# Safelights...another question



## hammy (Jan 24, 2006)

I'm a bit confused here. 
Are safelights just special red bulbs? Or what? 
Would this 
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7583245056&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1
work for a simple b/w darkroom?


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## Hertz van Rental (Jan 24, 2006)

B&W photographic paper is only really sensitive to blue light. This means that it is insensitive to light of longer wavelengths. Therefore an amber, orange or red light will allow you to see what you are doing when you print without fogging the paper.
Any appropriately coloured filter will do - providing that it does not 'leak' in any way. That means it must filter ALL the light because even a small amount of white light will fog your paper.
Proper safelights tend to be more expensive because they make sure there is no light leakage - and they also work at specific wavelengths for use with some specialised films and papers.
I once built a darkroom that had the window glass replaced with red Perspex so you could see out while you worked.


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## hammy (Jan 24, 2006)

Thank you Hertz. you've been a lot of help for me


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## nealjpage (Jan 29, 2006)

Hertz van Rental said:
			
		

> I once built a darkroom that had the window glass replaced with red Perspex so you could see out while you worked.



What is Perspex and where do I get some?  I have a breezeway/laundryroom that I want to turn into a darkroom but there's a whole lot of windows.


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