How to Develop Black & White Slide Film

Load Film into Developing Tank

1). Turn the light off in your dark room. Pop the cap off the flat end of the film canister using a bottle opener. Remove the film from the canister.
2). Trim off the narrow end of the film so that the film is square.
3). Slide the film into the opening of the plastic reel, making it lock under the reel's stainless steel balls. Move the reels back and forth to bring the film onto the reel.
4). Cut the tape at the end of the film and wind the rest of the film onto the reel. Some films don't have tape at the end of the roll, and you can just hook the film onto the reel.
5). Put the reel into the tank. Certain plastic reels require that you put them into a plastic spindle before you put it in the tank. Put both lids on the tank. Turn on the lights.

1). Agitate the film and developer. A standard agitation cycle consists of five second of agitation (turning the tank upside down and then right-side up) following by rest times, but consult the film and developer directions for specifics. Agitation directions vary by film and developer.
2). Rinse the film with a stop bath. You can use plain water, as long as it's within five degrees Fahrenheit of the developer's temperature. Fill the tank with the water, slosh it around, then drain. Do this twice.
3). Pour fixer into the tank. The fixer should be within five degrees Fahrenheit of the developer. Agitate with 10 inversions. Then agitate with inversions for 10 seconds of every minute. Consult the fixer's directions for specifics regarding how long the film needs to be fixed for. You can save fixer, just make sure to dispose of it after you've reached the maximum number of rolls of film it's good for.
4). Remove the lids from the tank. Set the tank under a faucet, making sure that the water is within five degrees Fahrenheit of the developer. Rinse for one minute, then dump the water from the tank.
5). Mix the washing aid following the directions on the bottle. Fill the tank with the aid and lift and turn the film continually for as long as the washing aid's directions say. Drain the tank and then let it wash for five minutes under the faucet and a steady stream of water. Immerse the film in the wetting agent and agitate following the directions.