Wiki

Find answers to your questions

Developing your first BW film

Table of Contents

How to Develop Black and White Film at Home: A Complete Beginner's Guide

Developing black and white film at home is the most accessible entry point into home film processing. Compared to colour film, B&W is more forgiving with temperature, works with a wide range of affordable chemistry, and gives you a direct connection to your photographs from shoot to finished negative. This guide covers everything you need to develop your first roll at home.

↓ Download guide book

Why Start with Black and White?

Black and white development is the ideal starting point for anyone new to home film processing. The standard development temperature is 20 degrees C (68 degrees F), which is essentially room temperature. No heated water bath required, no constant temperature monitoring. The chemistry is simple: a developer, a stop bath, a fixer, and an optional wetting agent. And because B&W development has a much wider tolerance for small timing and temperature variations than C-41 colour processing, your first few rolls are far more likely to come out well.

The cost savings are also significant. A bottle of B&W developer like Rodinal costs a few euros and can develop dozens of rolls at high dilution. Fixer can be reused many times over. Once you have a tank and reels, the ongoing cost per roll is very low.

The AGO Film Processor automates agitation and timing for B&W development. Pour in your chemistry, press start, and AGO handles the rest, including active temperature compensation if your chemistry drifts slightly from 20 degrees C.

What You Need to Develop Black and White Film at Home

A B&W starter kit typically includes the essentials. Here is what you need and what is usually included:

Included in a standard starter kit

  • Film developing tank: holds your loaded reels and allows chemistry to be poured in and out in daylight once sealed.
  • Reels: for loading your film. Make sure they match your format: 35mm, 120, etc.
  • Changing bag: a light-tight bag for loading film onto the reel in complete darkness, without needing a dedicated darkroom.
  • Thermometer: for verifying your chemistry is at the correct temperature before development.
  • Film clips: for hanging the film to dry after processing.
  • Measuring cylinders: for accurately measuring and mixing chemistry.
  • B&W chemistry: developer, fixer, and wetting agent. Mix according to the manufacturer's instructions.
  • Storage bottle: for storing mixed fixer between sessions. Developer is typically one-shot and discarded after use.

Not included, worth having

  • Scissors: needed inside the changing bag to trim the 35mm film leader before loading onto the reel.
  • Timer: for tracking development time. Not needed if using the AGO Film Processor, which handles timing automatically.
  • Distilled water (optional): helpful if your local tap water is mineral-rich, to prevent drying spots on negatives.
  • AGO Film Processor (optional): automates agitation, timing, and temperature compensation throughout development.

Finding the Right Development Time for Your Film and Developer

Unlike C-41, black and white development times are not fixed. They vary depending on the film stock, the developer, and the dilution ratio. The best resource for this is Digital Truth's Massive Dev Chart, which lists development times for thousands of film and developer combinations.

Here is a practical example using one of the most popular combinations:

Film: Ilford HP5 Plus (ISO 400)  |  Developer: Adonal / Rodinal  |  Temperature: 20 degrees C

  • Dilution 1+25 = 6 minutes
  • Dilution 1+50 = 11 minutes

Choosing 1+25 for 6 minutes with one roll of 35mm in a Paterson tank, you need 290 ml of working solution. Here is how to calculate the concentrate:

290 ml ÷ 25 = 11.6 ml of developer concentrate
Mix 11.6 ml of concentrate with water at 20 degrees C to make 290 ml total.

Step-by-Step: How to Develop Black and White Film at Home

Step 1 Load the film in darkness

In a changing bag or darkroom, open your film canister and trim the leader into a straight edge with scissors. Load the film onto the reel and place it inside the developing tank. Seal it completely. Once sealed, the rest of the process is done in room light.

Step 2 Prepare your chemistry

Mix your developer at the correct dilution for your film and developer combination. Mix your fixer according to its instructions. Both should be at 20 degrees C (68 degrees F) before you begin. Check with your thermometer.

Step 3 Develop

Pour the developer into the tank and start your timer. Agitate continuously for the first 30 seconds, then 5-10 seconds every minute for the rest of the development time. When the timer is up, pour the developer out immediately.

Using AGO: attach the AGO Film Processor, pour in your developer, and press start. AGO agitates continuously and compensates for temperature drift in real time. If your developer runs slightly above or below 20 degrees C, AGO adjusts the time so your negatives still come out right.

Step 4 Stop bath

Pour in your stop bath (plain water works for B&W, though a dedicated stop bath solution is more reliable) and agitate for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Then pour it out.

Step 5 Fix

Pour in the fixer and agitate for the first 30 seconds, then 5 seconds every minute. Fixing time is typically 4-10 minutes depending on the brand. Pour the fixer back into its storage bottle for reuse when done.

Step 6 Wash

Rinse the film with running water for 5-10 minutes to remove any remaining chemistry. A hypo-clearing agent can significantly speed this up if you want to save water.

Step 7 Wetting agent Optional

Add a few drops of wetting agent (such as Kodak Photo-flo) to your final rinse water and soak for 1 minute. This reduces surface tension and helps the film dry without water spots. Discard the solution after use.

Step 8 Dry the film

Hang the film using clips in a clean, dust-free area. Attach a weighted clip at the bottom to keep it straight. Let it dry for 1-2 hours until completely dry before touching, cutting, or scanning.

Step 9 Scan or print

Once dry, scan your negatives to create digital files or take them to a darkroom to make silver gelatin prints. B&W negatives scan particularly well and respond beautifully to darkroom printing.

Step 10 Cut, sleeve, and store

Cut the dried film into strips of 4-6 frames and store in archival negative sleeves. Keep flat in a binder or box away from heat and humidity.

Agitation Methods for Black and White Development

Agitation keeps fresh chemistry in contact with the film emulsion and prevents uneven development. There are two main approaches:

Hand agitation (inversion):

Agitate continuously for the first 30 seconds, then perform 4 inversions every 30 seconds for the rest of the development time. One inversion means turning the tank fully upside down and back.

Rotary agitation (constant):

Motorised processors like the AGO Film Processor use continuous horizontal rotation. Because constant agitation is more active than intermittent inversions, reduce your development time by approximately 15% when switching to a rotary processor. A 10-minute hand development time becomes around 8.5 minutes with AGO.

Tips for Better B&W Results at Home

  • Use the Massive Dev Chart. Never guess development times. The combination of film stock, developer brand, dilution, and temperature all affect the correct time. The chart at digitaltruth.com covers thousands of combinations and is free to use.
  • Aim for 20 degrees C and keep it stable. B&W development is more forgiving than C-41, but consistent temperature still produces consistent results. Mix your chemistry ahead of time and let it stabilise at room temperature, or use a water bath.
  • B&W developer is usually one-shot. Mix a working solution, develop one roll, and discard. Fixer is different and can be reused many times. Track how many rolls your fixer has processed and test it regularly.
  • Test your chemistry before using it on a precious roll. Dip a small piece of unexposed film into the developer: it should turn black. Dip another piece into the fixer: it should become clear and transparent within a couple of minutes. If either fails, the chemistry has likely expired.
  • B&W chemistry has a long shelf life. Unmixed developer concentrate keeps for years. Mixed fixer stores well for months in a sealed bottle. Always minimise air in storage bottles to slow oxidation.
  • Practice loading in daylight first. Loading a reel in a changing bag is the most common stumbling block for beginners. Use an old, sacrificed roll to practice in full light before doing it for real in the dark.

Common B&W Development Problems and Fixes

Issue Likely Cause Fix
Thin, flat negatives Temperature too low, time too short, or exhausted developer Verify temperature, check timing, use fresh chemistry
Dense, blocked-up negatives Temperature too high or development time too long Check thermometer accuracy and reduce time or temperature
Streaks along the film Inconsistent or insufficient agitation Follow agitation pattern consistently; ensure tank is fully sealed
Milky or opaque areas Insufficient or exhausted fixer Re-fix in fresh fixer; track roll count for fixer reuse
Water spots or drying marks Skipped wetting agent or mineral-rich tap water Use a wetting agent in the final rinse; switch to distilled water
Uneven density across the frame Film touching itself on the reel during loading Practice loading in daylight with a sacrificed roll before using unexposed film

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to develop black and white film at home?

The chemistry steps take around 20-30 minutes depending on your developer and film combination. Add 10-15 minutes to mix and check temperatures, plus 1-2 hours for drying. Total time from start to finished dry negatives is typically around 2 hours.

Do I need a darkroom to develop black and white film at home?

No. You only need darkness for the 1-2 minutes it takes to load your film and seal the tank. A changing bag handles this completely and works anywhere. Once the tank is sealed, all chemistry steps are done in normal light.

What is the best developer for beginners?

Rodinal (also sold as Adonal) is one of the most popular choices for beginners. It has an extremely long shelf life as a concentrate, works with almost any B&W film, and is very easy to mix. Ilford ID-11 and Kodak D-76 are good alternatives if you prefer finer grain.

Is developing B&W film at home cheaper than a lab?

Yes, considerably. A 500 ml bottle of Rodinal costs around 10-15 euros and can develop 50 or more rolls at 1+50 dilution. Fixer is similarly inexpensive and reusable. Once you have a tank and reels, the cost per roll of B&W home development is typically under 1 euro.

Can I reuse B&W developer?

Most B&W developers are used as one-shot chemistry: mix a working solution, develop one roll, and discard. This gives the most consistent results. Fixer is different and can be reused for many rolls. Track how many rolls your fixer has processed and test it regularly.

What black and white films can I develop at home?

Any standard black and white film: Ilford HP5 Plus, Ilford Delta 400, Kodak Tri-X, Kodak T-Max, Fomapan, Kentmere, and many others. Note that chromogenic B&W films like Ilford XP2 Super use C-41 colour chemistry, not standard B&W developers.

What film formats can be developed at home?

All standard formats: 35mm, 120 medium format, 127, 110, 220, and large format sheet film. 35mm and 120 are the most common starting points, and most starter kits include reels for both.

Start Developing Your Own Black and White Film

Black and white development at home is genuinely approachable, even for a complete beginner. The chemistry is affordable, the temperature requirements are easy to meet at room temperature, and the process fits comfortably into an afternoon. Once you have done your first roll, the whole routine starts to feel natural very quickly.

Start with a popular film and developer combination, look up your time on the Massive Dev Chart, and follow the steps above. Within a couple of sessions you will have a reliable process and a growing archive of your own negatives developed entirely by hand.

Want to make it even easier?

The AGO Film Processor automates agitation and timing for B&W, C-41, E-6, ECN-2, and RA-4. It monitors temperature throughout development and compensates in real time so your negatives come out right even when conditions are not perfect. Process up to 8 rolls at once, with no manual inversions and no staring at a timer.

Learn more about AGO

Have questions about getting started or choosing chemistry? We are always happy to help.

Updated on 13 Feb 2026