Film should be processed in complete darkness.
C-41 is a formula designed for color processing. As all commercial photo labs use the C-41 color process, film suppliers like Fuji, Kodak and Agfa created Black and White C-41 films to enable commercial labs to use the same process for both black-and-white and color films. Digital photography is, however, slowly taking over film processing, forcing many small labs to stop film processing altogether. If you still enjoy film photography, you might have to consider home processing.
Instructions
1. Follow the instructions included with your kit to mix the chemicals. Some kits come in powder form, others in liquid form, and each with its own specific instructions on how much water to add. Some kits contain separate bleach and fix chemicals, while others combine the two and call it "BLIX." The BLIX will come in two parts, which have to be mixed together.
Create 1 liter of each chemical solution using hot water (110 degrees Fahrenheit) and pour it into each of the one-liter bottles. Rinse the measuring jug thoroughly after every use.
2. Label the bottles as developer, bleach, fix and stabilizer with the permanent marker.
3. Fill the sink with hot water at about 102 degrees Fahrenheit. Immerse the developer, bleach and fix bottles in the water.
4. Open the developer bottle and put the thermometer in it to determine the temperature. Your target temperature is 102 degrees Fahrenheit. Leave the other bottles immersed in the water to keep warm.
5. Open the developing tank and remove the film reel. Put the tank in the film changing bag.
6. Pull out the film leader by using the film retriever. The film leader is the first two inches of the film that is used to feed it into the camera. Clip off the tapered bit (the first inch, which is a narrower strip than the rest of the film) using scissors and put only the film tip in the reel.
7. Put the reel and film in the changing bag, but do not lower it into the tank yet. Zip the changing bag and take care not to expose the film to light during the next few steps.
8. Set the timer to 3 minutes and 30 seconds.
9. Put your arms through the sleeves of the changing bag and load the film into the reel by feeding it until the end of the film is reached. Tug at the film to release it from its canister.
10. Slowly lower the reel into the developer. Close the tank lid tightly so no light reaches the film. Remove it from the changing bag.
11. Pour hot water through the spout into the developing tank and agitate for a minute to pre-soak your film. Pour the water out after a minute
12. Put the developing tank in the hot water to keep it at the right temperature, and pour the developer into the tank. The developer temperature should be 102 degrees Fahrenheit. Start the timer and gently agitate up, down and round every 30 seconds, until you reach 3 minutes 30 seconds.
13. Pour the developer back into the developer bottle, if you are planning to re-use the chemicals. One liter of chemicals can be used for 12 rolls of film.
14. Use the thermometer and add hot or cold water to the sink to get the bleach to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Pour the bleach into developing tank. Agitate for four to six minutes (refer to the kit's instructions for reference). Pour the bleach back into the bottle.
15. Fill the developing tank with warm running water for a minute while agitating to rinse the film of all bleach. Pour out the water.
16. Use the thermometer and add hot or cold water to the sink to get the fix to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Pour the fix into the developing tank. Agitate for four minutes. Pour the fix back into its bottle.
17.Remove the lid from the tank and rinse the film under warm running water for three minutes. As the images on the film are now "fixed," the film can be exposed to light.
18. Pour the stabilizer into the tank and agitate for 30 seconds. Let the film soak for another minute before pouring the stabilizer back into the bottle.
19. Remove the film from the tank and hang it to dry for an hour in a dust-free environment before using it to develop the prints.
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