What term describes the density measurement of a film, specifically the degree of blackening on the film?

• A. Density
• B. Contrast
• C. Fog
• D. Brightness

Answer: (A)

The main idea is how dark the film appears, which is described by density. Density measures the amount of blackening on the film—the more exposure and development the film receives, the more silver deposits form and the darker the image becomes. Higher density means the film is darker and less light can pass through. This is distinct from contrast, which is about the range of densities (the difference between light and dark areas) rather than the overall darkness. Fog would be an unwanted, uniform darkening that degrades image quality, while brightness refers to how the image is displayed rather than the film’s inherent darkness.