How to Develop Color Negatives - Chat 'n Learn

I develop all my BW rolls at home and love doing that but had never tried C41 color negative development. Part of the reason was I never shot enough color to seriously try C41 at home and the other big reason - availability of an excellent local color lab who I like to support.

I was getting into more color and casually mentioned it to my tweep Dev Samaddar aka +Debashish Samaddar at dsamaddar.com who promised it wasn't a big deal and that I should give it a shot.

Now me being the lazy me, I am always looking for shortcuts and asked Dev for a cheat sheet. We ended up discussing the entire process over chat and I thought it was fascinating read for a newbie like me.

I am posting the chat transcript that has all the golden tidbits of C41 dev at home. Probably not for the experienced, but nice intro for beginners like me. As you can see my contributions are limited to Ok, Cool and Yes but at the end Dev made the recipe seem simple to execute.

It is a little informal but we did not script this, just a free-wheeling conversation. It inspired me to test C41 dev myself. Will you?

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Since the time I wrote this, I realized many may not have time or want to read through the entire transcript. Here is the essence of the C41 recipe as explained by Dev below. The full transcript follows with additional clarifications for some steps.

C41 Color Dev

Formula: Freestyle Photo Unicolor Powder Kit

Supplies:

1. 3x 1L bottles to hold chemistry
2. 1x 1L Beaker to mix volume in at start
3. 1x Erlenmeyer Flask or Glass Beaker to measure and heat chems

Basic Steps:

1. Develop
2. Blix
3. Stabilize

For a total time of 15mins to hang negs to dry

Workflow:

Starting with film in tank and ready to go..

Dev

1.  Measure 500 ml developer in beaker. Starting temp is 72ºF, room temp
2. Microwave at high in a 1500watt m/w oven for about 65 seconds (Your ambient temperature and microwave wattage may be different so try heating 500ml of room  temperate water to bring it up to 102°F first. Do some trial and error and you'll know how long to do it).
3. This takes the temp to between 102ºF to 103ºF - developer has to be at 102ºF
4.  Pour this in while using the swirling stick to agitate, and start the timer on the microwave for 3:30
5.  Initial agitation for 10s, then put the lid on tank and do 4 inversions every 30s
6.  E.g. do 4 quick inversions at 3, 2:30, 2, 1:30, 1, 0:30
7.  Some people drain it at 0:00, I do another 4 inversions at 0 and then drain
8.  You have to use the gaps between inversions to do the housekeeping - get the funnel ready to  pour the developer back in its bottle
9. Rinse the beaker, pour out blix and and microwave the blix for the same amount of time.
10. When the dev step is done, you have a beaker of blix at the right temp READY to be poured blix has a temp range 95ºF to 102ºF (Microwave blix for the same time as dev)
11. The Blix gets hot and stays a little while I am doing the dev imversions, but it stays in the range and cools a little

Blix

1. Now pour blix in, and agitate for 10 seconds
2.  Once again microwave timer is set, but this time you need 6:30
3.  Do the same inversions, 4 every 30 seconds so 4 at 6:00. 4 at 5:30 and so on...
4.  At 0:00 pour blix back into bottle - this step is exothermic, tank gets hot and emits gases, so you'll have to let it out at some point
5.  After blix, pour blix back in bottle, open up the tank and rinse under water for 3 min(water can be warm but not necessary)

Stab

1. Pour out 500ml of stabilizer. Remember this chemical is clear but probably the not nicest of all so keep away from food and utensils.
2.  Microwave this the same amount to 102ºF, but some people use it at room temp 
3. Drain the water out, pour stabilizer  in and agitate while pouring for 15 seconds.. no need to invert IMO.. you can keep tank open
4.  Let it sit for 1 min then pour stab back in its bottle
5.  Take film out and hang to dry

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The longer version...transcript


Dev Samaddar

• Do your own color at home
• It's easier than bw

 Ribnar
 Is it?

 Dev Samaddar
 Yes

 Ribnar
 How about temp control?

 Dev Samaddar
 I used to think it's a big hassle

 Ribnar
 Can u send me instructions?

 Dev Samaddar
 Measure in a glass beaker or Erlenmeyer flask, then microwave it

 Ribnar
 How to keep temp constant? And how much time to microwave to get to correct temp?

 Dev Samaddar
 I have experimented. Temp doesn't fall enough in the time or takes to complete each step
 I'll send you a cheat sheet

 Ribnar
 Do u have notes

 Dev Samaddar
 Yes

 Ribnar
 That will be great
 What chemistry do u use?

 Dev Samaddar
 Unicolor powder

 Ribnar
 As in whose

 Dev Samaddar
 From FreeStylePhoto

 Ribnar
 Ok email me if u have details

 Dev Samaddar
 1l pack for $20.. Easily lasts 15 rolls or more

 Ribnar
 How many steps

 Dev Samaddar

•  Dev, blix, stab
•  For c-41
•  Total time 15 min
•  To hang it to dry

 Dev Samaddar
 Haven't tried e-6

 Ribnar
 So i buy unicolor power...thats it

 Dev Samaddar
 Yeah, go to freestyle website
 Search for Unicolor color chemistry

 Ribnar
 Found

 Dev Samaddar
 I got the 1l pack. There is a 2L pack too
 Buy that

 Dev Samaddar
 You'll need 3 1L bottles

 Ribnar
 Ok

 Dev Samaddar
 Either from freestyle, they have 1qt brown bottles or photographers formulary, they have litre bottles

 Ribnar
 I have 2
 Need one more

 Dev Samaddar
 You'll need a beaker of at least 1 l volume to mix it in at the start
 I got one from Amazon

 Ribnar
 I have one

 Dev Samaddar
 And you'll need some beaker/flask for measuring + heating the chemicals

 Ribnar
 Standard rubbermaid glass will do i think i have one

 Dev Samaddar
 I got another 500ml beaker.. Erlenmeyer flask may be an option too

 Ribnar
 Ok

 Dev Samaddar
 Yeah, if it is graduated and microwave safe then yes

 Ribnar
 Think so

 Dev Samaddar
 I'll tell you the steps right now... Just save this chat

 Ribnar
 Ok

 Dev Samaddar

•  starting with film in tank and ready to go..
•  measure 500 ml developer in beaker.. my starting temp is 72ºF, room temp

 Dev Samaddar

•  I microwave at high in a 1500watt m/w oven for about 65 seconds
•  Your ambient temperature and microwave wattage may be different so try heating 500ml of room  temperate water to bring it up to 102°F first
•  Do some trial and error and you'll know how long to do it

Dev's power tip:

• Most people use running hot water from tap to bring chemicals up to temp. That's why the processes I've read online are more hassle
• Unless you live in a very cold place, outdoors or something, the liquid doesn't lose heat fast enough to warrant a constant temp bath.
• For 3.5 min the temp practically stays constant. I've measured it and it drops less than 1°

 Dev Samaddar

•  this takes the temp to between 102ºF to 103ºF developer has to be at 102ºF
•  I pour this in while using the swirling stick to agitate..
•  and start the timer on the microwave for 3:30
•  initial agitation for 10s.
•  then put the lid on tank
•  do 4 inversions every 30s
•  so I do 4 quick inversions at 3, 2:30, 2, 1:30, 1, 0:30

 Ribnar
 Ok

 Dev Samaddar

•  some people drain it at 0:00
•  I do another 4 inversions at 0 and then drain
•  you have to use the gaps between inversions to do the housekeeping
•  get the funnel ready to pour the developer back in its bottle

 Ribnar
 Ok

 Dev Samaddar

•  rinse the beaker
•  pour out blix in it
•  and microwave the blix for the same amount of time

 Ribnar
 Ok

 Dev Samaddar

•  so when the dev step is done, I have a beaker of blix at the right temp READY to be poured
•  blix has a temp range 95ºF to 102ºF

 Ribnar
 How long do u microwave?

 Dev Samaddar
 same as dev
 65 seconds

 Ribnar
 Ok

 Dev Samaddar

•  from 72ºF to 102ºF
•  it comes a little while I am doing the dev imversions, but it stays in the range
•  cools a little

 Ribnar
 Cool

 Dev Samaddar

•  so now I pour blix in, and agitate for 10 seconds
•  once again microwave timer set, but this time you need 6:30
•  do the same inversions, 4 every 30 seconds
•  so 4 at 6:00. 4 at 5:30 and so on...
•  at 0:00 pour blix back into bottle
•  this step is exothermic, tank gets hot and emits gases, so you'll have to let it out at some point
•  after blix, pour blix back in bottle, open up the tank and rinse under water for 3 min

 Dev Samaddar
 i use warm water, but not necessary

 Ribnar
 Ok

 Dev Samaddar

•  pour out 500ml of stabilizer.. this chemical is clear but probably the not nicest of all
•  so keep away from food and food utensils
•  I microwave this the same amount to 102ºF, but some people use it at room temp drain the water out,
•  pour stabilizer  in and agitate while pouring for 15 seconds.. no need to invert IMO.. you can keep tank open
•  let it sit for 1 min
•  then pour stab back in its bottle
•  take film out and hang to dry

 Ribnar
 No water rinse?

 Dev Samaddar
 no
 the stabilizer should be the last step

 Ribnar
 Ok

 Dev Samaddar

•  you rinsed it before that step for 3 min
•  stab is to make sure no bacteria eats the gelatin and dye
•  because there is no silver left so the negative is vulnerable

 Ribnar
 Pretty cool thanks a lot

 Dev Samaddar
 some people do however use a spray of photoflo to help it dry better

 Ribnar
 Ok

 Dev Samaddar

•  i have not done it so far, but I will try to see if it makes any difference
•  i dry it in the bathroom... i run the shower hot for a couple minutes to make steam/moisture
•  and then hang it in  there. Dries pretty nicely for me
•  it seems a bit rushed at first

 Ribnar
 This is more involved than Bw
 More steps too

 Dev Samaddar
 but after you do 2-3 rolls you will get into a rhythm

 Ribnar
 I will try this weekend

 Dev Samaddar
 it's the housekeeping that makes it more involved

 Ribnar
 I need an assistant 😀

 Dev Samaddar
 you have to pour in, pour out, heat, pour again... etc.. otherwise I thought it was a pretty decent process

 Ribnar
 How long do the chemicals last

 Dev Samaddar
 start to finish I am done in 15-20 min and hands are dry I am doing something else while film dries...

 Ribnar
 The reused ones

 Dev Samaddar
 I think the box says 8 rolls but people have used more than 20

 over probably 3 months or so

 Ribnar
 So everything is reusable right

 Dev Samaddar

•  mine are 2+ months old
•  yes, you pour it right back each time
•  until you hit say 15 rolls, then dump and make a new batch

 gotta go eat dinner.. be back a bit later

 Ribnar
 Yes sure thanks a lot ttyl