Free course · 7 steps · An afternoon, plus drying overnight
Develop your first black and white roll
Develop a roll of black and white film at home and end up with clean, dry negatives.
For anyone who has shot a roll of black and white film. No darkroom needed: a changing bag and a kitchen will do.
What you need
- Developing tank and reels
- Changing bag or a fully dark room
- Developer, stop bath and fixer
- Measuring cylinders and a thermometer
- Clips to hang the film
Safety
Official hazard classifications for the chemicals this course uses. Read the chemicals pages for the details.
| Chemical | Hazards |
|---|---|
| MetolWarning | Harmful if swallowed.; May cause damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure.; May cause an allergic skin reaction.; Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects. |
| HydroquinoneDanger | Suspected of causing cancer.; Suspected of causing genetic defects.; Harmful if swallowed.; Causes serious eye damage.; May cause an allergic skin reaction.; Very toxic to aquatic life. |
| Acetic acidDanger | Flammable liquid and vapour.; Causes severe skin burns and eye damage. |
| Ammonium thiosulfate | Not classified as hazardous |
Classifications from the European Chemicals Agency (official EU classification where one exists, otherwise the one agreed by REACH registrants or most often notified). Read the safety data sheet that comes with your chemicals, and dispose of them in line with local regulations.
Dispose of used chemistry according to the manufacturer's safety data sheet and your local council and water company rules.
Steps
1Set up your kit and workspace
Home development needs only a few pieces of kit, but each one affects how consistent your results are. Timers, thermometers and measuring cylinders matter more than anything fancy.
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Gather your tank, reels, cylinders, thermometer, timer, clips and chemistry, and lay them out where you will work. If you use a changing bag, test it for light leaks with a roll you do not mind losing.
Checkpoint: You can now set out a processing kit and trust that your changing bag is light-tight.
2Load the film onto the reel in the dark
Loading film onto the reel in total darkness is where most beginners struggle, and a badly loaded roll develops unevenly. The knack comes from practising by feel before you use a real roll.
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Practise loading a spare roll in daylight until you can do it with your eyes closed. Then load your exposed film into the tank in the dark and fit the lid before any light comes on.
Checkpoint: You can now load a roll onto a reel by feel and seal it in the tank.
3Find your development time
The right development time depends on the combination of film and developer you are using. Published charts and the manufacturer datasheet give a sensible starting point.
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Look up your film and developer in the development times tool and write down the time and any notes it gives. Check it against the manufacturer datasheet if you have one.
Checkpoint: You can now look up a development time for your film and developer.
4Mix your chemistry
Developer and fixer need to be made up to the right strength and brought to working temperature before you start. A stop bath is optional, as water works for most developers, and temperature matters most for the developer.
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Use the dilution calculator to work out how much of each solution your tank needs, then mix them. Check each one with the thermometer and label the bottles. Wear gloves and work in a well-ventilated space, as some developing agents can irritate skin.
Checkpoint: You can now mix working solutions of developer and fixer for your tank, with a stop bath if you choose to use one.
5Develop, stop and fix
Development makes the image, the stop step halts it, and the fixer makes it permanent. The developer stage is the one you time most carefully, and consistent agitation keeps the result even.
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Work through the sequence below with the process timer, using your own development time from the earlier step in place of the example. Wear gloves and keep the room ventilated while you work. Once the film is fixed you can open the tank.
Ilford standard B&W sequence Step Time Temp Agitation Developer (Ilfotec DD-X 1+4, Delta 100 example) 12:00 20°C 4 inversions in first 10 s, then 4 inversions (10 s) at start of each minute; tap tank Stop bath (Ilfostop 1+19) 0:10 20°C Invert tank twice Fix (Ilford Rapid Fixer 1+4) 3:00 20°C As development Wash 5:00 20°C Running water 5-10 min, or Ilford method: fill & invert 5, 10, then 20 times From Ilford: Processing your first black & white film (information leaflet, Oct 2003). Run it step by step in the process timer.
Checkpoint: You can now take a loaded tank through developer, stop and fixer in the right order.
6Wash and dry
Washing removes the last of the chemistry, and careful drying keeps dust and marks off the film. Wet film is delicate and easily scratched, so wiping it needs great care.
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Wash the film as the guide describes, finishing with a final rinse that includes a wetting agent. Hang it in a dust-free place with a clip at each end, and leave it until it is completely dry.
Checkpoint: You can now wash and dry film without scratching it or leaving water marks.
7Check your negatives
A good negative has clear film between the frames and detail in both the shadows and the highlights. Most faults come from exposure, development or handling, and each leaves a recognisable mark.
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Hold your dry negatives up to the light and compare them with the guide. If anything looks wrong, such as streaks, fog or very thin or dense frames, use the fault finder to narrow down the cause.
Checkpoint: You have checked your first negatives and can tell a sound frame from one that needs a change next time.