How to Process Your Own 35mm B&W Reversal Film

Film tank and reel for developing 35mm black and white film

Processing - or developing - your own black-and-white film can be a rewarding task. Generally, processing your own film is less costly and faster than bringing your film to a commercial developer. Traditional 35mm black-and-white reversal film is the easiest type of film to process and is recommended for those who are learning to develop their own film. Before you begin, you will need to invest in some simple equipment and chemical solutions.

Things You'll Need

• Light-tight film processing tank and reel(s)
• Bottle opener
• 16-ounce measuring cup or graduate
• Darkroom thermometer
• 4 or more quart-size containers
• Clock or timer with second hand
• Film-developer solution
• Stop-bath solution or water
• Fixer solution
• Hypo-clearing agent

Instructions

1. Set up your equipment in the darkroom or film bag, making sure everything is completely lightproof. You will need the film tank with cover and reel, a bottle opener, scissors, and your film canister.

2. Remove the flat end of the film canister (in total darkness) with the bottle opener and unwind the film.

3. Load the film onto the reel according to the instructions. Usually this involves threading the film onto the reel and winding it on with a simple ratcheting motion. Use scissors to trim the end of the film off of the film spool.

4. Insert the reel into the tank and cover. It is now safe to work in the light as long as the cover is tight.

5. Control the temperature of the chemicals according to the package directions. Accuracy with the temperature is important for the best processing. Most manufacturers recommend a temperature of 68 to 70 degrees.

6. Pour developer into the pour spout of the film tank (do not remove the cover) and agitate the tank every minute by turning upside down, then tapping it several times against your work surface to remove any air bubbles. Allow to process for the time recommended on the packaging.

7. Empty the tank of the developer (either dispose or save for re-use) and add running water to the tank continuously for a minute to stop the processing.

8. Add fixer to the tank to allow the negatives to be seen in normal light. Agitate the tank with fixer for 30 seconds continuously, and then every 30 seconds after that for the recommend time on the packaging. This step should take five to 10 minutes.

9. Remove the fixer and run the tank under water continuously for another minute.

10. Add a hypo-clearing agent to remove any traces of the fixer and agitate for two minutes continuously. Empty the tank of the clearing agent and run under water for a final bath of five minutes.

11. Carefully remove the film from the tank and hang the strip of film in a clean, dust-free area. The film should be dry in one to two hours and will then be ready for you to make prints.

Tips & Warnings

• Practice loading the film in the daylight first to get a feel for the steps before doing it in the dark.

• Don't process important rolls of film your first few times, just in case anything goes wrong.

References

• Kodak Film Developing
• Black & White World