Most photographers at some point in time will process their own film at home. Processing film is all about time and temperature. If you have the right film, in the right chemical at the right temperature then it will be developed correctly. Processing black and white film at home is the easiest and usually the first place to start. Color film and slide film have a few more steps in the process and the chemicals used are more toxic, requiring additional safety measures.
Instructions
How to Process Film for the First Time
- 1
Remove the exposed film from its' canister. This has to done in complete darkness. Any exposure to light will "fog" the film and either render it unusable or at best ruin only a portion of the film. You can either use a changing bag or an interior room in your house that is 100 percent dark when the door is closed and light is off. Use a bottle opener of small pliers to remove the top of the film canister then remove the film, handling it only by the edges.
2Load film onto the reels. Once you have the film out of canister you have to load it on the reels. The film still cannot be exposed to light so this has to be done in complete darkness. This step is tricky and takes practice, if the film is not loaded correctly onto the reels and comes into contact with itself, the point where it is in contact will be ruined. Practice with test roll in normal light to get a sense of how the film loads onto these reels.
3Place the reels into the processing tank and replace lid. Once both reels are inside the tank, and the lid is on, it is safe to turn the lights on or remove the tank from the changing bag.
4Pour 20 ounces of the premixed photo developer in the tank using the light proof filling hole in the top of the lid. The developer should be mixed with water at 72 degrees. After all the developer is in the tank, agitate the film by rotating the tank a quarter turn as you hold it. Do this for 30 seconds, tap the tank on the table, and let the tank sit for 25 seconds. Agitate for five seconds, let sit for 25 seconds and repeat this process for the entire seven-minute developing time. At the end of seven minutes pour out and discard the developer.
5Pour 20 ounces of mixed stop bath in the tank, agitate for 30 seconds, pour out and discard.
6Pour 20 ounces of fixer solution you have pre-mixed into the tank and agitate for 15 seconds, and let sit for 45 seconds. The fixing process takes between four to eight minutes depending how fresh the solution is. Fixer can be reused; if you are using a fresh batch then allow the film to fix for four minutes, after which pour out and discard.
7Wash the film with fresh water. Now the film can be safely viewed in normal light. Remove the top and rinse the film in the tank by running water through the tank for five minutes. After rinsing add two drops of "photo flo" chemical, turning the reels to ensure equal coverage.
8Take the reels out of the tank, remove the film from the reels and using film clips hang the film for a minimum of two hours to dry.
9Cut the film into strips of five or six frames and insert into negative sleeves that protect the negatives when being viewed and stored.
Most photographers at some point in time will process their own film at home. Processing film is all about time and temperature. If you have the right film, in the right chemical at the right temperature then it will be developed correctly. Processing black and white film at home is the easiest and usually the first place to start. Color film and slide film have a few more steps in the process and the chemicals used are more toxic, requiring additional safety measures.
Instructions
How to Process Film for the First Time
- 1
Remove the exposed film from its' canister. This has to done in complete darkness. Any exposure to light will "fog" the film and either render it unusable or at best ruin only a portion of the film. You can either use a changing bag or an interior room in your house that is 100 percent dark when the door is closed and light is off. Use a bottle opener of small pliers to remove the top of the film canister then remove the film, handling it only by the edges.
2Load film onto the reels. Once you have the film out of canister you have to load it on the reels. The film still cannot be exposed to light so this has to be done in complete darkness. This step is tricky and takes practice, if the film is not loaded correctly onto the reels and comes into contact with itself, the point where it is in contact will be ruined. Practice with test roll in normal light to get a sense of how the film loads onto these reels.
3Place the reels into the processing tank and replace lid. Once both reels are inside the tank, and the lid is on, it is safe to turn the lights on or remove the tank from the changing bag.
4Pour 20 ounces of the premixed photo developer in the tank using the light proof filling hole in the top of the lid. The developer should be mixed with water at 72 degrees. After all the developer is in the tank, agitate the film by rotating the tank a quarter turn as you hold it. Do this for 30 seconds, tap the tank on the table, and let the tank sit for 25 seconds. Agitate for five seconds, let sit for 25 seconds and repeat this process for the entire seven-minute developing time. At the end of seven minutes pour out and discard the developer.
5Pour 20 ounces of mixed stop bath in the tank, agitate for 30 seconds, pour out and discard.
6Pour 20 ounces of fixer solution you have pre-mixed into the tank and agitate for 15 seconds, and let sit for 45 seconds. The fixing process takes between four to eight minutes depending how fresh the solution is. Fixer can be reused; if you are using a fresh batch then allow the film to fix for four minutes, after which pour out and discard.
7Wash the film with fresh water. Now the film can be safely viewed in normal light. Remove the top and rinse the film in the tank by running water through the tank for five minutes. After rinsing add two drops of "photo flo" chemical, turning the reels to ensure equal coverage.
8Take the reels out of the tank, remove the film from the reels and using film clips hang the film for a minimum of two hours to dry.
9Cut the film into strips of five or six frames and insert into negative sleeves that protect the negatives when being viewed and stored.
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