What You’ll Need

Chemistry:

• C-41 kit (Tetenal, Bellini, JOBO or Fuji Hunt make good home kits) 

I have personally used the Cinestill, Bellini and the JOBO kits and from what I experienced it is always a better idea to have a separate bleach and fix rather than a blix. This gives better results and most importantly lasts way longer. Then there is the Fuji Hunt that is the go to for those who are very serious about developing in large batches at home. This kit comes with 5L of chemicals and is able to process up to 70 rolls of 36 exposure films. 

From the 3 kits that I have used I recommend the Bellini Kit for starters in the darkroom and those who want to learn it from scratch.  The JOBO kit I think is better suited for more experienced film photographers. This is because the JOBO kit is more expensive, requires much more accurate mixing as well as even more strict temperature control, all of which can be daunting for beginners. 

• Water (ideally distilled for consistency)

When I started I used to use tap water but I quickly realised that I was getting a lot of contamination on my film. So for an extra 2 euros it is definitely a no-brainer to get some distilled water in my opinion. 

Gear:

For gear the only thing you need extra for colour is a container and a sous-vide heater to hold the chemicals at 38°C. 

I personally own the Cinestill sous-vide heater and use a cooler as my container. 

• Paterson tank or equivalent
• Thermometer (I use a tank thermometer as well as a laser one)
• Timer or phone
• Measuring jugs (x4)
• Gloves + apron (C-41 chemicals can stain and irritate)
• Bottles for storing mixed chemicals (x3)
• A water bath (essential for holding temp at 38°C)
• sous-vide heater (essential for holding temp at 38°C)

Step-by-Step Process Following the Bellini Kit

1. Prep Your Chemistry

C-41 kits usually include four components: developer, bleach, fixer and the stabiliser. Mix according to instructions and store in a specific fridge ideally with clearly labelled bottles. Always wear gloves when handling chemistry.

Heat all solutions in a water bath until they reach 38°C. Consistency is everything in colour.

2. Load the Film

Same process as B&W, completely in the dark. Load your film onto a reel and into the tank.

3. Pre-Soak 

It is not always mandatory, depending on the kit you are using but I personally find it important to do, not just so that the film doesn't go from room temperature to 38°C but also to clean any dirt that might have gotten on the film while loading. Make sure that the pre-soak is at exactly 38°C

4. Developer 3:15 at 38°C +0.2 (Bellini Kit)

Pour in the developer and agitate for the first 10 seconds, then 5 inversions every 30 seconds. It is crucial to be precise as C-41 doesn’t forgive sloppy timing or temperature dips.

Pro tip: 

Always do the entire process with the tank inside the water bath, this way the chemicals inside the tank do not cool down. This I learnt from my own mistakes when I first developed my first roll. Chemicals will cool down drastically, especially if developing on a cold day, so better be safe and use the water bath to keep everything at the correct temperature.

5. Bleach (1:00 at 32°C - 38°C)

Agitation needs to be done all throughout the 1 minute. Even though the chart tells you the bleach can go down to 32°C I would recommend staying at 38°C. 

6. Fixer (2:00 at 32°C - 38°C)

Agitation needs to be done all throughout the 2 minutes. Even though the chart tells you the fixer can also go down to 32°C I would recommend staying at 38°C.

7. Wash (15-20 minutes)

Use water at around 38°C and rinse well. Some kits include a wash aid, if you’ve got it, use it.

8. Stabiliser 32°C - 38°C (3 min)

Final step, this protects the dyes and prevents fungus. Just swirl gently. No rinsing after this.

9. Dry off and Hang

To dry the film use a film squeegee and gently wipe off all water droplets from the film. Do not do it excessively as you can scrape the film creating unflattering lines on your negatives. 

Once you remove the water drops you can hang it to dry in a clean environment. It is recommended that the place you hang them in is not humid. 

Final Thoughts

Once dry, your negatives should look just like lab-developed ones (or even better, once you’ve nailed your workflow). C-41 opens up a world of possibilities from expensive portraits on Portra, expired Kodak Gold experiments, to just cheap Superia rolls on a day out you can do it all for a cheaper price.

Yes, it’s more technical than B&W. But like anything in the darkroom, it’s all about consistency, patience, and practice. 

Bonus Tips

• • Keep it clean:  even tiny contaminations can shift colours.
  • reusing chemicals: Add increments of 2% to the original time and don’t reuse more than recommended.  
  • Scan with care: colour correction during scanning can make or break the final look.

• Edit Freely: Colour film is just like a RAW Image, You need to edit it to arrange your colours and tones, don’t feel shamed or pressured into not editing your work!

Thinking of giving C-41 a go? I say go for it. Drop me a message or visit DarkLab if you want help getting started or need a place to process your rolls.

Related Services