How to Develop Film at Home in 12 Steps

Film photography is the art of taking photographs on thin, transparent strips of plastic we call film. One side of the film strip is coated with a gelatin emulsion that contains small silver halide crystals, which determine the contrast and resolution of a photograph.

Silver halide crystals are light-sensitive. The more light they’re exposed to, the brighter and less detailed the photograph will be. When a film camera takes a picture, the camera lens briefly exposes the film strip to an image that’s being magnified through the lens. This exposure burns an imprint into the emulsion and creates what’s called a latent image. Once captured, that latent image can be developed into a negative, which can, in turn, be projected onto light-sensitive photo paper to create a photograph.

Once you have a roll of 35mm film ready to go, you'll need some basic tools and chemicals to start your film processing journey. For beginners, start by learning the black and white film developing process, since color film developing is more complex and requires additional bleach chemicals. To begin, gather your equipment and materials. You can find these black and white film developing essentials at a specialty photography shop or online.

1. 1. Developing tank: This tank is a light-tight container where you’ll place your film and chemicals during the developing process.
2. 2. Film reels: Film reels hold your film so that the chemicals in the developing tank can touch every part of the film's surface. Plastic film reels are ideal for beginners because they're easier to load than metal reels.
3. 3. Changing bag: Without a proper darkroom, you'll need a changing bag to transfer your film from its canister to the developing tank without exposing it to light.
4. 4. Chemicals: You'll need three chemicals: developer, stop bath, and fixer, all of which you can buy in liquid or powdered forms. You may also want an optional wetting agent to prevent water marks from forming on your film as it dries.
5. 5. Measuring vessels: Have two or more measuring vessels—such as beakers or graduated cylinders—to measure and mix your chemicals. It's helpful to have one larger vessel and one smaller vessel to cover all your needs.
6. 6. Storage bottles: These hold any leftover chemicals for future use. For relatively cheap, you can purchase opaque plastic bottles specifically made for storing photography chemicals. Always make sure to label your bottles so you know what chemical is inside.
7. 7. Thermometer: You’ll need a basic thermometer to measure liquid temperatures.
8. 8. Scissors: Scissors are necessary for cutting your film.
9. 9. Clothespins or film clips: Use them to secure your film negatives as they dry.
10. 10. Bottle opener: Though you can use your fingers, a bottle opener makes it easier to open film canisters and remove rolls of film.
11. 11. Distilled water: Distilled water is only necessary if your tap water has high mineral levels, which can leave spots on your negatives.

Developing film at home requires precision and practice, but if you follow the right steps, you’ll find the process rewarding.

1. 1. Place equipment into the changing bag. Put your film canister, bottle opener, scissors, and developing tank into your changing bag and zip it up so you can open your film canister in complete darkness.
2. 2. Open your film canister. Use your bottle opener to pry the lid off the film canister. Remove the film, only touching the edges. Then, cut off the film leader—the extra film at the beginning of the film roll.
3. 3. Feed the film into your reel. Locate the reel's entry point by feeling for the two nubs on the reel, and slide the film a few inches into the reel. Then, twist the sides of the reel back and forth to pull the rest of the film into the reel. Once all the film is in the reel, use your scissors to cut off the spool hanging at the end of your film roll and twist the sides of the reel a few more times to pull the end inside.
4. 4. Load the film reel into the developing tank. Place the reel into the tank so its center hole slides around the post sticking up from the bottom of the tank. Put the funnel cap on top of the tank and twist until it clicks into place, forming a light-tight seal. With the tank secured, you can now remove it from the changing bag.
5. 5. Mix your chemicals. Use your measuring vessels to separately dilute your developer, fixer, and stop bath with the proper amount of water according to the instructions provided. Use your thermometer to make sure your water is at the specified temperature (68°F is typical) and heat or cool the water if necessary. Tap water is sufficient if your water has a very low mineral content, but use distilled water to guarantee your negatives won't have mineral spots.
6. 6. Pour your developer into the tank. After pouring, immediately tap the bottom of the tank on the sink bottom a few times to eliminate air bubbles that may have formed around the film. Next, gently agitate the tank for 30 seconds and perform one inversion (turning your tank upside down for 10 seconds and then returning it to right-side up) every minute until the development time listed on the instructions has elapsed. Pour your developer out of the tank, either down the drain or, if it's a reusable developer, into a bottle.
7. 7. Pour your stop bath into the tank. After pouring, agitate for 30 seconds and let sit for an additional 30 seconds before pouring out of the tank. The purpose of the stop bath is to cancel the effects of your developer.
8. 8. Pour your fixer into the tank. After pouring, agitate for 30 seconds and perform an inversion every minute until five minutes have elapsed. Pour your fixer out of the tank and into a bottle (you can generally reuse fixer three times). Your film is now developed.
9. 9. Wash your film with tap water. There's no need to use distilled water anymore, so run tap water through your developing tank for approximately five minutes. To prevent water spots from forming while your negatives are drying, try pouring a wetting agent into the tank for about 30 seconds (after you've poured out the tap water).
10. 10. Remove the film from the developing tank. Open the tank and gently pull the film off its reel. If any excess water remains on the film negatives, use a sponge or a specialized film squeegee to very carefully absorb the water.
11. 11. Hang your film negatives up to dry. Choose a dust-free environment and hang your negatives up to dry with a piece of string, shower curtain rings, or clothing hangers. Secure the negatives using clothes pins or film clips, and clip a small weighted object to the bottom of each negative to prevent curling. It will take a few hours for your negatives to fully dry.
12. 12. Scan and print your photos. Once you have your dry strip of film negatives, cut it into smaller strips of five photos each. You can either purchase your own film scanner to obtain the raw files of your photos, or you can take your negatives to a photo lab to have them scanned for you. With either option, you then have the ability to digitally edit your photos on your computer and print out hard copies to display your finished product.

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