Gather the equipment
Start with a daylight developing tank and reel, a changing bag or genuinely light-tight room, a thermometer, timer, measuring cylinders, and separate bottles for developer and fixer. Keep a clean jug of water nearby. Read the tank instructions before opening the film canister; reels differ, and a dry reel is much easier to load than a damp one. Set everything out in the order you will use it, so you are not feeling around for a bottle with wet hands.
Choose chemistry that matches the film and follow its printed dilution and timing chart. Many home recipes are designed for 20 C, so bring the solutions to that temperature before starting. Wear nitrile gloves when handling concentrates, avoid splashes, and work with ventilation. A safelight fog test matters when handling printing paper, but a closed daylight tank allows processing with ordinary room lights on once the reel is inside.
Load the reel
Practice with a scrap roll in daylight first. In the dark, open the canister, find the end, and feed the strip into the reel a little at a time. Keep your fingertips on the edges and use a gentle back-and-forth motion if the reel has a ratchet. If the strip catches, stop rather than forcing it; a kink can make neighboring frames stick together. Cut off the end only after you have confirmed where it sits, then close the tank securely.
The first reel may feel awkward… take the tank apart in daylight and repeat the practice until your hands know the steps. Once the lid is on, turn on the room lights and check that the tank is firmly closed. These steps — loading, measuring, and checking the lid — are worth doing slowly; a rushed start is harder to repair than a minute spent getting organized.
Develop and fix
Measure the developer accurately and start the timer as you pour it into the tank. One useful cue is, “The timer starts when the first developer reaches the reel.” Use the time and temperature specified for your particular combination, not a general estimate. During the first 30 seconds, invert the tank steadily, then give it a few gentle inversions at the interval in the instructions. Tap the tank lightly on the counter afterward to dislodge bubbles. Keep the motion consistent from one roll to the next.
At the end of development, pour out the solution and use a stop bath or a brief water rinse as directed. Add fixer for the full recommended time, with occasional agitation, then pour it back into its bottle if the maker says it can be reused. Long exposures involve a separate calculation, including reciprocity failure, but that does not change the tank routine. Unlike instant film, a black-and-white negative can be washed again if drying marks appear, so take care with rinsing rather than rushing to hang it.
Wash and dry
Wash the film according to the fixer instructions. A practical method with many tanks is to fill and invert several times, replace the water, and repeat, finishing with a wetting agent diluted as directed. Use clean water for the last rinse if your tap water leaves mineral spots. Open the tank only after fixing is complete, and avoid touching the image area. Hang the strip in a dust-free place with a clip at each end; a bathroom after a hot shower often has less airborne dust once the steam has cleared.
Let the film dry fully before cutting it into short strips. If droplets remain, use clean fingers or a film squeegee with almost no pressure; grit trapped on either surface can scratch the emulsion. Check the negatives against a plain light source. Clear gaps between frames and visible images are a good sign, while an overall milky look may mean the film needs more fixing. Keep notes on temperature, dilution, and time. Those small records make the next roll easier to repeat.
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