Darkroom Assistant vs DarkroomLog

Make better darkroom prints—and preserve every decision that got you there. Darkroom Assistant is a purpose-built workflow app for black-and-white darkroom printers. It connects what you see in the print to the exposure, dodging, burning, and sequencing needed to make the next one. Map adjustments on the image, work in stops, and let Darkroom Assistant calculate the actual exposure times. You don’t need an expensive programmable f-stop timer to use an advanced f-stop printing workflow. Whether your timer counts in stops or only in seconds, the calculations, visual map, and printing sequence stay connected to the image. If you have ever made a great print and struggled to recreate it, searched through scattered notes, or wasted paper rebuilding a previous result, Darkroom Assistant brings the complete printing process together. It does not automate printing or replace your judgment. Your eye decides what the print needs. Darkroom Assistant translates that decision into the next exposure—and preserves the path when the session ends. VISUAL DODGING AND BURNING Map local adjustments on the print image instead of trying to connect handwritten times to remembered areas. Set the desired change in stops, and Darkroom Assistant calculates the corresponding dodge or burn times and organizes them into a clear printing sequence. A programmable f-stop timer can count exposure in stops. Darkroom Assistant goes further by connecting each adjustment to the image, calculating the time for that operation, and preserving the reasoning behind the print. PRINT PROJECTS AND PRINT LOGS Organize each image as a project and preserve the path from test strip to final print. Keep multiple interpretations together, compare them over time, and return later without reconstructing the session from memory. Record paper, developer, filtration, exposure, contrast, notes, and the decisions made along the way. A short version note on the physical print can lead you back to the complete plan in Darkroom Assistant. TEST STRIPS AND SPLIT-GRADE PRINTING Build and document test-strip and split-grade workflows inside the app. Compare results, refine exposure and contrast, and carry your decisions forward without starting over. SCALE PRINTS WITHOUT STARTING OVER When you change print dimensions, Darkroom Assistant can scale the exposure steps in the complete Print Log—not just the base exposure. Carry a successful plan into the new size and begin with a calculated starting point instead of rebuilding every exposure, dodge, and burn from scratch. Additional calculators help with changes in exposure, aperture, filtration, neutral density, and print size. DARKROOM TIMERS Use focused, distraction-free timers designed for printing and film-development sessions. FILM DEVELOPMENT Create and run film-development workflows with organized formulas, timing, and session records alongside your printing tools. BACKUP AND RESTORE Protect your darkroom library with manual backup and restore. LEARN AND GET SUPPORT Use the video guide and subscriber community for help. DARKROOM ASSISTANT HELPS YOU: • Translate visual decisions into precise exposure steps • Use an advanced f-stop workflow without an expensive programmable timer • Plan dodging and burning without calculating every time in your head • Scale complete printing plans when changing print size • Reduce avoidable paper and chemistry waste • Preserve successful prints and multiple interpretations • Spend less time reconstructing old sessions • Build a consistent, repeatable darkroom process BUILT BY A DARKROOM PRINTER Darkroom Assistant was created by a working darkroom printer with decades of hands-on experience. Its tools come from real workflows developed at the enlarger—not from an attempt to replace analog craft with automation. Practical tools for photographers who care deeply about the craft. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

DarkroomLog is a session logger, film catalog, and chemistry tracker for analog darkroom photographers. Log every printing session with equipment details, exposure steps, and notes. Attach a photo of each print for your reference archive. Rate your best prints with up to three stars. SHARE YOUR WORK Generate a beautifully designed dark card for any print or film roll and share it directly to Instagram, Mastodon, or anywhere else. Print cards include the photo, name, rating, film roll, enlarger, lens, paper, developer, and exposure settings. Choose portrait or landscape layout before sharing. Film roll cards show the full development record: film stock, developer, camera, lens, notes, and print count. LIGHT TABLE Browse and catalog your film rolls in a dedicated tab. Record format (135 or 120), film stock, camera, lens, developer, and notes for every roll. Link rolls to individual prints to keep your workflow connected from film to paper. CHEMISTRY TRACKER Track every chemical batch you mix — developer, fixer, bleach, stabilizer, stop bath, or anything your process requires. Log the mixed date, capacity in rolls, and shelf life. Add a roll manually as you work, just like marking a tally on the bottle. A color-coded progress bar shows how exhausted or close to expiry each batch is at a glance. Search by name or notes. Works for any process — black-and-white, C-41, ECN-2, or alternative. DARKROOM TIMER The built-in timer counts seconds with an audible metronome tick. Shake, toss, or tap to restart. The screen dims automatically during exposure. Set multiple timed steps per print — each step signals with a bell when complete. FILM DEVELOPMENT TIMER A separate timer for outside the darkroom — white digits, normal brightness. Use it for development, stop bath, or fixing. Same shake and knock controls. A bell rings every minute as a reminder. WASH TIMER Start a background wash timer directly from a print. When the time is up, you receive a notification — even if the app is closed. Perfect for fiber-base paper that requires extended washing. EQUIPMENT LIBRARY Build a reference library of enlargers, lenses, papers, developers, cameras, and film stocks. Browse by category and select equipment quickly when logging a session or a roll. BACKUP & RESTORE Export all your sessions, prints, film rolls, equipment, and chemistry batches as a single JSON file. Restore on any device at any time. SETTINGS Toggle the metronome on or off. Switch to a dark interface regardless of system appearance. No account required. No ads. No tracking. All data stays on your device.