Im new to darkroom work but came across a website that gives instructions on "one tray processing" where you use only one size tray and then pour the chemicals in one at a time and empty them back again into various jars. Has anyone used this technique? Does it work? This seems to have a few advantages as you never touch the print till its time to go into the washer and it saves darkroom space by not using multiple trays, the author of this site uses this technique mostly for larger prints (16x20) but says it's fine for smaller also. Anyone heard of this?

-- bill zelinski (willy226@yahoo.com), May 21, 1999

Answers

Can you tell us the URL?

You should use tongs, not your fingers, for transferring the print.

I can't see why it wouldn't work, but it would be messy, sloshing liquid around six times for every print. The thought of doing this with 16x20 trays makes me shudder.

-- Alan Gibson (Alan.Gibson@technologist.com), May 21, 1999.

Hi Alan, the site is at www.heylloyd.com. the way its describled does'nt sound too messey if your careful, my concerns are 1: would the constant pouring damage/deplete the chemicals? 2: is his opinion on cross contamination sensable? thanks.

-- bill zelinski (willy226@yahoo.com), May 21, 1999.

This system might work alright, juggling containers in the semi-dark could be a problem. Pouring the wrong mixture in the wrong container might be a real concern, at least initially, until you develope a rythm. It does have a simple feel, but 4 trays and moving down a line is pretty simple. I would try it if you are really interested, that is the only real way to find out, if you are limited on space it would be ideal, and I think his theory on cross contamination is valid, it will all be upstream, just as it is with seperate trays. Just a side note, that white on black format is very annoying, looking around after reading the article was a major pain, what with all the black and white lines burned into my retinas!!!!

-- Marv (mthompson@clinton.net), May 21, 1999.

I suppose that the repeated pouring of the developer would tend to make it oxidise faster. As he says, it is very important to wash the tray thouroughly after the fixer, before the development of the next sheet. Another reason I wouldn't go for this method is that I couldn't have a 'production line': a print in developer, fix and wash simultaneously.

-- Alan Gibson (Alan.Gibson@technologist.com), May 24, 1999.

Bill:

I've done this with a single 16x20 tray and it works, if a bit awkwardly, for 16x20 prints. One trick is to have your chemicals in your normal trays. Then just pour the contents from each smaller tray into the larger tray. Then, pour the contents back into the smaller trays. This makes pouring and dumping go quickly.

-- Gene Crumpler (nikonguy@emji.net), May 27, 1999.

A couple more things. As Alan suggests, be sure and wash the tray before reusing. If you do like I did, you wash the print(RC) in the same tray, so the tray is ready to go when you remove the print to dry. Another point, when you get the tray, be sure it is hard plastic, not the flexible type usually found in camera stores. The flexible tray makes this more difficult(been there).

P.S.I now have a new darkroom set up, so I now use 16x20 trays for all processing.

-- Gene Crumpler (nikonguy@emji.net), May 27, 1999.

I'm just starting out, but I've used this single-tray technique with good success so far. It certainly makes things more tidy in my bathroom, which is rather cramped.

I use large jug-like plastic bottles with the tops cut off them for pouring chemicals in and out. Each jug is marked in thick black texta (Devel/Stop/Fix). As pointed out previously, if you wash the print in the same tray (I just plonk it in the sink and run the tap), then there's no wory about the fixer contaminating the developer.

No doubt this wouldn't be any good if you want to do anything other than straight development (eg: toning).

-- Duncan McRae (duncanm@qsa.qualitysemi.com), June 03, 1999.

Since I know the single tray prozess, 20 x 20 prints are no longer horror to me. I tried it first time two weeks ago and I'm happy with the relaxed working-times. I also use all of Lloyds further advices with great satisfaction. Though I use the 10 min. alkaline fixer, my silver-in-water-test shows a perfect result after 6 x 10 min. moving (aquarium-pump) in good 30°C water. I think, I could even shorten the washingtime.

Regards, Ulrike

-- Ulrike Dietrich (dietrichulrike@mac.com), April 04, 2002.

I have tried this with 16x20. The key is a rigid high-lipped tray and the labeled plastic half bottles. It worked fine. And even if there is some waste of chemicals the advantages outwieght. However, if I had the space I would use the traditional 4 tray method. But now I dont print larger than 12x16 so I have the space...

-- Russell Brooks (russell@ebrooks.org), April 05, 2002.