How to Print B&W Photographs in a Darkroom

Step 7 Bonus Step!

In the previous step, you may have noticed that the negative needs to be put in emulsion side down. But what does that mean?

Film is made of two major components:

• A plastic strip
• Emulsion

It's as simple as that; a plastic strip with a thin layer of emulsion on it. The plastic serves as a base for it, when the unused crystals are washed off by the fixer, the plastic remains to give the negative substance.

You can tell which side is emulsion, because the plastic side is shiny and smooth.