THE ENLARGER






















LIKE FILM, PRINTING PAPER IS COATED WITH AN EMULSION CONTAINING LIGHT-SENSITIVE COMPOUNDS.  THE NEGATIVE IS A REVERSAL OF THE TONES SEEN IN THE ORIGINAL SCENE.  IN ORDER TO CREATE A POSITIVE WITHIN A PHOTOGRAPHIC ANALOG ENVIRONMENT, A DARKROOM IS NECESSARY.


Enlarger Lamp On Only When Used
Only have the lamp on when the enlarger is in use. Don’t leave the enlarger with the lamp on. This is can burn out the lamp as well as cause the negative to buckle in the negative carrier causing problems with image sharpness.
Enlarger Height Adjustment
Always release (untighten) the enlarger lock when raising and lowering the enlarger. Failing to release the enlarger lock while attempting to adjust the enlarger height will cause the gears to be stripped as well as affect the overall sharpness of the enlargement.
Enlarger Head Position
Don’t leave the enlarger head in the up position after inserting or removing negative carrier. If left in the up position, once the enlarger lamp is turned on, light will scatter throughout the darkroom, damaging unfixed prints.
Enlarger Lens and Condenser
Don’t remove lens or change the condenser position from the enlarger. If another type of lens is required, ask the instructor or lab technician. Negative Carrier Insure the negative carrier is properly seated in the enlarger.