![]() ![]() It was also optimised for both the Ilford traditional Plus films as well as the newer Delta range and is based on a modern, more stable, version of Phenidone and hydroquinone. In my opinion it is the best film developer, both in terms of performance and reliability, that Ilford make (true then and still true now). The top line of the specification that we pulled together for Ilford DDX was that it give performance similar to ID11 powder developer but in a convenient liquid concentrate rather than powder. I was the Ilford Technical Manager responsible for chemical products at the time that DDX was specified and developed. I prefer liquid concentrate developers for convenience:įilm developer: Ilford Ilfotec DDX 1+6, 9 minutes for Ilford FP4+ and SFX 120 (I process 5 rolls at a time and mix FP4+ with SFX). I generally use the manufacturer’s recommendations for film and paper processing, except for film development where I find the Ilford recommended development times rather long for my way of working. If in doubt, do a simple test to confirm the maximum time that is safe in your darkroom for each paper that you use. The image on the easel is then as bright as possible during dodging and burning. ![]() The one nearest the enlarger is wired in to the enlarger timer so that when the enlarger is exposing paper the safelight is automatically turned off. I use four Ilford 902 safelights, 15 watt 10 x 8 inch wall-lights (yellow-orange in colour) in my darkroom, one on each wall and mounted just below the ceiling. Just follow the instructions as far as distance between black and white paper and safelights are concerned and all should be well. Modern black and white photographic papers, like Ilford Multigrade, can be exposed to quite high levels of safelight without fogging them. I leave you to work out what is best for you! Safelightsĭarkrooms don’t have to be dark! Well, not totally. However, I still continue to use them now, many years after leaving Ilford, because I honestly believe they make the best products available for the darkroom printer. Having spent 21 years working for them this is unavoidable. I have a strong bias to Ilford materials and equipment. They are not meant to be comprehensive treatments of each topic but will help you get started or maybe give you a few ideas to improve something that you are already doing. ![]() I describe here a few of the details that I have picked up over the years. ![]() If you can address these two points you will be well on the way to good prints. Prints that are too dark from over-exposure – you should usually just be able to see detail in the highlights (light areas) and in the shadows (dark areas). Low contrast – it is much easier to make low contrast prints but high contrast gives more striking prints.Ģ. To guide you, I have run many dozens of black and white darkroom printing courses and Ilford Darkroom Masterclasses and the 2 most common features that could be improved in the prints that I see are:ġ. More usually it just needs practice, practice and more practice. Working for Ilford for 21 years seeing and talking about prints, good and bad, every day was one way to do this. One of the most difficult things to learn about black and white darkroom printing is to recognise good from bad prints and know how to make any print into a good print. Visit my hints and tips website,, for free technical information and advice. This article is also available to download as a PDF. ![]()
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