I plan to print contact sheets of all my negatives, am I mad?

[Santafecino]

You are doing the right thing. It's the best check on exposure and development. I do proofs of all my 35mm and 120 rolls. It should be done to a fixed formula--once you find out your correct exposure index and development time. (see the Zone VI Workshop) Then you can expose any number of proof sheets to a standard exposure to give a black film edge, put the sheets in a paper box, and develop them efficiently by time. I can do up to maybe 10 sheets at once, agitating by picking the bottom one out and putting it on top, then the next one . . . Make sure your fixer is fresh; you'll do a lot of paper. It's much the best way to judge your pictures.

 

[rsosa]

You may be different, but I'd rather create (big) prints in the darkroom than making proof sheets.

A film scanner and Lightroom is perfect for selecting frames to print. I can even experiment with the look that I envisioned before even going into the darkroom. So the (little) time I have in the darkroom can be spent making prints with a lot of ideas in my mind.

Who says that you can't have fun using both film and digital processes? 🙂

nice approach there 🙂

 

[Vics]

I confused. Does the OP have a bunch of 120 negs to proof, or does he have one-hundred twenty rolls of 35mm to do?
Either way, I'd say that you should first test with a blank piece of film (step wedge routine) to find what gives you D-max black on the paper. your proofs don't tell you much unless you do this step, write down the exposure for D-max, then always use that exposure for your contacts.
Then keep in mind that your trays of chemicals may exhaust before you're done. So... Shoot say 12 sheets before you mix the chemicals, keeping them somewhere light-tight. THEN mix a batch of chemicals and fill the trays and print however many you have exposed. Then get out of the darkroom. you will have breathed about all you should of those fumes for one day. Also, Tongs and rubber gloves for the wet part!