14.2 Section 14: Darkroom Enlarger Exposure Module

Cropping / Enlargement Factor

Pick paper size and negative format; the calculator works out the magnification.

Where to find it

Tools tab Darkroom Enlarger Enlargement section

Summary

Two chip rows let you pick negative format (35mm, 6x6, 6x7, 6x9, 4x5, 8x10) and paper size (5x7, 8x10, 11x14, 16x20, 20x24). The calculator divides paper short edge by negative short edge to get the enlargement ratio, then squares it for the inverse-square exposure adjustment.

Tap to zoom — actual screenshot from the app

Detail

How it works

What it does

Tap a chip for your negative format and another chip for your paper size. The calculator shows the enlargement ratio (for example, 4.0x for a 35mm negative on 8x10 paper) and the extra stops of exposure that magnification adds.

Why magnification changes exposure

When you enlarge a negative, the same amount of light from the bulb spreads over a much larger paper area. By the inverse-square law, doubling the print dimensions quarters the light per square inch, so you need four times the exposure (two stops more).

Negative formats supported

35mm (24mm short edge), 6x6 (56mm), 6x7 (56mm), 6x9 (56mm), 4x5 (97mm), and 8x10 (203mm). The short edge is what drives the math because that is the dimension that gets blown up to fit the paper's short edge.

Paper sizes supported

5x7 inch (127mm), 8x10 inch (203mm), 11x14 inch (279mm), 16x20 inch (406mm), and 20x24 inch (508mm). Pick whichever matches your enlarger easel.

Reading the result

The Enlargement ratio row tells you the linear magnification (1.5x, 4x, 13x). The Exposure adjustment row tells you the extra stops to add to your base test-strip time. Both update live as you change either chip.

Implementation notes (for developers)
DarkroomPaperSize and DarkroomNegFormat enums. enlargementRatio = paperSize.shortEdgeMm / negativeFormat.shortEdgeMm; exposure scales as ratio squared.

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