E-6 COLOUR PROCESSING

If you have previously processed monochrome films the next logical step is to move on to colour processing. Colour films are divided into two categories - negative and reversal, colour negative is a medium that everyone is familiar with from your happy snapper to the professional photographer, this the type of film that you take along to your local chemist for a D & P service and is one of the most widely used film today. Colour reversal or transparency films are often referred to as slide films and are commonly used by the serious enthusiast and professional photographers alike and is generally the preferred medium by editors of magazines for publication. There are two main types of slide film available which require different processing systems. films such as Kodachrome need to be returned to Kodak for processing while E6 compatible films can processed by D & P labs or done at home in the darkroom by the photographer. The purpose of this article is guide through processing your first E6 slide film and perhaps at some future time we will deal with processing and printing colour negatives.


Most of the equipment you require to process your first slide film you will already have, in addition to this you will need a means of controlling the temperature of the chemicals therefore an accurate thermometer is essential as their temperature needs to be constant. The easiest method of maintaining chemical temperature is by means of a water bath, a deep plastic dish or the use of wash basin where hot water can be added to maintain the processing temperatures + or - 1° C.
Alternatively a small heater, similar to that used in fish tanks are available for photographic use, which maintains the water bath at the required temperature.

All the major film manufactures market a number of their own E6 films. Just as in monochrome films, there is a wide selection of film speeds to suit your requirements. The choice of which film may be down to personal preference, some have either a warm or cool tone that have an effect on how the colours look in the slide. Some photographers are able to determine a brand of film by simply looking at the saturation of certain colours in the slide, some enhance the reds or greens whilst some remain neutral, trial different brands and use them according to the photographic subject matter.

There are a number of easy to use processing kits on the market, the most commonly used are the three bath type which contain a FIRST DEVELOPER, COLOUR DEVELOPER, and a BLEACH /FIXER. Great care should be observed when mixing the chemicals as cross contamination will have an effect on the film therefore if you are using the same graduated measure make sure that you clean and rinse well before mixing the next chemical. Only mix enough chemicals to process the number of films that need developing as once mixed the chemicals have a short working life. Hear is a brief description of each chemical and what it does.