Before you could use computers to edit digital photos, you needed to develop film and make prints. This process was tedious because you had to experiment in the exposure and development process. You also only got one shot at anything. If you made a mistake, the film was lost. Litho film was used to copy negatives or slides - only in black and white - and to create more "arty" prints. Litho provides high contrast with little in the mid-tone range. It is also far less light-sensitive than normal film, so you can use a safelight and increase development time if you do not get the results you want at first.
Instructions
1. Mix your chemicals. You will need film developer, stop bath and fixer. Virtually any brand and type of these chemicals will work. You can use photographic paper developer, rather than film developer for litho film. Mix them and store them in the brown plastic bottles to avoid exposure to light that will shorten the useful life of the chemicals.
2. Place the litho film inside the changing bag along with the film reel and the film tank. Wind the film into the reel and place the reel into the tank. Close the lid of the tank. Remove the tank from the changing bag.
3. Pour in the film developer and immediately agitate the tank for 30 seconds. Agitate for 10 seconds, every 30 seconds of development time. Start with a development time of two minutes. You may need to increase this later. Pour out the developer.
4. Pour in the stop bath and agitate for 30 seconds, and then pour it back out. Pour the fixer into the tank, agitate for 30 seconds, and agitate again for 10 seconds every minute for five minutes. Pour out the fixer.
5. Take a look at the film. If it is the way you want it to look, wash the film for at least 10 minutes with running water in the tank. Hang it to dry. If the film is not correct, redevelop it for another two minutes and use the stop bath and fixer. Take another look. You can continue this process until you get the negatives you want.
Tags: development time, film developer, stop bath, agitate seconds, bath fixer, chemicals will
