Chemical Processing

in Photography
 Chemical Processing
After the exposure of the film to light in the
picture taking or the photographic paper during printing,
the next step would generally be chemical processing.
This is the process of making the latent image
visible and permanent.
 Steps in Chemical Processing
• DEVELOPMENT- This is the process of reduction by
which an invisible latent image in an emulsion is made
visible. Exposed silver halides are reduced into
metallic silver. There is a separate developer for film
(D-76) 5-6 mins and another for paper (Dektol) 1 ½
mins.
Chemical composition of developer:
• Reducers or developing agents – elon or
hydroquinone
• Preservative- sodium sulphite
• Accelerator- sodium carbonate
• Restrainers (prevents fog) – potassium bromide
• STOP BATH - an intermediate bath between the
developer and the fixer. It is usually a combination of
water plus acetic or just plain water. It halts the
developer action in appropriate moment. It also
prevents the contamination of the developer and the
fixer from each other.
• FIXATION — This is the process of removing
unexposed silver halide remaining in the emulsion
after the first stage of development of the latent
image. This makes the developed image permanent
when it is followed by a thorough washing. The usual
composition of an acid fixing solution are solvent silver
halide known as hypo, an anti- staining agent like
acetic acid, a preservation like sodium sulphite, and a
hardening agent like potassium alum.
Chemical composition of a fixer:
• Accelerate(Dissolving agent)- Sodium Thiosulfate
(hypo) is the main fixing agent that dissolves
unexposed silver halides.
• Preservative – sodium sulphite
• Neutralizer- boric acid, acetic acid
• Hardener- potassium alum
 PRINTING
• In Photography, printing is the term used to describe
the process of making positive images from
negatives. The most familiar examples is the print
made on a paper base.
• Photographic print is made by passing light through
the negative onto a piece of paper that is coated with
a light-sensitive emulsion very similar to film.
 TYPES OF PRINTING
1. Contact Printing It is the process of making positive
prints by placing a sheet of printing paper in direct
contact with the negative emulsion to emulsion. It is the
quickest, simplest and most economical method of
producing photographic prints.
2. Projection printing. Generally refers to enlarging.
It is the process of making positive prints by projecting
the negative image onto photosensitive paper.
• The projected image may be enlarged, the same as
the negative image, or reduced in size. When the print
images are larger than the negative images, the
process is called enlarging.
• When the print images are smaller than the negative
images, the process is called reducing.