How-To: Develop Film with Coffee and Vitamin C (Caffenol)

Did you know that you can develop your own black and white film with instant coffee, vitamin C, and washing soda? In this how-to, Matt Richardson walks you through making and using your own developer, which has come to be known as "caffenol."

For more information, check out: http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2011/07/skill-builder-caffenol-homebrew-film...

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• Photography
• photo
• developer
• develop
• film
• coffee
• vitamin C
• washing soda
• caffenol
• how to
• DIY
• MAKE
• Makezine
• Matt Richardson
• dark room
• negative

[bchanger]

Never pour fixer down the drain - its got silver nitrate in it and it'll end up poisoning the ground water.

[Xploratio]

24 people used this technique to developp their sister's wedding's pictures lol

[XitzpatX]

does it work with color negative film

[TheBrephophagist]

I tryed this and it worked very well. I was woundering does this work on prints as well. If possiable please tell. Than k you.

[techyknowsbest]

25 people did it in sunlight and not complete darkness

[BTBattlefronTV]

Could or would this method work for color reversal film at all?

[777AHan]

@bchanger Actually once you dilute stock its a minute amount of silver. Furthermore disposal is literally impossible to do as recycling depots generally wont take it and the steel wool method still leaves silver.

[cristian3131]

I suppose it won't work with color film :-?

[awsomeroadrunner444]

in the captions at 3:32 then is spelled thne

[awsomeroadrunner444]

@cameracameras then how did it wok when he didnt do it that way

[Karinthehybrid193]

I remember my first time in a dark closet in my photography class lol I had some trouble since I couldn't see my hand infront of my face but I got use to it lol, and my first time developing my black and white film were cloudy DX, but after awhile I started to get better =]

[killdoser666]

From developing film in photograph class we were always told that it was safer to develop longer than a recommended time because you can never over develop and grain is generally due to the type of film stock used and chemicals used. next time you experiment use the same film stock constantly to get a perfect time.

[ChiversVinny]

or you could just get the film devolopped like normal people.

[d10ny29]

awesome method+cute host= add to favorite!!

[AkoolStick]

Does this work for 16mm film?

[cameracameras]

Don't do it this way you're going to wast you're film.look it up on Flickr loads of proper info..you ''must must'' dry the soda in a oven first to remove the water that's in the powder,or like he says it just wont work..

[SenorCajones]

Dog pee kills flowers...but nothing about human pee?

[jackrakino]

thumbs up if you think is phone and gameboy is cool

[mbala154]

does it matter what it is? i was wondering if seattle filmworks film would work? because i know that it has a different way to process than any other film. So i was wondering if it would work with it?

[300Z31]

@theartisticmess1 You'll need an enlarger for that. This is a whole different process, but there are plenty of videos on it.

[theartisticmess1]

after it dries, how do you make the photo bigger?

[MacklinReed]

@bchanger not to mention its reuseable.

[luismsf5]

blow up poster. nice tip

[jdefritter]

Yes, the filler tube was definitely installed upside down, which explains the fogging.

[cometkatt]

@bilsta1000 availability and dollars - both are hard to come by