Developing slide film, or E-6 processing, is not that different from developing black-and-white film, and in fact slide film is more “forgiving” then color film (C-41) when it comes to temperature.

If you want to develop 35mm slide film, also known as color reversal film (because the image can be positive) or transparency film, you’ll find most of what you need in your standard black-and-white home darkroom, including: developing tanks, reels, tongs, and so on.

Slide film is manufactured under names such as Ektachrome and Fujichrome. (Kodachrome, which Kodak stopped producing in 2009, is developed using the K-14 process.)

Even though E-6 processing isn’t out-of-reach for the hobbyist photographer, exposure and temperature are still critical, and you’ll need to have equipment (such a water baths or heaters) capable of maintaining a consistent temperature, especially during the first developer bath – in most cases, 100 degrees. While there are “kits” available that cut corners on the process, if you want the most control and best results, you’ll use a “six-bath” chemical process: developer bath, wash, reversal bath, color developer bath, pre-bleach bath, bleach bath, washing (optional), fixer bath, wash, and rinse.

You’ll want to have slide mounts on hand in which to store and display your developed slides. These frames are usually plastic (sturdier and more archival than cardboard) and are designed to fit into a slide projector or simply viewed through a loupe. Carefully cut your negatives into individual squares and place them inside the slide frames, which snap shut with little prongs. You can also use plastic pocket pages to store individual slides in their frames.