- Language: EN
Tetenal
Tetenal Colortec C-41 Rapid Color Film Processing Kit - 1L
- Important notice for our international customers: this item cannot be shipped overseas by airfreight since some components are classified as hazardous by IATA-DGR safety regulations. -
A detailed manual of the Colortec C-41 developing kit can be found under the download section of this product sheet. Contact us if you have any questions about the use of this kit!
It is still generally believed that developing your own color films at home is an impossible task and a lot more difficult than developing black and white films. A misconception, as the Colortec C-41 Kits from Tetenal were specifically designed to make the development of color negative films a cold (or warm?) trick. Indeed, the main difference with the development of black and white film is that the color chemistry has to be kept at a constant, higher temperature. If this temperature is deviated from or not kept constant during the process, this will influence the end result and lead to color shifts through the negative. Black and white film is more tolerant in this respect. Nevertheless, Tetenal's Colortec C-41 Kits are designed to make the development process as simple and quick as possible so that the desired end result is always achieved. We have already convinced a lot of customers to develop their own color films at home with this kit and many of them are convinced and confirm that developing their own color films is perfectly possible and also get a lot of satisfaction out of it! After all, once you have mastered the process, it can be a cheaper alternative to the lab development of your color films. The Tetenal Colortec C-41 Kits have been the standard in the field of color development kits for home use for several years. Nevertheless, the innovative C-41 Monopart Kit from Bellini is even easier and faster to use since the color developer does not need to be mixed the bleach and fix consist of two separate baths, making the development process as a whole a lot faster.
Quantity | 1 liter |
Concentrate type | Liquid |
The Tetenal Colortec C-41 Kits offer a color development process in three steps: color development (CD), bleach-bix (BX) and stabilizer (STAB). The kit consists of six components: the color developer in three parts, the bleach-fix in two parts and the stabilizer bath. Mixing the baths themselves is straightforward. The three components of the color developer should be mixed with each other before use and topped up with water until the complete bath is reached. The 1L kit comes with three 200ml bottles of color developer each, which must be diluted with 400ml of water. The bleach-fix should be diluted with 600ml of water after mixing. The stabilizer with 800ml of water. The working solutions have to be stored after development in airtight (accordion) bottles and can be treated with an anti-oxidant spray such as Tetenal Protectan in order to maximise the shelf life. The biggest enemy of photochemistry is oxygen, if oxidation can be reduced to a minimum, the chemistry will last the longest. The storage time of the color developer is about 6 weeks (longer with anti-oxidation spray) and for the other baths about 24 weeks.
The Colortec C-41 Process can be used at three temperatures: 30 °C, 38 °C and 45 °C. The process at 38°C is the standard process and is only recommended if you are using a tool that provides a constant rotation of the tank such as a color processor from Jobo. The process at 30°C is mainly suitable for home development in a regular development tank by hand. It is important to agitate continuously, possibly using the agitation stick that came with your (Paterson) development tank. Before you start the process it is important that your development tank also preheats by filling the tank (with film) with water with temperature 30 °C for about 5 minutes and then pouring it out. The process at 45°C is a lot shorter but is a "one-shot" process, the chemistry can't be reused after that. If films are pushed to higher speeds, the development can only take place at 38 °C and each step has to be extended by 30 seconds.
With the Colortec C-41 Kit of 1L you can develop approximately 16 35mm or 120 films with a speed of ISO 200 or lower and 12 to 16 35mm or 120 films with a speed of ISO 400 or higher. Please note that the developer will be exhausted considerably faster if films have a speed equal to or higher than ISO 800. Maximum capacity is achieved if at least 4 films are developed simultaneously.