Darkroom Equipment

Safelight

The dim coloured light that lets you see your hands without fogging the paper.

2Developing B&W RC paperB&W fibre paperNot for colour materials

Wear PPE & Ventilate Nitrile gloves Eye protection Cross-flow air Label every bottle Dispose of fixer properly

Develop stage

Safelight — line drawing with key specifications

Key specifications
Common filters	OC (amber) · OC 1A (red) · 1A (deep red)
Recommended lamp	15 W incandescent, or a 3 W LED equivalent
Safe distance	At least 1.2 m from the paper
Safe time	As stated for your paper — often 3–10 minutes
Wavelength	Amber ≈ 580–600 nm · Red ≈ 620–700 nm
Suitable for	B&W papers (grades and RC / fibre)
Not suitable for	Colour paper, colour film, orthochromatic film
Fog test	Coin test: expose paper with a coin on it for 5 minutes
Mounting	Wall or ceiling, directed away from the enlarger baseboard

Overview

A safelight is not a dim white light. It is a light source with a filter that emits only wavelengths to which the material in use is insensitive. Black-and-white paper is largely insensitive to deep red and amber, so a safelight at those wavelengths is invisible to the paper but visible to you.

The important word is "largely". Every safelight fogs paper given enough time, enough brightness or too little distance. The specification that matters is not the wattage but the safe distance and the safe time — and both are measured for a specific paper at a specific distance.

Amber OC and red OC 1A filters are the two common types. Amber is brighter and easier to work under but leaks a little more; red is darker but safer for longer exposures. Neither is safe for colour paper, which is sensitive to all visible light.

What it does well

Lets you work with your eyes open during printing
Amber filters are brighter and easier to work under
Red filters are safer for long exposures and slow papers
LED replacements run cool and last indefinitely
Cheap to test: the coin test takes five minutes

Safety notes

Read before you use itThe hazard is electrical, not chemical: darkrooms are damp. Use a properly earthed fitting, keep cables off the floor, and never work on a safelight with wet hands. Also remember that safelight fog is cumulative and invisible until you compare prints.

Working notes

Run a coin test on every new paper: put a coin on a sheet, expose to safelight only for five minutes, develop. Any visible disc means your safelight is too close or too bright.
Use the dimmest safelight you can work under. Your eyes adapt in a few minutes.
Aim the safelight at the ceiling so the room is lit indirectly.
Two weak safelights are safer than one strong one.

Compatible with

B&W RC paperB&W fibre paperNot for colour materials

Educational reference. Specifications and working figures on this page are drawn from published manufacturer documentation and are stated for a small inversion tank at 20 °C unless noted otherwise. They are starting points, not guarantees. Always confirm against the data sheet supplied with your own film, developer, paper and equipment, and follow the manufacturer's safety instructions.

Pairs well with

Darkroom Timer

An enlarging timer with a foot switch — because your hands are always wet.

Developing stage

Darkroom Equipment Develop

Developing Tray

A shallow ribbed tray that holds one bath and one sheet of paper at a time.

Developing stage

Enlarging & Printing Finish

Photographic Paper

Resin-coated or fibre — the two papers behave completely differently in the tray.

Printing & Finishing stage

Enlarging & Printing Finish

Easel

Adjustable masking blades that hold the paper flat and set the print borders.

Printing & Finishing stage