What does an overdeveloped image look like?

• A. Dark image, dark background, dark edges
• B. Pale image, pale background, translucent edges
• C. Dark image, light background, sharp edges
• D. Clear image, dark background, bright edges

Answer: (A)

Overdevelopment makes the film too dark because too much metallic silver is formed in the exposed areas during development. This increases the overall density, so the whole image becomes very dark, the background appears dark, and even the edges can look dark. That’s why the description of a dark image with a dark background and dark edges matches overdevelopment. If the film were underdeveloped, you’d expect a pale image and pale background with faint or translucent edges, which is why that option doesn’t fit.