New To Processing Film?

If you are new to processing film, there are a few things you need to get in order to process your own film. You need a daylight film developing tank and reel. They come in plastic and stainless. I prefer the stainless. To get your film out of the cassette, you will need a film cassette opener. You will also need fixer. I use Ilford Rapid Fixer. You don't need a lot, 500 ml or a liter will do you for a while. These products may be purchased at B&H, Adorama and other photo supply stores.

Now that you have your supplies, here is what to do next. You need a 100% dark room or closet. Sit or stand inside your dark room for a few minutes (letting your eyes adjust) and make sure you can't see any light around the sides and under the door. Any light leaks can fog your film. You may have to wait until after dark.

Once you've secured a dark room, grab your film, tank, reel, opener and some scissors. With the lights on, place all these items where you can easily find them in the dark. Now, turn off the lights. If your room has fluorescent lighting, be sure to wait for the bulbs to cool down all the way. They still give off some light after turning off. In total darkness, open the film cassette and pull out the spool. With your scissors, cut off the film leader. Now you are ready to roll the film onto the reel. See manufacturer instructions for how to roll the film. Be sure there are no buckles in the film It should roll on smoothly. This may take some practice. Once you have your film on the reel, place it in the developing tank and put the lid on. At this point, you can turn on the lights. The small cap on the lid of the developing tank is where you will pour your chemicals. It allows liquids in and keeps light out. Do not remove the entire lid until after you have completed the fixing process. Don't forget to save your fixer. You can reuse it. Do not pour used fixer into your original bottle. Keep a separate container to store used fixer.

Now you're ready to move on to processing your film.