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What went wrong?

My prints look soft even though the negative is sharp

Darkroom prints

What you're seeing

The whole print, or one side or corner, lacks crispness. Under a loupe the grain looks mushy, although the negative looks sharp on a light box.

Check this first

Check this first

Focus on the grain with a grain focuser, with the lens wide open, in the centre and then at the corners. Check how the grain looks after you stop down.

Likely causes, most common first

  1. 01

    Focus not set accurately

    Common
    How to tell
    Everything is equally soft, centre and edges.
    Test it
    Refocus with a grain focuser on the negative grain, then make a small test print of one detailed area and compare it with your previous print under a loupe.
    The fix
    Ilford: focus with the lens at full aperture, using a focus finder on the grain, then stop down (Ilford suggests about f/8).

    Source Ilford Photo / Harman technology, Making your first black & white print (information sheet)

  2. 02

    Enlarging lens used at the wrong aperture

    Occasional
    How to tell
    Wide open, corners are softer than the centre. Rodenstock recommends stopping its enlarging lenses down about 2 stops (2 to 3 for the Rogonar-S) for best contrast and sharpness to the corners.
    Test it
    Print the same small corner area wide open, 2 stops down and at the smallest aperture, adjusting time to match density, and compare under a loupe.
    The fix
    Work at the maker's recommended aperture. Ilford suggests choosing an aperture that gives about 10 seconds' exposure.

    Sources Rodenstock, Rodenstock Products: Lenses for Enlarging, CCD Photos and Video (catalogue); Ilford Photo / Harman technology, Making your first black & white print (information sheet)

  3. 03

    Negative moving with lamp heat ('popping')

    Occasional
    How to tell
    Focus looked right but the print is soft, especially with long exposures, a powerful lamp and a glassless carrier.
    Test it
    Focus, leave the enlarger lamp on for as long as a typical exposure, then check the grain focuser again. If the grain has gone soft, the negative has moved.
    The fix
    Use a glass carrier, keep exposures short, and make sure any heat-absorbing glass is in place. Old enlarger manuals fitted it to protect negatives from heat.

    Sources Lloyd Godman (lloydgodman.net technical pages), Advanced enlarger: negative carriers; War Department (United States Army), TM 11-2368: Enlarger PH-275 technical manual

  4. 04

    Paper not flat, or the enlarger head out of line

    Occasional
    How to tell
    One side or corner is soft while the opposite side is sharp. A wartime enlarger manual lists 'lack of over-all focus' from a twisted head or paper curled away from the board.
    Test it
    Focus in the centre, then put the grain focuser on each corner of the easel without refocusing. If one corner is clearly soft, the paper or head is out of line.
    The fix
    Flatten the paper in a proper easel and square the head to the baseboard.

    Source War Department (United States Army), TM 11-2368: Enlarger PH-275 technical manual

Avoiding it next time

  • Focus on the grain at full aperture, then stop down.
  • Check the corners as well as the centre.
  • Use a glass carrier for long exposures.

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