{{Short description|Alternative photographic film development process}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2022}} {{Use American English|date=October 2022}} [[File:35mm caffenol man.jpg|alt=35mm film developed in caffenol.|thumb|35 mm film developed in caffenol.]] '''Caffenol''' is a photographic alternative process whereby phenols, sodium carbonate and optionally vitamin C are used in aqueous solution as a film and print photographic developer.<ref name="Williams">{{cite web |last=Williams |first=Scott |url=https://people.rit.edu/andpph/text-coffee.html |title=A Use for that Last Cup of Coffee: Film and Paper Development |publisher=Rochester Institute of Technology}}</ref><ref name="FFP">[https://filmphotographyproject.com/content/features/2011/01/coffee-break-develop-film-home-caffenol/ Film Photography Project: Coffee Break – Develop Film at Home with Caffenol] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624204828/https://filmphotographyproject.com/content/features/2011/01/coffee-break-develop-film-home-caffenol/ |date=June 24, 2021 }}, Film Photography Project.</ref>
Other basic (as opposed to acidic) chemicals can be used in place of sodium carbonate; however, sodium carbonate is the most common.<ref name="Williams"/>
There are many formulas for caffenol, all based on preparations that contain caffeic acid (i.e., coffee or tea) and a pH modifier, most often sodium carbonate.<ref name="FFP" /><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.digitaltruth.com/data/caffenol.php |title=Digitaltruth Photo: Caffenol Formulas |access-date=December 10, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160322113526/http://www.digitaltruth.com/data/caffenol.php |archive-date=March 22, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The chemistry of caffenol developers is based on the action of the reducing agent caffeic acid, which is chemically unrelated to caffeine.<ref name="Williams" />
==History==
The 1995 technical photographic chemistry class at Rochester Institute of Technology, led by Scott Williams, developed a method of developing photographic film using standard household items. They tested mixtures of tea and coffee combined with agents to balance the pH and successfully made printable images for exposed film.<ref name="Williams"/>
Since then, the process has successfully been adapted for beer,<ref name="Moschetti">{{cite web |last=Moschetti |first=Vincent |url=https://petapixel.com/2017/03/15/st-patricks-photo-tip-develop-film-beer/ |title=How to Develop Film with Beer |publisher=PetaPixel | date= March 15, 2017}}</ref> red wine,<ref name="Wineol">{{cite web |url=https://www.caffenol.org/2012/06/20/wineol-red-wine-developer/ |title=Wineol – Red Wine developer | date= June 20, 2012}}</ref> and infusions with polyphenol-rich foods, such as cloves, rosemary, and mesquite seed pods.<ref name="Keating">{{cite web |last=Keating |first=Daniel |url=https://www.35mmc.com/18/08/2020/polyphenol-developer-alternatives-a-world-full-of-options-by-daniel-keating/ |title=Polyphenol Developer Alternatives – A World full of Options |publisher=35MMC | date= August 18, 2020}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.digitaltruth.com/devchart.php?Film=&Developer=Caffenol&mdc=Search Chart: Developing times for Caffenol developers] *[http://vimeo.com/1453056 Developing Film in Coffee, Caffenol C and Agfa APX 100] (video) *[http://www.caffenol.org/ A website that collects blogs and information to help with successful Caffenol film development.]
Category:Photographic chemicals