Developing black and white film at home is one of the most rewarding skills in analogue photography. It's simpler than you might think, gives you complete control over your negatives, and costs a fraction of lab processing once you're set up.
This guide covers everything you need to get started—from equipment to chemistry to the step-by-step process.
Active time: 30-45 minutes Total time: 2-3 hours (including drying)
What You'll Need
Before your first roll, gather these essentials:
- Developing tank and reels
Paterson or AP tanks are the standard. A two-reel tank lets you process two 35mm rolls or one 120 roll at once.
- Changing bag or darkroom
You need complete darkness to load film onto reels. A changing bag is portable and affordable.
- Thermometer
Development is temperature-sensitive. A digital thermometer accurate to 0.5°C is ideal.
- Measuring cylinders
At least two: one for developer, one for fixer. 600ml or 1L sizes work well.
- Developer
See chemistry section below for recommendations.
- Fixer
Ilford Rapid Fixer or Kodak Fixer are reliable choices. One bottle lasts many rolls.
- Stop bath
Water works fine for most developers. Dedicated stop bath (like Ilfostop) is faster and extends fixer life.
- Wetting agent
A few drops of Ilfotol or Photo-Flo in the final rinse prevents water spots.
- Film clips or pegs
For hanging film to dry. Weighted clips at the bottom prevent curling.
- Timer
Your phone works, or use Silverlog's Development Timer for agitation reminders.
Working Safely
Black and white chemistry is manageable at home, but it is not harmless. Read the safety data sheet (SDS) for each product you buy, and follow it over anything written here.
Protect your skin, eyes and lungs
- Wear protective gloves and eye protection whenever you mix or pour. Ilford's fixer SDS advises protective clothing, gloves and eye and face protection, and a university darkroom fact sheet gives the same advice for all darkroom chemicals.
- Ventilate. Powders and concentrates give off dust or vapour, and Ilford's fixer SDS says to provide adequate ventilation and not to handle the product in a confined space without it. Mix powders gently, and open a window or work near an extractor.
- Know the ingredients. Some developers contain the developing agents metol or hydroquinone. Metol is classified under the EU/UK harmonised system (CLP) as a skin sensitiser (H317), harmful if swallowed (H302) and a risk of organ damage from repeated exposure (H373). Hydroquinone is classified as a skin sensitiser (H317), serious eye damage (H318), harmful if swallowed (H302), suspected of causing genetic defects (H341) and suspected of causing cancer (H351). A sensitiser can cause an allergic skin reaction that gets worse with repeat contact, so keep it off your skin. Check your developer's SDS to see whether it contains either.
- Treat concentrated acid with respect. Pure (glacial) acetic acid is classed as flammable and as causing severe skin burns and eye damage (H226, H314). Stop bath is far more dilute, but a concentrate may not be: read the label before you open the bottle.
- Fixer irritates too. Ilford's Rapid Fixer SDS classifies it as causing skin and eye irritation (H315, H319), and says to avoid contact with skin and eyes.
The classifications above are for the pure substances and for one fixer. Your products may be classified differently. The SDS for the exact product, from the manufacturer or retailer, is the reference.
In the kitchen
- Never eat, drink or smoke while you work. Ilford's fixer SDS says so, as does a university darkroom fact sheet, which also says to wash your hands before doing any of those.
- Never store chemicals in food or drink containers. The same fact sheet advises against using commonly used beverage containers.
- Keep chemicals out of reach of children. Ilford's fixer label statements include "Keep out of reach of children".
Disposal
Used fixer is the one to be careful with, because it holds dissolved silver from the film. Kodak says that fixer, bleach-fix, stabiliser and wash waters are silver-bearing, and that anyone discharging them to the sewer will almost certainly need to recover the silver to stay within the discharge limits set by the local authority. As an example of scale, Ilford's data sheet for one processor's fixer waste lists typically 3 to 6 g/l of silver.
There is no single UK rule for home darkrooms, so:
- Do not simply pour used fixer down the drain or onto the ground. Ilford's fixer SDS says to consult your local authority before discharging any waste to sewer, not to discharge to a septic system, and that waste which cannot go to sewer may need a licensed hazardous waste contractor. Photographic retailer Parallax says drain disposal should always be a last resort.
- Ask first. Check with your local council's waste service and your water company about what they accept from a home darkroom.
Choosing Your Chemistry
For beginners, I recommend starting with one of these developers:
Kodak HC-110
The most forgiving developer for beginners. It's a highly concentrated liquid that keeps well in practice (Kodak states no shelf life for the concentrate, but gives 6 months for a 1+3 stock solution in a full, tightly closed bottle). Dilution B (1+31) is the standard starting point.
Why it's great for beginners:
- Nearly impossible to exhaust mid-roll
- Consistent results across many films
- Concentrate keeps well, and one-shot use means no working solution to store
- Forgiving of minor temperature and time variations
Rodinal (R09, Adonal)
The oldest photographic developer still in production (since 1891). Creates distinctive, sharp results with visible grain structure. Use at 1+50 for standard development.
Why it's great for beginners:
- Concentrate is long-lasting in practice (ADOX gives no shelf-life figure)
- One-shot use means consistent results
- Works with almost any black and white film
- Economical—a little goes a long way
Ilford DD-X
A modern, fine-grain developer that's particularly good with Ilford and Kodak films. More expensive per roll but produces excellent results with minimal effort.
Why it's great for beginners:
- Excellent push processing capability
- Very fine grain
- Clear, comprehensive data from Ilford
Pick one developer and stick with it for your first 10+ rolls. Learning one developer well is more valuable than experimenting with many.
The Development Process
Here's the complete process from exposed roll to finished negatives.
Step 1: Prepare Your Chemistry
Mix your chemicals to the correct dilution and bring them to 20°C (68°F). This is the standard temperature for most black and white development.
Use the Dilution Calculator to work out exact quantities.
For a standard Paterson tank you'll need roughly 300ml of each solution for one 35mm roll, or about 500ml for two 35mm rolls or one 120 roll (check the volumes printed on your tank):
- Developer at working dilution
- Stop bath (or water)
- Fixer at working dilution
- Water for washing
Temperature matters most for the developer. Stop and fix can be within a few degrees. Use a water bath to maintain temperature if your room is cold.
Step 2: Load the Film
This step must be done in complete darkness—either in a darkroom or inside a changing bag.
Open your film canister. For 35mm, use a bottle opener to pop off the end cap. For 120, simply unroll.
Cut the 35mm leader straight across (the shaped tongue makes loading harder).
Feed the film onto the reel, using the ratchet mechanism on Paterson reels. Work slowly and don't force it—if it jams, back up and try again.
Once fully loaded, place the reel in the tank and secure the lid. You can now turn on the lights.
Practice loading with a sacrificial roll of film in daylight until you can do it by feel. Loading problems in the dark are the most common beginner frustration.
Step 3: Develop
Now the actual chemistry begins. Look up your development time using the Development Time Lookup or check the manufacturer's datasheet.
Start your timer. Pour in the developer quickly but smoothly.
Tap the tank firmly on the counter 2-3 times to dislodge air bubbles.
Agitate to start, then at regular intervals, following the instructions for your developer. Makers' schemes differ (see below).
Keep to the same pattern for every roll. Consistency matters more than the exact pattern.
At 10 seconds before the end, begin pouring out the developer.
Makers' schemes differ. There is no single correct pattern, and the development times a maker prints assume that maker's own scheme:
- Ilford (Processing your first black and white film, 2003): turn the tank upside down four times in the first 10 seconds, then again four times at the start of every further minute, tapping the tank on the bench after each inversion. The diagram above shows this scheme.
- Kodak (Developer D-76, J-78, December 2017): five inversion cycles in the first 5 seconds (five to seven for T-Max films), then leave the tank still for the rest of the first 30 seconds. After that, agitate for 5 seconds at every 30-second interval, with 2 to 5 cycles each time depending on the contrast you want. Kodak's roll-film tables are written for 30-second intervals, and its large-tank times for 1-minute intervals.
They give different results, so follow the instructions that come with your developer and film, and do not mix schemes between rolls.
Agitation controls contrast. More agitation = more contrast. Less agitation = lower contrast. Start with standard agitation and adjust once you understand your preferences.
Step 4: Stop
The stop bath halts development immediately.
Pour in stop bath (or water) immediately after draining developer.
Agitate continuously for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Pour out. If using water, you can repeat 2-3 times.
Step 5: Fix
The fixer removes undeveloped silver halides, making your negatives light-safe and stable.
Pour in fixer and start timing. Most rapid fixers take 3-5 minutes.
Agitate for the first 30 seconds, then occasionally throughout.
After fixing, you can open the tank to check your negatives—they're now light-safe.
Test your fixer regularly. Cut a small piece from the film leader and drop it in fixer—note how long it takes to clear (become transparent). Your fixing time should be double the clearing time. When the clearing time has doubled compared with fresh fixer, replace it.
Step 6: Wash
Washing removes all remaining chemicals from the film. Washing temperature isn't as critical as development temperature — within a few degrees of your other chemistry is fine. Avoid extreme temperature changes that could shock the emulsion.
The Ilford method is efficient and uses less water:
Fill the tank with water at approximately 20°C.
Invert 5 times, then empty.
Fill again, invert 10 times, empty.
Fill again, invert 20 times, empty.
Final rinse with a few drops of wetting agent. Let it sit for 30 seconds without agitation.
Step 7: Dry
Gently remove the film from the reel.
Hang in a dust-free area with a clip at each end. The bottom clip adds weight to prevent curling.
Let dry completely—usually 2-4 hours depending on humidity. Don't rush this.
Be very careful wiping negatives. Squeegees can scratch wet emulsion if used with too much pressure or if there's grit present. Many photographers prefer to let film drip dry naturally with wetting agent instead.
Troubleshooting Common Problems
Blank or nearly blank negatives
- Cause: Severe underexposure or underdevelopment
- Fix: Check your meter, check your development time, ensure developer isn't exhausted
Very dense (dark) negatives
- Cause: Overexposure or overdevelopment
- Fix: Reduce exposure or development time
Uneven development or streaks
- Cause: Insufficient agitation, air bubbles, or loading problems
- Fix: Ensure consistent agitation pattern, tap tank firmly after pouring chemicals
Clear patches or half-frame exposures
- Cause: Film loading problems—film wasn't fully on the reel
- Fix: Practice loading until you can feel when the film is secure
Water spots or marks
- Cause: Hard water minerals or insufficient wetting agent
- Fix: Use distilled water for final rinse, ensure proper wetting agent dilution
Scratches along the length of the film
- Cause: Usually from forcing film through tight reel guides
- Fix: Ensure reels are completely dry before loading, don't force the film
What Success Looks Like
Good results:
- Clear film base between frames, with no fog or haze
- Visible image detail in both shadows and highlights
- No excessive grain clumping or uneven density
- Smooth tonal transitions across the frame
Signs of problems:
- Completely clear film (not just thin) — indicates the film was not developed, possibly due to exhausted developer or severely underexposed film
- Completely black film — indicates severe overexposure or light fog (check your changing bag for leaks)
- Uneven density or streaks — indicates agitation problems or air bubbles
- Water marks or spots — indicates insufficient wetting agent or hard water minerals
If you encounter issues, see our development troubleshooting guide.
Next Steps
Once you're comfortable with standard development, explore:
- Stand Development — minimal agitation for unique tonal qualities
Film Recommendations for Beginners
These films are forgiving, widely available, and well-documented:
HP5 Plus is the classic learning film—it handles exposure errors gracefully and works well in virtually any developer.
Tri-X has been the world standard for photojournalism for decades. Slightly more contrast than HP5, with a distinctive look.
Budget-friendly option from the Czech Republic. Results are slightly less refined but it's excellent for practicing without worrying about cost.
Sources
- Processing your first black & white film (Ilford information leaflet, October 2003), Ilford Photo / Harman technology
- KODAK Developer D-76 (J-78, December 2017), Kodak Alaris
- HP5 Plus technical information, Ilford/Harman
- HC-110 Developer technical data (J-24), Kodak Alaris
- TRI-X 320 and 400 Films technical data (F-4017), Kodak Alaris
- Rodinal instructions for use, Agfa / a&o imaging solutions
- Ilfotec DD-X technical information, Ilford/Harman
- Ilford Rapid Fixer safety data sheet, revision 2 (20 June 2017), Ilford Photo / Harman technology (via University of Waterloo)
- Photographic Darkrooms fact sheet (updated 28 March 2024), Clemson University Occupational and Environmental Safety
- Silver in photographic waste: EHS FAQs, Kodak Alaris
- ILFOLAB 2150RC effluent data, Ilford (2017)
- How to dispose of film developing chemicals, Parallax Photographic Coop