Make Prints From 120 Film Negatives
The printing process for 120 film negatives is not very different than that for 35mm negatives. You will need to make sure you have the right enlarging lens (minimum focal length 75-80mm) and a negative carrier with the appropriate dimensions for a 120 film negative. Mastering the following steps with 35mm or 120 film negatives takes patience and practice, but you will find it very rewarding to make your own prints.
Instructions
Prepare Image and Make Test Strip
1. Carefully place the negative you want to print in the negative carrier and slide the carrier into the enlarger above the lens. Set the easel to the desired dimensions (8" x 8", 12" x 12", etc). Turn on the safe-light and turn off the room lights.
2. To focus the image, turn the enlarger light on and open the aperture to the widest setting to allow the most light to pass through. Adjust the height of the enlarger head, moving it up and down until the image appears in the appropriate size on the easel. Focus the image using the rotating controls on the side of the enlarger.
3. Make a test strip. The Enlarging lens works the same your camera lens does, except that light passes through it to project an image onto the paper, rather than a negative. You can control the amount of light that passes through the enlarging lens and the amount of time that it passes through, just as you can adjust the aperture and shutter speed on your camera. To determine the appropriate aperture and exposure time for your print, you will want to make a test strip. Close the aperture down two stops from the widest setting and set the timer to three seconds. Get out a trimmed strip of paper and set the paper on the easel, using a piece of black cardboard to cover all but one small section (a fifth of the strip, perhaps) of the paper. Allow that section to be exposed for three seconds. Then move the cardboard to the side to expose another small increment, and expose this and the previous section together for three seconds. Continue until you have uncovered the entire strip and allowed the last section to be exposed for three seconds.
Process Exposed Paper
4. Place the strip face down in the developer tray and keep the liquid moving by lightly agitating the tray from the corner. For RC paper, leave in the developer for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes; for Fiber paper, allow 2 to 3 minutes. After this time, lift the paper from the corner with the tongs and allow all the fluid to drain.
5. Move the paper to the Stop Bath. For RC paper, leave in for 15-30 seconds; for Fiber paper, leave in for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Lift from corner with tongs and allow fluid to drain.
6. Move the paper to the fixer. For RC paper, leave in fixer for 3 to 5 minutes; for Fiber, 5 to 10 minutes.
7. Rinse paper in water wash. You do not have to leave a test strip in the wash as long as you would a finished print (10 to 15 minutes).
Determine Exposure
8. Take the processed test strip into a well lighted room to determine the best exposure time. If all of the exposures are far too light or far too dark, you should adjust the lens aperture accordingly and make another test strip. If one section looks right, determine the exposure time of that section and remember that number.
9. Return to the darkroom. Place a full sheet of paper in the easel and expose it for the determined number of seconds.
10. Process that sheet of paper according to the steps in the above section. Take the print into the light to see if you are satisfied. You may need to refocus the image or adjust the exposure time further. If you are satisfied, return the paper to the darkroom to complete water wash before drying.
Tags: exposure time, paper leave, three seconds, from corner, passes through, test strip
