| Test strip printing is vital for many reasons, | | | | not remove the paper as soon as the image |
| mainly to verify the amount of time the paper is | | | | appears, as it will not be fully developed. |
| needed to be exposed under the enlarger. By | | | | Read the instructions on your developer container |
| cutting a sheet of RC paper into 2”x8” | | | | to get the minimum and maximum developer |
| strips, you cut down on the amount of waste | | | | immersion times. You will notice that the image on |
| considerably. Close the aperture of the enlarger | | | | the test strip appears as different exposures |
| lens somewhere between f8 and f16 (depending | | | | identifiable as being very dark at one end and little |
| on the lens and the type of exposure you want), | | | | exposure on the other end in rectangular |
| and switch off the light in the enlarger. Place a | | | | sequences. |
| single strip of RC paper onto the easel of the | | | | After the developing time has completed, place |
| enlarger. | | | | the strip into the stop bath to cease the |
| Place it on an area where there are similar tones. | | | | developing process, and after a minute or two |
| This is to identify the adequate amount of time | | | | remove the strip from the stop bath and place in |
| needed the negative to be exposed correctly on | | | | the fixer bath. The fixation period is usually three |
| the paper. The test can be done by using a large | | | | to five minutes (again, depending on the make of |
| piece of black card that does not allow any light | | | | fixer used). Once the fixation time has elapsed |
| to pass through, and holding it just above the | | | | place the strip in the bath of water to wash for |
| strip covering it all except for about an inch at | | | | ten minutes. |
| one end. Switch on the enlarger and expose the | | | | The final step is to study the strip to see what |
| uncovered strip for at least five seconds. | | | | the best exposure time is. Check that all photo |
| After the first five seconds, expose another inch | | | | paper is sealed up and safe before you switch on |
| of the strip for five seconds, repeat this until the | | | | the main light to have a proper look at the test |
| entire strip has been exposed under the light. | | | | strip. The correct time should be quite easily |
| Switch off the enlarger and immerse the strip into | | | | identified by nice even tones with no overly dark |
| the developer, the paper should be at least one | | | | or light areas. Each rectangle on the strip |
| minute in the developer before you remove it. Do | | | | represents an extra five seconds exposure. |