Where can i buy developing chemicals

Customer Login. Forgotten your password? Close Be first to hear our latest news and developments. Sign up for notifications and latest news, such as clearance stock, special offers, new services and products. Sign Up Now. Whether you are developing film or prints, you use the same darkroom chemicals. We will go over which chemicals you need and what types later. What changes between developing film and prints is the equipment you need to use for those darkroom chemicals.

Once you get the hang of it, developing film in your own darkroom is not hard. You need to practice opening the film canister and getting the film on to the developer canister reel literally with your eyes closed.

Once you have that mastered, the rest is simply timing when to use which darkroom chemical. I recommend practicing with a ruined roll of film with the lights on first, to help you get the hang of the process before doing it with a roll of your images in the dark. The first thing you need to develop film is a changing bag. A changing bag is a big black bag made of anti-static material with a place to put your arms. There are also changing tents and changing boxes.

When you have your film developed, you can move on to the next step, which is printing your photo. Paper is not as sensitive to light. A safelight emits a red light that is off the visible spectrum. The red light does not affect the chemical compounds of silver halides on the paper.

For more information about why darkrooms need to be red, then read my article here. In the old days when film was more prevalent, you could stop by your local film store for supplies and advice. For most, those days of a local camera shop are gone.

Nowadays you can get advice from online forums and order your supplies from Amazon. Of course, Amazon. Websites like the following offer both supplies and helpful tips:. Most hobbyists consider the chemicals they use to be very safe. And generally speaking, darkroom chemicals when mixed and used properly are not toxic. The problem is that some home darkroom enthusiasts are not trained on the proper use and handling of darkroom chemicals.

That could lack of understanding could make the difference between a safe hobby and a dangerous one. There are always dangers when using any type of chemicals. Always use caution when working with darkroom chemicals. Darkroom chemicals come in either a powder or liquid form. Which is best is open for debate and is really up to you and what you prefer.

Powder darkroom chemicals last longer. However, they need to be mixed in a certain way. At some point you may use hot water while at another time you need to user cooler water.

Also, you need to be precise in your measurements to ensure you get the right ratios for the best results. Furthermore, as mentioned, the powder can become airborne and cause issues if you breathe it in or have sensitivities. As powder darkroom chemicals are not activated, they can last for as long as you have them. While powder darkroom chemicals are fine, it is suggested that beginners start with liquid darkroom chemicals until they are more experienced.

Storing your darkroom chemicals is actually easy. You can use special bottles designed for that purpose. These can be dark glass or opaque plastic. Many photographers use two-liter soda bottles as well and have no problems. You need to keep as much air out of your darkroom chemicals as possible. This may mean adding a few glass beads to a glass bottle to push out the excess air. It is suggested that you use a dark-colored bottle although some debate this. However, you store your darkroom chemicals, make sure they are kept somewhere out of the way.

It is a good idea to clearly label all your darkroom chemicals for safety and your own convenience. Many of the items needed to make these eco-friendly film developing processes are less expensive than more traditional chemicals and methods. Also, the more environmentally safe darkroom chemicals are about the same cost of traditional chemicals and sometimes even cheaper, depending on how much you purchase. They also will last much longer in storage and you can dilute them more than traditional darkroom chemicals from companies like Kodak and Ilford.

Choosing to forgo some of typical of the film developing chemicals in exchange for more environmentally safe ones is great for the environment. Most film chemicals are toxic and should never be poured down the drain in large quantities, like color and black and white film darkroom chemicals especially if you have a septic tank. However, fixer has silver in it that can contaminate the environment or damage your septic tank.

When they are disposed of in this manner, they will disrupt the balance of bacteria in your septic tank, often leak into our sewage systems, or buckets get sent to landfills where they remain where they will eventually leak, causing more harm to the environment. Developing film with more eco-friendly substances like coffee, beer, or red wine and more biodegradable darkroom chemicals helps to alleviate all of this harm.

Therefore, it is important to dispose of photographic darkroom chemicals correctly. See this article I wrote about how for more information about how to safely dispose of darkroom chemicals. In the same way that using more safe and environmentally friendly photographic darkroom film chemicals is better for the environment, it is also better for your individual health.

Film chemicals like the fixer and developer solutions for black and white photography are made of hazardous substances that should never be ingested, or have contact with your eyes or skin. It is possible to develop allergic reactions when exposed repeatedly over several years through skin contact or breathing in the chemicals while mixing. Using less toxic darkroom chemicals when developing film at home can help to reduce most of the health dangers of developing film entirely.

Read this article I wrote about how to handle all darkroom film chemicals correctly. Though film photography is not typically considered high risk or a dangerous occupation, long-term and prolonged contact with darkroom chemicals typically used to develop film can have health-related side effects.

These side effects can be:. In general, avoid long-term exposure to toxic film chemicals if possible, and do not come in contact with them by skin absorption, inhalation, and ingestion. However, keep in mind that most, if not all, of these side effects, can be avoided by using less toxic darkroom chemicals see below and setting up your darkroom correctly for example, making sure you have proper ventilation when developing prints and mixing chemicals as well as using gloves when developing and mixing chemicals.

See this article I wrote about how to properly set up a darkroom in your house and read this article I wrote for more information about handling darkroom chemicals properly. As seen above, photographic darkroom chemicals can create lasting health impacts on healthy people. This means that they can also have a negative effect on anyone who is pregnant or nursing, as well as unborn children.

Pregnant women should avoid exposure to these chemicals altogether, but if avoidance is impossible, avoid prolonged exposure for example, several hours at a time and whenever in close proximity to the chemicals, use:. In some people, regular use of darkroom film chemicals without proper ventilation or protective equipment like gloves can also activate MCS, or Multiple Chemical Sensitivity.

MCS is an extreme sensitivity to any manufactured or chemical smells that do not originate naturally in the environment. If you are someone prone to headaches or have a sensitive sense of smell, using film chemicals can amplify that sense and trigger other symptoms. Black and white film requires only a handful of chemicals in order to process and is far more forgiving during the development process compared to color film.

Therefore it is possible to develop black and white film without most of the darkroom chemicals at home. I also recommended a more eco-friendly traditional film fixer designed to have the lowest levels of toxicity and still be effective. However, you can use the processes below to develop color film using Coffee, Beer, or Red Wine but the film will not be in color and more likely be stained with whatever process you are using brown if using coffee and red if using red wine.

If you are interested in developing color film at home with traditional methods, see this article I wrote about how to develop 35mm or medium format color film. Depending your on what film to use might be based on the camera you already have. In general, you can only use 35mm film in a 35mm camera and medium format film in a medium format camera.

However, there are some instances where you can use 35mm film in a medium format camera. Images shots like this are interesting because i t exposes the entire roll — even the sprockets of the film. For example, buying and using a 35mm film adapter for a Holga camera, which is traditionally a medium format camera. Also, here is a way to do use two rolls of 35mm film in a medium format camera without using an adapter for a pretty interesting layered effect.

The type of film you decide to use is up to your personal preference, and both mm film and 35mm film can be developed in your at-home studio darkroom, utilizing the low chemical methods. If you are looking for a film with higher resolution, the mm negatives will be right for you. These negatives allow for a large resolution because of the size of the negatives 6 x 6 cm, 6 x 4.

This allows you to crop into the image more as well as print larger. If you are less interested in using the highest quality film available and more interested in the price and portability, then I recommend 35mm film.

These can include but are not limited to using:. Non-ionic wetting agent Aids rapid even drying Suitable for film and paper Good for antistatic treatment. Used at ambient room temperatures. Delivers an archival, visibly warmer print. Convenient, versatile and long working dish life. Ilford Photo Multigrade Developer - ml. Ilford Multigrade Developer ml. Ilford Washaid 1lt.

Ilford Photo Rapid Fixer - ml. Ilford Rapid Fixer ml. Ilford Photo Rapid Fixer - 1 Liter. Ilford Rapid Fixer 1 Liter. Ilford Photo Simplicity Starter Pack.