Film processing

Photographic film is able to record images. In order to make these images visible, the film needs to undergo a number of chemical processes. The result of these processes will either be negatives or slides. This is generally known as developing. Different films need different processes. The process for black and white film is different from that for slide film. In general, the process involves the following steps:

• Making the image visible. The chemicals to do this are known as developer.
• Making the visible image fixed, so it changes no longer.

There are different kinds of films. The most common of these is film negative. With negative film, all colors are reversed. This is corrected in an additional step of making a print of each image.

So called reversal film, which is used for diapositives, directly produces positive images (which are framed to become a slide).

This whole process is known as film processing.

Film Processing Media

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  Black and white negative processing is the chemical means by which photographic film and paper is treated after photographic exposure to produce a negative or positive image. Photographic processing transforms the latent image into a visible image, makes this permanent and renders it insensitive to light.

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  A cut-away illustration of a typical light-trap tank used in small scale developing.