Printing Paper | Photo Printing | Photography Printing | Prints

Printing The Photograph

After the film has been developed, it is rinsed in water or in a chemical solution called a stop bath. This stops the action of the developers. Next, the film is put into a liquid called a fixer. This chemical gets rid of the undeveloped silver bromide crystals. If this were not done, the crystals would react to light and cause the negatives to fade. After the film is fixed, it undergoes a final washing.

One or more prints can be made from the negative after it has been developed, rinsed, fixed, washed, and dried. A print is made on special photographic printing paper. When a light is shone through the negative onto the paper, an invisible image of the negative is made on the paper. The paper is then developed, fixed, washed, and dried. The result is a positive image of the original subject.

A print that is the same size as the negative is called a contact print. It is made by pressing the printing paper tightly against the negative in a glass frame. Light is shone through the negative onto the printing paper for a few seconds. Contact prints generally are used to help the photographer decide which exposures are worth enlarging.

The most commonly used cameras today produce small negatives. To make big prints from little negatives, an enlarger is used.

It is possible to project only part of the negative onto the paper. Suppose, for example, the negative shows two houses located next to each other. The printing paper can be moved so that only the house on the right side of the negative will be printed. This procedure is called cropping. It is one way in which you can control the final look of a print.

Printing or enlarging does not need total darkness. But be sure that the only light in the room comes from a safelight. This is a lamp especially designed for darkroom use. A corner of the kitchen makes an ideal temporary printing darkroom. It provides three important aids--running water, an electric outlet, and a working surface. The tops of the counters should be covered with plastic sheets to protect them from splashed or spilled solutions.

Whether you do your own developing and printing or have a photofinisher do it, you should take good care of your negatives and prints. Never touch the negative emulsion with your fingers. Hold the negatives by the edges only. A negative file book or a heavy accordion-fold envelope (one that expands) is the safest place for your negatives. These should be kept in a cool, dry place.

An album or a large scrapbook keeps prints from loss or damage. It is also a good idea to label each picture according to subject, date, and place as you mount it in your album. That way, you will never forget when and where the picture was taken.

by M. Orther