The DARKROOM COOKBOOK, Third Edition

10 THE DARKROOM COOKBOOK
Figure 1-5 Diagram of a small sink. The faucet can be placed on the back wall or on either end. Pegs on the side, as shown, or splash wall behind can be used
to dry measuring cups and small utensils.
SAFELIGHTS
Seeing by Safelight
When the white light is fi rst turned off it can take several minutes for your eyes to
adjust to the diminished intensity and limited color spectrum of the safelight. You can
considerably shorten the time it takes your eyes to adjust by looking directly at the safelight
for a few seconds.
Comfortable handling of negative material in the darkroom largely depends upon proper
darkroom lighting. The lighting is a compromise between illumination of a color and intensity
that does not fog sensitive materials but still enables the photographer to work with a
minimum of inconvenience and eyestrain. It is essential that the correct safelight fi lter is
selected and used in a housing of appropriate design and fi tted with a bulb of the correct
wattage.
Ordinary printing paper can be handled in a relatively high intensity of dark-brown
or red-brown light, corresponding to Kodak OC or OA fi lters (OC is more commonly used