Developing vs. Processing

Corey Fehr · Mar 15, 2017

Hi everyone,

First and foremost, please excuse what are probably extremely basic questions to all of you. I'm a non-traditional student, and this is my first film photography class I've taken, although I have a decent background knowledge of foundations like exposures and such.

That said, the class is largely geared towards younger students who had the luxury of having darkrooms in high school (which was never an option for me), and thus, have a background to work off of.

I just finished my first prints (which was exciting), but I have an extremely basic question that's been bugging me.

For the terms "developing" and "processing", are they used in correlation with the chemical and film process, printing, or both? I always thought processing or developing your film was the chemical/wet process, and printing was simply called "printing". Though now I've heard people use the terms to relate to one, the other, or both/the entire process

What are technically the correct terms to use for various stages?

Thanks in advance for everyone's helps.

MattKing · Mar 15, 2017

Welcome to APUG.
When I think of it, it seems to me that there is very little consistency in how and when people use the terms "developing" or "processing". And to complicate matters, people use a number of colloquialisms (e.g. "soup") to describe the same thing.
"Processing" may be used slightly more frequently in reference to commercial labs.
For clarity, it helps to add to the terms: "develop film", "process film" and "develop prints". In the latter case though, because most of us develop prints essentially immediately after we expose them, we tend to lump both processes together under "print".
You will be doing us all a favour though if you avoid the reference to "souping" film .
Don't hesitate to ask questions like this. They are very helpful and in that they help many people avoid errors that arise from incorrect assumptions.
And be sure to have fun!

Corey Fehr · Mar 15, 2017

This really helps. Thanks guys. And thanks for not judging me for basic questions- I get enough of that from attending the bureaucracy that is a college institution.

MattKing · Mar 15, 2017

One hint. Descriptive thread titles are way better than non-descriptive thread titles when one is deciding which threads to read.
So for this thread: "Use of 'Developing', 'Processing' and 'Printing'?" would be better.

Corey Fehr · Mar 15, 2017

Will do. I noticed that after I posted. A medium format is just larger film than 35 mm, is that correct? Or no?

winger · Mar 15, 2017

Corey Fehr said:
Will do. I noticed that after I posted. A medium format is just larger film than 35 mm, is that correct? Or no?

Yup. Medium format cameras are those that use 120 film (not 120mm). 120 was the designation back when others were 116, 160, and who knows what else. I'm sure someone can chime in with a link to the whole list of outdated sizes (there are many), but 120 is the one left standing. Large format starts basically with 4x5, which is 4 inches by 5 inches (sorta). Most of the rest of the world calls it 5x4. I don't know if there's a page somewhere with general descriptions of all sizes and types of film.

Corey Fehr · Mar 15, 2017

Awesome-thank you. I'm going to research this a bit.

AgX · Mar 15, 2017

35mm film is 35mm wide. Another designation, when in a cassette is type 135.

Medium format film typically is 62mm wide, but half as long as type 135, and designated as type 120. It is rolled on a spool with a backing paper that acts as cover, thus no cassette is necessary. After exposing the film is wound onto another spool where it stays.

There are currently three more medium format sizes around, but of much lesser use.

Corey Fehr · Mar 15, 2017

Oh! Is that the film you peel off at the end?

Leigh B · Mar 15, 2017

Corey Fehr said:
A medium format is just larger film than 35 mm, is that correct? Or no?

Hi Corey, and Welcome Aboard.

Still photography (as opposed to movies) can be divided into three broad categories: 35mm, medium format (MF), and large format (LF).

MF generally includes all roll films larger than 35mm.
The most common modern size is 120. There were many others that have now disappeared.

LF generally is restricted to sheet film.
The smallest common size being 4"x5", with 5"x7" and 8"x10" also being popular.
There are "roll film backs" that can fit on many LF cameras to enable shooting roll film.

As you might expect, processing sheet film requires significantly different equipment than roll film.

- Leigh

Corey Fehr · Mar 15, 2017

Makes sense. Thanks for giving me a starting point to look.

removed account4 · Mar 15, 2017

hi corey

processing , developing, souping, its all the same thing
some people like to say one thing over the other.
i guess the most straightforward would be processing film and printing(prints) but
people say whatever they want.

its like vacuuming ...
( see about 4mins )

Corey Fehr · Mar 15, 2017

This is exactly how I feel. Exactly.

jnanian said:
hi corey

processing , developing, souping, its all the same thing
some people like to say one thing over the other.
i guess the most straightforward would be processing film and printing(prints) but
people say whatever they want.

its like vacuuming ...
( see about 4mins )

Gerald C Koch · Mar 15, 2017

Leigh B said:
Still photography (as opposed to movies) can be divided into three broad categories: 35mm, medium format (MF), and large format (LF).

Using the term 35mm as a category sort of leaves out the smallest formats; 16 mm or 110, Robot, Minox, and others. Perhaps SF or small format would be a more descriptive term.

MattKing · Mar 15, 2017

Gerald C Koch said:
Using the term 35mm as a category sort of leaves out the smallest formats; 16 mm or 110, Robot, Minox, and others. Perhaps SF or small format would be a more descriptive term.

Or if you like historical terms: "miniature film"

Leigh B · Mar 15, 2017

Gerald C Koch said:
Using the term 35mm as a category sort of leaves out the smallest formats; 16 mm or 110, Robot, Minox, and others.

35mm as a category was defined by market acceptance.

More 35mm film was sold on a bad day in February than the total for all those other formats in their entire product lives.

- Leigh

Sirius Glass · Mar 15, 2017

michael_r said:
As Matt says there is little standardization and as long as you don't use the word "soup" you're fine.

Note that on a fundamental level making negatives and making prints involve the same basic steps. Technically:

Making negatives

Exposure of film

Processing of film (sometimes called developing film) involves the chemicals

Developing

Fixation

Washing/drying

"Printing"

Exposure of paper

Processing of paper (sometimes called developing prints) involves the chemicals

Developing

Fixation

Washing/drying/toning

I hate the term "soup".

Welcome to APUG

Corey Fehr · Mar 15, 2017

Thank you

I'm starting to dislike it, as it seems to be a trendy phrase used by all the teenagers taking the class attempting to sound knowledgeable. (Maybe I'm just old and crotchety at the ripe age of 29.)

Michael Wesik · Mar 15, 2017

I miss being in school...stay as long as possible!

Corey Fehr · Mar 15, 2017

Michael Wesik said:
I miss being in school...stay as long as possible!

I genuinely hate it. I'm hoping I simply have a crummy school, and not all colleges/institutions are like this. The professors, especially in the art department, are burnt out, elitist, or otherwise just don't care. The classes are geared toward millennials who had completely different prior school experience than I, and rarely are professors inclined to help you succeed. Then of course, because it's an art department, you get concepts and ideas of what "art" is shoved down your throat. Their style or none.

Two more years of oppressiveness, and I'm out!

Leigh B · Mar 15, 2017

Corey Fehr said:
...it seems to be a trendy phrase used by all the teenagers taking the class attempting to sound knowledgeable.

One universal characteristic of newbies and uninitiated devotees...

They always use whatever jargon they've heard, in an attempt to portray themselves as "experienced".

In fact they're just stamping "NEWBIE" in large read letters across their foreheads.

- Leigh

Corey Fehr · Mar 15, 2017

See, me, I just straight up type it across an introductory thread.

If I need help, I'm sure as heck now going to let my ego get in the way.

Michael Wesik · Mar 15, 2017

Corey Fehr said:
I genuinely hate it. I'm hoping I simply have a crummy school, and not all colleges/institutions are like this. The professors, especially in the art department, are burnt out, elitist, or otherwise just don't care. The classes are geared toward millennials who had completely different prior school experience than I, and rarely are professors inclined to help you succeed. Then of course, because it's an art department, you get concepts and ideas of what "art" is shoved down your throat. Their style or none.

Two more years of oppressiveness, and I'm out!

That's pretty much every art school, I think. I was lucky that I did my BA in art history before going to art school...so I never was exposed to the rhetoric in that way. It's part of it, though. That's academics for ya....

mshchem · Mar 15, 2017

Just processing film without printing is usually referred to as "Develop Only" by dealers .

Cholentpot · Mar 15, 2017

After I burn a can I drop a mix and soup the roll in the tank. Once the fix is in I give the whole thing a cool bath with some soap and then let hang until the tack is gone.

Developing vs. Processing

Corey Fehr

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Corey Fehr

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