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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.

>> HOURS & RATES

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 one 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.

Black and white darkroom, photo by Lilly Everett

Darkroom 2

Darkroom two has eight enlargers including four Saunders color-head enlargers, four Omega condenser enlargers, and a Super Chromega F 8×10″ enlarger. 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.

Saunders, Omega, and Super Chromega enlargers
Dichro Super Chromega F with 8″ x 10″ glass carrier

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.

Facilities Resources