1. Loading the Film

I will not go into the technicalities of developing B&W film but simply describe what you need to do to develop your film.

To load the tank you will need, your pair of scissors, your tank, can opener, film and a light proof room, closet or dark bag. I use a dark bag as I find it the best way for me to work. You may prefer working in a dark room or closet. Before trying to load film in darkness, it is great idea to practice loading your tanks film reels in the light with an old piece of film.

Take your tank, film, can opener and scissors into the darkroom, closet or bag. First open the film canister with the can opener (make sure the film is in total darkness before you open the canister). To open the canister pry off one side of it’s metal rings with the can opener. Then slide out the film spool from the canister.

Pry off canister's metal ring using your can opener

Carefully unwind the film and remove the taped end from the film spool. To load your reel, simply cut the film leader so that you have a straight edge. Some people like to round the edges to enable easier reel loading. Once you have done this you can load your film reel. In the dark you will need to feel for the two notches where the film is loaded. This is where your practice loading in the light is important. Different tanks have different reels so take your time and practice until you have mastered loading your film. As long as your reel is clean and perfectly dry the film should wind on quite easily. Keep winding until you get to the end of the film. Once you have loaded the film onto the reel you can place the reel into your tank and secure the ‘light tight’ lid on the tank. Now you can take the tank out of the dark bag, room or closet into the light.

2. Development

Using the chemicals that develop the film is a critical process and the slightest mistake can ruin your film. The temperature of your developer must be measured accurately if you want your images to come out OK. Follow the manufacturers instructions for mixing and using the proper chemicals for the film you are developing. One very important factor during the development process is maintaining the optimum chemical temperature as recommend by the manufacturer.

After you have mixed the chemicals and brought them to the recommend temperature pour the developer into the tank through the hole in the lid. Start your timer or make note of the correct time. Follow the directions for your developer for the amount of agitation needed. To agitate, gently turn your tank upside down and then right way up again. When I develop I do this continually for the first ten seconds and then four agitation’s every 30 seconds. Different films and developers may need different amounts of agitation. After each set of agitation’s it is a good idea to tap the bottom of your tank firmly help dislodge any air bubbles.

At the end of your development time, it is time to empty your tank of the developer. Remove the outer lid or ‘light tight’ cap and pour the chemicals into a sink ensuring to rinse down plenty of water.

3. Stop Bath

This step can be done in two ways. It can be done with just water or you can use a stop bath. When using water, I simply fill the tank with water, put on the outer lid and agitate for about two minutes. The alternative is to use a stop bath. Simply mix the chemical to the instructions on the bottle. I use an indicator stop bath. When it is good, it is yellow, but when the chemical is exhausted it turns purple. Pour the stop bath into the tank and agitate for about thirty seconds.

4. Fixing

Mix the chemical with water according to the manufacturers directions. Again with fixing, different films need different fixing times. Different fixers also need different fixing times. Read the instructions on your fixing chemical to acquire the correct time. Again simply pour the fixer into the tank, put on the lid and agitate as required. Once the film has been fixed it can be exposed to light. After the fixing time open the tank. If there is a milky residue on the film it has not fixed for long enough. Just add a few more minutes of fixing time.

5. Washing and Drying

Next you have to rinse the film in water. The best way to do this is remove the outer lid of your tank and sit the tank directly under the tap. Run the water into the tank and let it overflow. Let the water run softly and rinse for about ten minutes.

After you have rinsed the film you may wish to dip it in Photoflo or another wetting agent to help it dry and prevent drying marks. Photoflo is basically a fine grade detergent. Mix the Photoflo according to the instructions on the bottle and pour into the tank. Dip the reels up and down a few times and then empty the Photoflo.

Finally you can hang your film up to dry. Remove the film from the reel. Attach a paper clip or film clip to the end of the film and hang in a dust free area. I have a piece of string suspended to hang film from. I then usually attach a film clip to the other end to weight the film and prevent it from curling.

It takes a few hours for the film to dry, unless you are lucky enough to have a film dryer. Once it is dry you can cut it in to shorter strips and place in a negative file to protect it from damage.