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How to Print a Photo From a Negative

Printing photos from digital files can be as easy as clicking a button in a photo editing program. Printing a photograph from a negative requires the use of a darkroom, photo enlarger and chemical baths to produce a photograph. The darkroom you need for this type of photo printing requires special lighting that will not "fog" the photographic paper before it is exposed to the negative. The darkroom also needs to have a tap and drain to accommodate a fresh water bath for the printed photos.

Things You'll Need

Darkroom
Photo enlarger
Photo developing trays
Photo developer, stop bath and fixer photo chemicals
Tongs
Photo easel
Photo paper

Instructions

- 1
  Insert the 35mm negative into a negative carrier and place the carrier inside the photo enlarger. Turn the enlarger on and adjust the size of the photo you are printing by raising or lowering the enlarger. Turn the other knob on the side of the enlarger to focus the negative on the easel where you will place the photographic paper. When the negative is the correct size and in focus, turn the enlarger off.
- 2
  Lay a sheet of photographic paper into the easel. Set the timer on the enlarger for the correct length of exposure and press the "Start" button. When the enlarger turns itself off, remove the photographic paper from the easel.
- 3
  Place the exposed photographic paper into the "developer" bath. Depending on the brand of the chemical you are using, the paper will stay in this bath 10 to 15 seconds.
- 4
  Remove the picture using tongs, and place it into the "stop" bath. As the name suggests, this bath halts the developing process. The picture should be in this bath for five seconds.
- 5
  Remove the picture using tongs and place it into a "fixer" bath. This bath stabilizes the picture and prepares it for viewing in normal light. Leave the picture in the bath for 15 to 30 seconds.
- 6
  Remove the picture using tongs and place the picture into a fresh water bath. This final step should have a constant stream of water running through it. Leave the picture there for one to three minutes, then hang the picture to dry. When the picture is thoroughly dry, you can view it in normal light.

Photography