Loading a daylight tankDarkroomSource

Skip to: [content] [navigation]


If this page takes more than a minute to load, you might want to refresh your browser

Basic Darkroom Techniques: Loading a tank

Step 1 - Practice
Step 2 - Finding a light tight area
Step 3 - Loading the Film

Top of Page

Step 1 - Practice

Here you will be practicing loading the film on to the film reel. You should practice this with a waste strip of film, in a lighted area, until you can do it with your eyes closed.

Top of Page

Step 2 - Finding a light tight area

You need an area where you can load the film and it will not receive any light. The best way I know to test if an area is light tight is to put yourself in there, and wait about 5 minutes before trying to see anything. Hold your hand up in front of your face, if you can see it, or even a shadow of it, there is too much light in that room. Look around, find the leak, and plug it with whatever you can. To close light leaks around a door or window, try using a heavy curtain which overlaps the opening by several inches in all directions. This curtain could be an old blanket, or sheet of tarpaulin, or... An interior bathroom is great for this, since it usually has no windows and only one door.

If you have no light-tight location, use a changing bag

Top of Page

Step 3 - Loading the Film

This should be old hat by now, but here are the steps (I am right handed and hold the reel in my left hand)
  1. Lights On
  2. Lay out the materials (film in canister, reel, tank, lid, scissors, and can-opener) I lay them out left to right in that order. Look at the reel and see that the spiral is spiralling outward in a clockwise direction as it sits on the counter in front of you.
  3. Place one hand on one end of the row of items (for reference after the lights are out)
  4. Lights Off
  5. Use the can-opener to pop the top on the film canister (unless you have a screw top canister)
  6. Remove the film from the canister, don't let it unroll or it might get dust on it
  7. Feel the leader end of the film, using the scissors cut off the leader (just above the curved part)
  8. Hold the film in the right hand
  9. Pick up the reel with the left hand.
  10. Insert the end of the film into the center of the reel.
  11. Curving the film slightly from sprocket side to sprocket side (which makes the film "straighten out") between your thumb and forefinger on your right hand, feed it onto the reel as you rotate (slowly) the reel with the left hand.
  12. When you reach the end of the film, feel for the tape that holds the film to the spool, and using the scissors, cut the film at the end of the tape (I usually just cut as close to the spool as I can, sometimes I end up developing tape, but it doens't hurt anything)
  13. Locate the tank with your right hand, put the reel into it
  14. Find the lid and put it on the tank
  15. Lights On

Visitor Comments

The comments stated below are not necessarily the opinions of Andy Hughes or DarkroomSource

I'd just like to shed some light on another alternative to getting the film on the reel when about to develop it. This only works for cameras with a manual rewind, however. When rewinding the film in your camera, listen for a slight click which should be followed with the rewind knob turning a little easier. Stop rewinding the film right after this click and unload your film. It will still have the tab with which you attached the end of the film... when you go to put the film on the reel, simply feed the end of the tab onto the reel, THEN turn out the lights, and simply wind the film on from the can. This technique saves time and hassles in the dark :)
Contributed by   on 2000-10-04 00:00:00

Without opening the film canister, unrolling film may cause scratches on the film surface due to dust deposited on the film crack.
Contributed by   on 2002-06-10 00:00:00

I usually pull my film from the camera w/ a bit of the leader exposed, then cut it off w/ little folding scissors that I carry in my gadget bag. That way I don't stab myself later in the dark.
Contributed by   on 2002-10-04 00:00:00

Would you be worried if you saw a blind person clipping coupons? I had lots of trouble getting my film opened and on the plastic reel with a can opener from class. So one day I took my scissors and carefully slid one blade into the slot where the film comes out and kept peeling that metal side out until there was enough room to pull out the film. I think the teacher told us to pop the top off, but I\'d still be fiddling with that a year later! And that\'s sharp too, but be patient.

I came here looking for info on how to build my own darkroom. Thanks!
Contributed by   on 2007-08-09 12:08:46

I would not recommend pulling the film out through the slot it went in, you risk scratching the film. The ends usually come off easily with a can opener.
Contributed by   on 2007-08-09 18:19:25

No need to mess about popping lids off film canisters - if you just ease the tips of your fingers into the slot where the film comes out you will find that the metal is very soft and you can literally peel the canister open.
This way you have one less tool to worry about. If nothing else you can use it as a back-up method if you drop your bottle opener.
Contributed by   on 2007-08-20 16:56:31

Text Size –+R