I am re-designing my darkroom (10' x 13') and will have 2 safelights, one for the enlarger "dry" area and one over the trays in my "wet" area. Should the lights be 3 feet, 4 feet, or some other distance from those areas to provide the best illumination whithout danger of fogging?

I have heard different things and want to do it right. What is the best diatance and location for safelights? Directly over the trays or at an angle, or does it matter?

Thanks for your advise.

-- Ned Finkel (nfinkel@mindspring.com), January 24, 2002

Answers

Response to What is the best distance the safelight should be from the easle and the developing tray?

I will vary too much to offer you a single definitive answer. The ONLY way to determine this is to test it in YOUR darkroom by exposing paper to your safelights at various times and distances (something like making a test strip), then determining how long you can expose your paper without fogging it. In actual fact, I believe any "safelight" will eventually fog paper, it's just a matter of how much time you can expose your paper without significantly fogging it.

As for some of the variables: wall color/reflectance, room size, safelight wattage and design (sodium, incandescent, etc.), filter density/color, distance, paper type (sensitivity) and duration. With so many variables, no one can give you an answer. You have to test it yourself in your space.

-- Ted Kaufman (writercrmp@aol.com), January 24, 2002.

Response to What is the best distance the safelight should be from the easle and the developing tray?

To test your safe light you will need to pre-expose a piece of paper first. With a simple test strip determine the minimum exposure needed to begin showing the faintest tone on the developed paper. Do this with safelights off. Expose a new piece of paper (safelights off) with an exposure just less that that which gave you tone in the test. Now, cover half the paper with something opaque and on the other side place some objects (coins, paperclips) and turn on the safelight. Do this in a location where you are concerned about the safety of the safelight. Keep safelights on for approximately twice the time you would normally have the paper out in safelight conditions. Develope and examine. It will be readily apparent if you are safe or not.

-- Ricardo (ricardospanks1@yahoo.com), January 24, 2002.

Response to What is the best distance the safelight should be from the easle and the developing tray?

The standard recommendation with MULTIGRADE papers, using a 902 or OC filter is that the paper should never be closer than 3 feet. This is assuming a 15 watt bulb.

As others have stated, you will need to test in your own darkroom. While I would not recommend getting any closer, you may find that you need a little more distance to be fully safe.

Paper should not be exposed to safelight for more than 4 minutes.

David Carper ILFORD Technical Service

-- David Carper (david.carper@ilford.com), January 24, 2002.

Response to What is the best distance the safelight should be from the easle and the developing tray?

I find that overall safelight illumination is less fatiguing than small area lighting. My homemade LED safelights are in two recessed diffused ceiling fixtures located over the center of the dry and wet sides of my 10'x11' darkroom. The enlarger and developing trays are located in the corners of the room, so safelight where safelight is minimum. This provides a relatively high level of safelight throughout the room, and adequate -- but safe -- illumination at the easel and developing tray.

-- Chris Ellinger (chris@ellingerphoto.com), January 25, 2002.