Ilford Dev Tray 5x7 inch Grey

Ilford Dev Tray 5x7 inch Grey | A dedicated tray for darkroom printing

Keeping a darkroom print moving through its processing stages is awkward if there’s no tray set aside for developer. The Ilford Dev Tray 5x7 inch Grey is a straightforward piece of darkroom equipment for that job: a development tray in a grey finish, sized 5x7 inches. It suits photographers who print in a traditional darkroom and want a tray designated for the developer stage. Its stated size is useful when you’re planning how much room your setup has; just make sure it suits the space you intend to use. There’s no elaborate pitch here—the appeal is having a clearly named tray for one part of the print process. If you’re putting together a darkroom station, it gives you a place to start organising the wet stages of your workflow.

Using a development tray

In a tray-based print workflow, photographic paper is handled through successive processing stages. Keeping each stage organised helps you work in a steady order: decide where the developer will sit, then arrange the rest of your process around it. This tray is specifically named for development, so it makes sense as the tray you assign to that step rather than treating every tray on the bench as interchangeable. That’s a simple habit, but it can make a busy workspace easier to follow.

Before setting up, think about the working area as well as the tray itself. You’ll want room to handle paper and move it through your process without crowding the bench. A compact tray can be useful where space is limited, though the stated dimensions are the detail to plan around—not a promise about the size of prints it will hold. For repeatable work, keep your own process consistent and use clear labels if you have several trays in use. The grey colour identifies this version; the practical decision is whether its size and role suit your darkroom arrangement.

Technical Specifications

• Product: Ilford Dev Tray
• Size: 5x7 inch
• Colour: Grey