First Rule of printing

The first rule.

Printing stark black and white enlargements will not hide a lack of technical experience. You should develop your printing technics to such an extent that it improves the expressiveness of your photographs.

Drying cabinet.

The safest and one of the quickest ways of drying your film. The cabinet has a built in heater that gently blows warm air over the negatives lessening the amount of time that particles in the atmosphere can attach to your valuable film. They can be dry in fifteen minutes.

If, like me, you only have a small darkroom then a cabinet may not be practical within the room itself. You could place it outside but the problem I have with that is it looks like a gym locker, making it a blot on the landscape wherever you put it! Oh! and they're not cheap! Make your own mind up!!

Trouble loading a plastic spiral.

The plastic Paterson type of spool can be difficult to load. A common problem is the little metal balls that grip the film get stuck. Dont try to force the film through, if you do it will kink the negative leaving a half-moon shape. It can make the frame(s) useless. You will need to part the spiral and start again. A pain I know! Be gentle when removing the film, there is a chance of damage.

Damp or wet spool will not load, so make sure it is completely dry before use. Sweaty, damp or sticky fingers will make it difficult as well.

A too tightly rolled up 35mm film in its cassette can take a set that makes it tricky to load. So when rewinding the film back into the case dont over wind it after you hear it has released itself from the camera spool. With practice it is possible to leave a little bit of the leader poking out.