Black and White Film Developing / 35mm, 120, 110

At Film Speed Lab, we offer professional black and white film developing for all formats. With our Flash JPG option, your scans are ready in just 1 day — no rush fee.

Here you’ll find prices and services for 35mm, 110, and 120. 

How to get your BW film developed with us: 

• make an online order and mail us your film, or just stop by with your rolls 
• we develop & scan it (super fast, as always)
• check your inbox for the results
• pick up your negatives or have them shipped to you

Which Black and White Films and Formats Do We Develop?

We develop all kinds of black and white film, including:

• Infrared film
• Chromogenic black and white film
• Orthochromatic film
• X-ray film

Our black and white film developing service covers:

• 35mm black and white film developing
• 120 film developing
• 110 film developing
• Large format film developing

If the film doesn’t match the label — for example, a Kodak Gold canister with Kentmere Pan inside or a mystery roll with an unfamiliar name — let us know what’s inside so we can use the correct development time.

Ilford XP2

Ilford XP2 is processed like color film. If you’re sending Ilford XP2, place your order through our C-41 developing and scanning page.

What Is Black and White Film Developing?

Black and white film developing is the chemical process that turns exposed black and white film into negatives that can be scanned or printed.

How We Develop Black and White Film

Developing BW film requires control of four main factors:

• Developer type
• Processing time
• Temperature
• Agitation method and frequency

Processing with Ilford Ilfotec HC

For our black and white film processing, we use Ilford Ilfotec HC. It is particularly suitable for consistent black and white development and delivers clean, reliable results.

Because black and white development is a manual process, using one developer isn’t enough to ensure consistent results. We also needed equipment we could trust, like the Konica we already use for C-41.

When we received a spare machine, we tested it extensively to make it work for black and white film.

Custom Development Times

We use custom development times for each black and white film.

Stages of Black and White Film Developing

Black and white film developing has five main stages:

1. Development
2. Stop bath
3. Fixing bath
4. Washing
5. Drying

Once your roll is loaded, it moves through each chemical bath with the correct timing, temperature and agitation.

The result is clean, balanced negatives that are ready for high-quality scanning.

Push and Pull Processing

We offer Push and Pull processing for black and white film at no extra cost.

To push your film, set your camera to a higher ISO than the film’s box speed. For example, you can shoot Ilford HP5 Plus 400 at ISO 800.

To pull your film, set your camera to a lower ISO. For example, you can shoot Ilford Delta 3200 at ISO 1600.

Pushing produces more contrast and grain, while pulling softens the contrast.

When placing your order, let us know the ISO you used and how many stops you want the film pushed or pulled.

BW Film Developing Turnaround Times 

Our standard turnaround times are:

• Development only: next working day
• Development and Flash scan: next working day
• Development and Biggie scan: three working days

Black and White Film Scanning with the Noritsu HS-1800

After development, we scan your film with the Noritsu HS-1800.

The scanner has Digital ICE technology, but it doesn’t work with black and white negatives. Therefore, we manually clean visible flaws and rotate your photos so they are ready to use.

Flash vs. Biggie Scan Size

Flash is fast, flexible and suitable for quick edits and everyday use.

• 35mm: 3130 × 2075 px
• 120 film (6 × 4.5): 2412 × 1766 px

Biggie is suitable if you want to print your photographs in a large format, use them for an exhibition or gift, or retain more detail for editing.

• 35mm: 6774 × 4492 px
• 120 film (6 × 4.5): 4824 × 3533 px

The resolution of 120 film scans depends on the frame format. Check the FAQ page to view all available 120 format sizes.

JPG or TIFF?

We offer two file formats:

• JPG — ready-to-post scans that remain flexible enough for additional adjustments.
• TIFF — flat, untouched scans designed for post-processing.

Drop-Off Your Film in Berlin or Send It by Mail for Black and White Film Developing

Shipping Checklist

Before sending your film, make sure that:

1. You have placed an online order.
2. Your order number is written clearly on the package.
3. Your film is packed securely in bubble mailer.
4. The parcel is addressed directly to Film Speed Lab UG rather than a post office branch.

Send your film to:

Film Speed Lab UG
Dietrich-Bonhoeffer-Str. 32
10407 Berlin
+49 176 84786140

Scan Delivery and Negative Return

We send your scans directly to your inbox. Scan links are active for three days. If you miss the download period, just click „re-upload my scans“ button in your email from us. A new link will be in your inbox within 24 hours.

We keep your negatives for one month. If you need more time to collect them, let us know and we’ll hold them for longer.

You can pick up your negatives or have them returned by post for the regular shipping cost.