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How to Use a Grain Focus

When a digital picture is opened in a photo editing program, the picture is in focus and will remain in focus during any enlarging adjustments that are made to it. In the days of film photography, not only did the camera have to be focused, but the enlarger had to be focused when the negative was being printed. While many photographers are able to look at a negative on the printing easel to see if it is in focus, using a grain focuser will ensure the negative is focused.

Things You'll Need

Photo enlarger with negative carrier and enlarging lens

Instructions

- 1
  Clean your negative carefully using an antistatic cloth. This cloth is designed to remove dust from the negative and prevent dust from collecting on the negative during the enlarging process.
- 2
  Place the negative into the carrier tray and place the carrier tray into the enlarger. Turn the aperture ring on the enlarger lens to f5.6.
- 3
  Place the photo paper easel below the enlarger lens. Press the "On" button located on the enlarger's control panel.
- 4
  Place the grain focusing viewer on the easel and look into the grain focusing viewer.
- 5
  Turn the focusing knob on the enlarger until you see what looks like small grains of sand in the grain focusing tool. When the negative is in focus, the grain will appear this way.
- 6
  Turn the enlarger off and remove the grain focusing tool. Place a sheet of photographic paper into the easel and press the "Start" button on the enlarger control panel to make a print.

Photography