B&W Darkroom
Whether you’re brand new or a seasoned artist, PCNW’s darkroom has what you need
Our black and white darkroom features film loading rooms, a main film processing sink, a private film processing sink, a split darkroom with a total of twenty enlargers, a print viewing board, a large light table, and more.
Access & Rental
Amateurs and professionals alike may reserve space in the darkrooms, digital labs, or studios up to a week in advance of the desired appointment date. If you are new to PCNW, a free orientation to assess your skills and to cover policies, equipment use, check-in procedure, and safety issues is required. To make a reservation and/or schedule your orientation, call us at 206.720.7222 x0 or e-mail pcnw@pcnw.org.
Free Orientations for the Darkroom:
If you have prior experience in printing or developing in an analog darkroom then you can join in on one of our free darkroom orientations. You’ll learn the reservation/check out process and get oriented with our darkroom space at PCNW. To sign up, please contact the front desk at frontdesk@pcnw.org or call 206-720-7222
Orientations are geared toward those who have prior experience with analog darkroom workflow. If you are a beginner with no experience, please sign up for a class or workshop to get started.
All of the equipment and chemistry necessary for printing in the black and white darkroom is provided by PCNW and is included in the facility rental rates; renters may opt to utilize their own chemicals for development, procedures for which are covered in the orientation (standard rental rates apply). All renters are required to supply their own film/negatives and paper for processing/printing.
Darkroom 1
Darkroom 1 is a large classroom style darkroom with 12 Omega condenser enlargers capable of enlarging negatives up to 4×5. Darkroom 1 is set up for both fiber and RC printing.
Darkroom 2
Darkroom 2 has eight enlargers including four Saunders color-head enlargers and four Omega condenser enlargers. Prints can be made up to 20″x 24″ with easels, trays, and archival washers large enough to accommodate. Advanced students and members use Darkroom 2 for multiple purposes including lith printing, large format negative printing, and fiber black and white printing.
Green Darkroom
PCNW’s darkrooms are setup to be as ecological as possible. Our chemistry is Eco Pro a low odor, low toxicity black and white chemistry. We have a silver recovery system that extracts harmful silver from exhausted fixer, and we use standing archival print washers that reduce the amount of water needed for washing prints. Visit us to learn more.
New to B&W Photography?
PCNW offers a variety of classes and workshops that can get you started! From camera basics to advanced printing, we will teach you the ins and outs of analog black and white photography.