Darkroom Wizard 4+

As generally enjoyable as darkroom work is for most of us, there are admittedly some aspects of the craft that qualify as at least tedium,

Now there's an easier way.

The major features of DarkRoom Wizard are as follows: film and paper test databases, process control, mixture calculations, measurement conversions, printing time calculations, data graphing, six independent timers, four alarm clocks, and a printing notes database. The program is not only a fancy calculator but also an aid to testing materials, and a means of organizing information. Now let's take a brief look at some of the more significant functions.

Reduction or enlargement from an original print size requires an adjustment to the printing time. After entering the data (f/stop, time, length) from the original print, plus the length of the new print, hitting the "Calc" button gives you the new printing time. A slider bar can be used to select a different f/stop or time combination; for instance, when an overly long or short exposure would lead to reciprocity problems with some materials.

A particularly useful function is as a process controller. It is great for processing C-41 and E-6 in small tanks and rotary tubes, being capable of 24 steps, with a drain time between each. You can enter and modify any process desired. As each step counts down, the "current step time remaining" is displayed, along with the total process time remaining. A user-selectable sound denotes drain times; you can have the program pause during any drain period. During a given step, data for the next step is displayed so that you always know where you are in the process no matter how prone to daydreaming you may be. Anytime there's risk of materials fogging from the monitor screen, clicking on the Screen Blanker icon will cause the screen to go black; clicking the mouse or hitting any key will restore the image.

When mixing chemistry from concentrates, such as figuring ratios for developer dilutions, or when calculating a volume of chemistry by percentage (e.g. you need 16 fl. oz. of 1% acetic acid, starting with 28% acetic acid), DarkRoom Wizard can really make life easier and avoid ruined materials resulting from incorrect calculations.