Making prints
Darkroom printing is one of the most rewarding parts of working with film. While there are many different ways to make a print, the two most common processes you’ll come across are the black & white process and the RA‑4 colour process.
Both methods share a foundation in photographic chemistry, but the materials, equipment, and techniques involved are quite different. Understanding the distinction will help you prepare for your first print session or choose which process is right for your creative goals.
Black & white process
This is the more accessible and traditional route for most newcomers to the darkroom. Black & white printing involves working with variable contrast or graded papers, and a set of three main chemicals: developer, stop bath, and fixer.
You can expect to use an enlarger to project the negative onto light‑sensitive photographic paper, develop the image under safe red lighting, and make fine adjustments to contrast and exposure by using filters or adjusting timings.
RA4 colour process
RA‑4 is the standard process for making colour prints from colour negatives. It uses a colour enlarger, RA‑4 paper (which must be handled in complete darkness), and a colour developer, followed by either separate bleach and fix baths or a combined bleach‑fix (BLIX) solution.
RA‑4 printing is more sensitive to changes in temperature and exposure than black & white, and often benefits from test strips, colour balancing filters, and precise control over timing and development. It’s a more technical process, but the results can be vibrant and stunning.