Film Development Procedures

Film Development Procedures There are two major stages of film development. First, the film must be transferred from its original roll to a reel in a development tank. The chemicals must then be applied in a specific order for specific lengths of time. Transferring the Film 1. Organize the Equipment. The transfer process must be done in complete darkness. Therefore it is necessary to have all of your equipment out and in front of you before you turn off the lights. You will need the following equipment to transfer the film to a development tank: your exposed film, a development tank with lid (unattached), a film reel, scissors, and a can opener. 2. Turn the Lights Off. (Lock the door first.) 3. Open the Roll of Film. Use the can opener to remove one of the metal rings off the end of the roll of film. Remove the spool of film from the metal casing while making sure that the film does not unwind. 4. Transfer the Film to the Reel. Insert the end of the film into the slot on the plastic reel. The slot is indicated by slightly protruding, triangular points on the inner rim of the reel. Use a twisting action to slowly roll the film onto the reel. When the spool end of the film is reached, use the scissors to trim off the spool from the film. 5. Insert Reel into Tank. Insert the centering post into the reel and place them inside the tank. The flange sits on the bottom of the tank. Securely lock the lid onto the tank. 6. Turn the Lights On. Unlock the door. Preparing and Applying the Chemicals 1. Mix the Chemicals. You will need four different chemicals to develop your film: Film Developer, Stop Bath, Fixer, and Alum Hardener. Use the three separate measuring pitchers which are marked to indicate the intended chemical. A small quantity of the Alum Hardener will be added to the fixer, and therefore does not require a separate pitcher. The ratios of the mixtures can be found on the boxes of the respective chemicals. Film Developer. Mix in a 1:9 ratio with water. For example, if you are making one liter of film developer, add 100 mL of film developer to the pitcher and fill to the 1L mark with water. Be sure to stir the mixture. Rinse the stirring rod before stirring the other chemicals. Stop Bath. Mix in a 1:9 ratio with water. Stir. Fixer. Mix in a 2:8 ratio with water. Add 30 mL of Alum Hardener. Stir. 2. Add the Chemicals. Place the tank in a tray to minimize spillage. For each of the chemicals, pour the chemical into the tank until the tank is completely full. Agitate using a circular motion for the appropriate amount of time and then pour out the chemical. All chemicals get poured out into the sink except the spent fixer which should be poured into the designated container for disposal. Film Developer Time: Read from temperature chart on the wall in the darkroom. Agitation: 1 minute, then 5 seconds every 30 seconds. Stop Bath Time: 1 minute. Agitation: 1 minute. Fixer Time: 3 minutes. Agitation: 30 second intervals. Water Time: 30 seconds for each tank full. Do several washes for a total of 10-15 minutes. Agitation: 30 seconds. 3. Remove the Film from the Reel. Take the lid off the tank, remove the reel, and carefully unroll your developed film. Clip the film strip to the drying line. Be sure to add a name label to the film. 4. Clean Up. Rinse all of the measuring equipment, tank parts, and reel. Wipe the counter. Return all of the equipment to their proper places.