Lumen Printing in the Dark

Do you live in a city where it's gray and dark in the winter, or do you never get sunlight for some reason? If so, I'd be happy to show you how to make Lumen Prints even in the dark.

! Protective Measures ! I'm not sure if and how much UV radiation is harmful to humans, but you can't go wrong by not exposing yourself to this radiation all the time. Therefore, I recommend that you stay in another room when the light source is on. However, you should never leave the prints unattended when the light is on, as the lamp can get very hot, so please make sure to check on the prints from time to time.

All you need is some photo paper, transparent film (e.g., overhead projector film), plexiglass, and a UV lamp.

First, convert any image to black and white and increase the contrast. I've found that Lumen printing works best with images that have high contrast, so feel free to overdo this step.

Next, flip the image. This way, the film will lay smoothly on the photo paper the right way around.

The final preparation for the image to be printed is to flip it over to light only the areas that will be darkened.

Now it's time to print the negative on transparency film.

The next step must be done in the dark. You can also illuminate the room with a darkroom light, which will not affect the photographic material. However, if you don't have such a lamp, it's sufficient to take a sheet of photo paper from the box and then work in a low-light environment. Reactivity properties vary from material to material. For me, it works to take the photo paper out in complete darkness, then place the negative and plexiglass on top with a small lamp on. The plexiglass is primarily responsible for focusing the film in place.

You can now heat your papers, and you're finished! The exposure time varies, and sometimes a few minutes are enough.

The intensity and color values of the prints depend on the exposure time, temperature, light source, and photo material. Keep in mind that the Lumen prints are not fixed yet and are still light-reactive. If you fix them, you may experience a shift in hue, saturation, and brightness of the colors. The best approach is to experiment and, most importantly, have fun!

*I edited the scans in Photoshop, mainly to increase contrast.