The Darkroom Cookbook, 3rd Edition

Appendix 1

Safety in Handling Photographic Chemicals

With a good negative and good sense, a good print is inevitable.

-William Mortensen, 1940

Toxic chemicals can enter your body in three ways: breathing them, absorbing them through your skin, or swallowing them.

To prevent inhaling chemical powders wear a good quality, well-fitting dust mask. To prevent inhaling toxic fumes wear an appropriately rated fume mask. To prevent absorbing chemicals through the porous membrane of your skin wear neoprene gloves.¹ (Putting your unprotected hands in developer trays to shuffle film or paper may seem convenient, but in time this repeated exposure can develop into sensitivity to common developing agents like metol and hydroquinone.) To keep from swallowing ...