Processing Black and White Photos

Materials:
A metal or plastic film tank w/ cover 

Three dark plastic containers to hold chemistry 

Graduates (used to measure chemicals) 

A darkroom timer 

A can opener 

A room that is totally light proof (not even the slightest sliver of light should be visible). 

Developer

film 

film cassette

       

Chemicals: 

Glacial Acetic Acid (optional, for Stop Bath) 

Fixer (Kodak Rapid Fixer with Hardener is highly recommended) 

Hypo Eliminator 

Process: 

1.In the dark room, take out the film from the cassette, and pull the flat end off the 35mm canister with the can opener. Peel off the tape that connects and unwind the film and remove the end of the film from the spool. 

2.Load the film onto the film reel. If using plastic,slide one end of the film into the slot on the outer edge of the reel and "walk" the film in until it is loaded. Metal uses a higher degree of dexterity, which might not be the best when you're standing in the dark trying to get your shots onto the reel.  

Following the instructions that come with the tank, practice loading a few times with a roll (that you're not gonna use for the real thing) in daylight so you can see and get kind of used to doing this in the dark. Once you feel competent in daylight, close your eyes and try it. 

The first roll you actually try to develop should not have important material on it, just in case things don't quite work out.

3.Put the loaded reel in the film tank and cover as directed. The film is now in a light tight container so you can turn the light on.   

4.Make sure the temperature of the chemicals are carefully controlled. Development time is affected by two things which is the speed of the film and the temperature of the developer.

Most film is processed between 65 and 75 degrees. Higher temperatures could lead to a net like look, which gives film a coarse, overly-grainy appearance. 
5.Pour developer into the open part of the sealed film tank and cover it. Don't open the tank itself. To keep fresh chemical on the film surface, the process of shaking is necessary throughout the process. To do so, turn the tank upside down once a minute. When it is upright again, tap it several times against your work surface to remove any air bubbles that might form on the film during agitation.
Develop film for the time recommended on the packaging. When done, take the lid off the tank's pour spout and pour it out.
6.Pour running water into the pour spout for one minute to stop development. Alternatively, mix a small amount of glacial Acetic Acid with water (a 1:30 ratio) and let the film sit in that for 30 seconds to wash off the developer. 
7.Fixing takes 5-10 minutes. Be sure to use a fixer with hardener, since that will help the negative from getting easily scratched. Even thought you should wait until everything is finished, you could inspect the negatives at the end of fixing time.
8.Remove the tank cover completely, since you don't have to worry about exposing the film to light, and let the film sit in cold running water for five minutes. Inspect it and make sure your negatives are there.
9.Now you need to remove all traces of the fixer to keep white stains appearing on the negatives. Pour in a tankful of Hypo Eliminator and shake for two minutes.
10.Wash for five minutes.
11.Carefully pull the film out of the tank. Don't touch the surface. Hang the film to dry using wash pins or film clips.
12.In about 1-2 hours, the film will be dry. Use scissors to cut (in the space between images) the film into 6 long strips. Store the negatives in clear glassine envelopes or PVC plastic negative pages.

Definitions:
    Contact sheet:   developed roll of negative print film
    Agittaion:    process of shaking or moving briskly
    Enlarger:    an apparatus used for making projection prints
    Developer:    a reducing agent or solution for developing a film or the like
    Stop bath:    an acid that or rinse for stopping the action of developer before fixing a negative or print
    Fixer:    fixative