How to Use a Photo Enlarger

Co-authored by Kari Bjorn and Kyle Hall

Last Updated: May 6, 2024 References

A photo enlarger is a necessary tool for developing film photographs. It lets you project your negative onto a piece of photo paper, enlarging the image in the process. A photo enlarger can seem confusing if it’s your first time in a darkroom, but fortunately, it’s easy to use once you get the hang of it. Before you make your final print, you'll need to develop a test strip using the enlarger to determine what the best exposure time is for your image.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Setting Up the Enlarger

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1
Place your negative in the enlarger carrier. The enlarger carrier is a plastic tray that slides out of the enlarger. To put your negative in it, open up the tray, and insert the negative into it so the image you want to enlarge is lined up with the square hole in the tray. Then, close the tray, and slide the carrier back into the enlarger.^{[1]
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- The enlarger will project your image upside down, so invert it when you place it in the carrier.^{[2]
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Tip: Depending on the enlarger you’re using, you may need to turn a switch on the side of the device to unlock the carrier tray so you can slide it out.
2
Clamp the enlarger down over the carrier. Clamping down the enlarger will seal the negative inside of the enlarger carrier. The right way to clamp down the enlarger will depend on the photo enlarger you’re using, but there’s usually a switch or lever on the side of the device that you’re supposed to pull or turn.^{[3]
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- If you turned a switch to unlock the enlarger carrier so you could slide it out, turn that switch again to clamp down the enlarger.
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3
Position a sheet of scrap paper on the projection plane. The projection plane is the flat frame that holds the paper you’ll be projecting onto. Lift up the top layer of the frame, and insert a scrap piece of paper before closing it again. Then, place the frame back down on the base of the enlarger.^{[4]
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- Don’t use regular photo paper yet since the lights in the room will ruin it.
4
Turn off the lights in the darkroom. Turning the lights off will make it easier to see your image projected on the piece of scrap paper. It’s also important that you turn the lights off since you’ll be working with actual photo paper later on. If the lights are on when you remove the photo paper from the packaging, it will be ruined.^{[5]
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- Make sure the darkroom you’re in is completely closed off from external sources of light.
- The darkroom should have a red safety light on so you can see what you’re doing in the dark. The red light won’t affect the photo paper you’ll be using later on.
5
Turn the enlarger on using the timer. The timer is the small box that’s connected to the enlarger by a cord. To turn the enlarger on, locate the “on” switch on the timer and flip it. After you flip it, the display on the timer should light up. Then, press the “outlet focus” to turn the light bulb inside the enlarger on.^{[6]
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- Once you turn the light bulb on, you should see your image projected on the scrap piece of paper.
6
Adjust the height of the enlarger until the image fits on the scrap paper. There should be a knob on the enlarger, near the back or on the side, that allows you to raise and lower it. When you raise the enlarger, the projected image will get bigger, and when you lower the enlarger, the image will get smaller.^{[7]
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- Make sure none of the image is off the paper. Any portions of the image that aren’t on the paper won’t show up when you make your final print.
- You also don’t want the image to be too small or you’ll have blank space around it when you make your print. The edges of the image should line up perfectly with the edges of the scrap paper.
7
Focus the image using the knob on the side of the enlarger. When you first enlarge a negative, it will likely be out of focus. To fix that, turn the knob clockwise or counterclockwise until the image looks clear and crisp.^{[8]
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- When you adjust the focus knob, a lens on the enlarger will move up or down, changing the focus.
- If the image gets blurrier when you adjust the focus, turn the knob in the opposite direction.
8
Set the aperture on the enlarger to f/8 for most photographs. The aperture setting determines how wide the lens opening on the enlarger is. The higher the aperture, the wider the lens and the more light that passes through. The more light that passes through, the brighter your image will be. To adjust the aperture, rotate the lens on the enlarger until you get to f/8.^{[9]
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- The right aperture setting can vary depending on the image you’re printing, but generally, f/8 is a good place to start.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Testing the Exposure

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1
Cut a strip of photo paper to test the exposure with. Before you print onto a full-size sheet of photo paper, you’ll need to test several exposure times on a strip of photo paper to see which time is best for your image. Cut a strip that’s wide enough to capture a detailed portion of the image. The size of the strip doesn’t need to be precise.^{[10]
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- You’ll need to use actual photo paper to test the exposure since you’ll be developing it.
Warning: Don’t turn on the lights to cut your photo paper or the strip will be ruined.
2
Place the strip of paper on the projection plane. Open up the top of the frame, and place the strip inside of it. Then, close the frame.^{[11]
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- Position the strip so it will capture a detailed portion of the image, which will make it easier to determine which exposure time is best.
First, use the dial on the timer to set the exposure time to 2 seconds. Then, press the “start” button on the timer to turn on the light bulb inside the enlarger. After 2 seconds, the light should turn off.^{[12]
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4
Cover one-fifth of the strip, and expose the rest of it for another 2 seconds. Use a piece of thick scrap paper to cover up the end of the strip. That way, that portion of the strip won’t be exposed to any more light, and you’ll be able to see what 2 seconds of light exposure looks like once you develop it. After you cover one-fifth of the strip, set the timer to 2 seconds, and press the start button.^{[13]
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- At this point, the rest of the strip will have been exposed to light for 4 seconds.
5
Repeat until you’ve exposed 5 sections to different durations of light. For each additional section, increase the exposure time. Use the following schedule for the remaining 3 sections:^{[14]
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- Cover two-fifths of the strip and expose it to 4 seconds of light.
- Cover three-fifths of the strip and expose it to 8 seconds of light.
- Cover four-fifths of the strip and expose it to 12 seconds of light.
6
Develop the test strip. Dip the strip of paper in a development bath for 60 seconds. Then, transfer it to a stop bath for 30 seconds, stirring it continuously. Next, submerge the paper in a fix bath for 30 seconds. Finally, rinse it with water for 1-2 minutes.^{[15]
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- When you’re finished developing the image, you can turn the lights back on.
7
Use the test strip to determine the best exposure time for your final print. Your developed image should be divided into 5 distinct sections. Choose the section that looks the best (not too bright and not too dark), and write down the exposure time for that section so you can use it for your final print. The exposure times for the different sections are:^{[16]
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- First section: 2 seconds.
- Second section: 4 seconds.
- Third section: 8 seconds.
- Fourth section: 16 seconds.
- Fifth section: 28 seconds.
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Make a more specific test strip if none of the exposures look quite right (optional). The test strip is a good way to narrow down what exposure time might be best for your image. However, if none of the strip colors are what you want, try making another test strip with exposure times in closer increments.
- For example, if 8 seconds is too bright and 16 seconds is too dark, try making a test strip with five sections between 8 and 16 seconds. To do this, expose the whole paper for 8 seconds, then expose each of the next 4 sections for 2 seconds. Your new test strip will then display exposures of 8 seconds, 10 seconds, 12 seconds, 14 seconds, and 16 seconds.
- Depending on the image, you may want to try 5-second intervals instead.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Enlarging and Developing Your Final Print

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Do this before you remove the photo paper for your final print so it’s not ruined by the light. If it’s not still on, turn the red safety light on so you can see what you’re doing.^{[17]
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Lift up the top of the frame, insert the paper, and close the frame. Then, place the projection plane on the base of the enlarger.^{[18]
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3
Expose the paper to light using your desired exposure time. Set the exposure time on the timer using the dial. Then, make sure the projected image is lined up with the photo paper, and press the start button on the timer.^{[19]
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- For example, if you liked the image quality for 16 seconds of exposure time on the test strip, you’d set the timer to 16 seconds.
4
Develop your final print. Repeat the developing process that you used for the test strip. Start with the development bath for 60 seconds, then dip the paper in the stop bath for 30 seconds. Finally, transfer the paper to the fix bath for 30 seconds before rinsing it off with water.^{[20]
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- When you’re finished developing your final print, hang it up to dry in the darkroom.

Expert Q&A

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Question

How can I develop a black and white film at home?

Kari Bjorn
Photographer
Kari Bjorn is a Professional Photographer based in West Hartford, Connecticut. With nearly 10 years in the industry, Kari is a specialist in Film and Digital Wedding Photography. He has a wide array of photography interests and experiences. Kari is originally from Iceland and came to the US a decade ago to pursue photography at the Parsons School of Design in New York City. His previous editorial and commercial clients include Vanity Fair, InStyle, UN Women, The French-American Foundation, Plug & Play, KRANTZ + KRANTZ, and NPR. Kari has exhibited his work at the Aperture Gallery in New York City, the Eastern State Penitentiary Museum in Philadelphia, and Fotografiska in Stockholm, Sweden. He also had a solo exhibition at I Kring 03 in Reykjavik, Iceland in 2019.

Kari Bjorn

Photographer

Expert Answer

Start by getting a kit, online sites like Amazon sells them and includes all the necessary chemicals in the set. You'll also need amber glass jars if the set doesn't include it. Note that the most important tools are the developer, stopper, and fixer. The developer brings out the image in the film while the stopper halts the development process. Finally, the fixer makes the film insensitive to light. Now, once you have all the required tools, you can start developing your photos. Start by loading the film into a light-tight tank in complete darkness. Then, in a light-safe environment, pour in the developer and agitate it gently every 30 seconds to ensure even coverage. After 5-7 minutes, pour the developer back into its jar. Next, rinse the film with tap water to prepare it for the stopper, which you'll pour in and leave for a short period. Finally, pour in the fixer and agitate for 2-3 minutes to complete the fixing process. Once done, pour the fixer back into its jar, and your developed film is ready for drying and you're done!

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Question

What's involved in the process of enlarging a film to a positive image?

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Enlarging a film negative to a positive image involves selecting and cleaning the negative, setting up the enlarger, and exposing, developing, fixing, and rinsing the photographic paper. Proper safety protocols must be followed while handling chemicals.

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