4inch) is sufficient.

Review general safety and work habits needed to obtain good results in the darkroom.

Make certain that the students select negatives that are scratch, dust and fingerprint free and have a normal contrast range, in order to produce the best possible print.

To avoid backward prints, show students that the negative emulsion side faces the paper emulsion side. It can be difficult to see which side of the printing paper is the emulsion side. Place a black dot on a back corner of the printing paper as a guide for the students (red dots will not show up in red light!).

Select an enlarger height that spills light onto the easel arms to insure a full frame image. The further the enlarger head is from the easel the longer the development time will need to be; also the image will become less sharp or grainy (photosensitive particles become recognizable creating weaker definition of lines and edges).

In some cases it may be necessary to move the enlarger head further from the easel in order to create a more pleasing composition for the completed photograph.

With the enlarger lens aperture wide open, focus the image using a grain magnifier to check for sharpness then set the aperture for f-8 or f-11.

Using the time determined by the test strip, students should make a test print on an area of the photograph that has a range of tones from dark to light. This final check will determine if the time, focus, tone range, and elements of composition selected, are correct.

It may be necessary to alter the contrast to make the best print possible. If a graded paper is selected, it is recommended that students begin with a #2 or a #3 grade. If variable contrast paper is selected, it will print, without filters, as though it was a #2 paper.

See Module 14 for additional printing techniques.