# Getting a safe light



## TravisG5 (Oct 18, 2006)

I have seen everything from expensive safe lights that drop from the ceiling (like my school uses) to less expensive safe lights, to just plain bulbs that can be left on the ceiling.  

For my home darkroom, will a 15 Watt amber safe light be okay?  Adorama says it is a black and white darkroom bulb, but are there any advantages to having something like this... http://www.adorama.com/PESL57.html?searchinfo=safe light&item_no=36

I know the price difference isn't much, but I want to save every penny I can.  Will the plain bulb be okay?

Thanks...


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## ladyphotog (Oct 19, 2006)

There are a couple of reasons why a filter is a better way to go. First, you need to be sure of what the true color is. Light amber can look an awlful lot like light yellow, for B&W printing papers you need an OC filter. Secondly, if you decide to use anything else in the darkroom you will need a different filter. I would go with the filter since it is not that much more for those reasons.


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## mysteryscribe (Oct 19, 2006)

I personally use a 7.5 watt night light with bulb painted red with nail polish... please dont tell my wife what happened to her streetwalker red nail polish.  

When I work in the small bathroom to cut paper. which I do now and then. I put a red plastic cup over it to cut the light output even more.  I have never had fogged paper and I can see enough to do what I need to do.  For black and white red or amber will work fine.  Amber gives you a little more contrast in viewing the prints but I usually never worried.  I got one generic print the way I wanted it, then sacrificed it by thumb tacking it to a wall.  I compared my new prints to it.   Just an old trick cost of this light is about 4 bucks..


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## TravisG5 (Oct 19, 2006)

Thanks for the help everyone.  I have just found some OC filtered plain bulbs, so I will use those.



			
				mysteryscribe said:
			
		

> I personally use a 7.5 watt night light with bulb painted red with nail polish... please dont tell my wife what happened to her streetwalker red nail polish.



Unfortunately I don't have any red nail polish to steal, but I like the clever idea  .


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