There is a certain irony in large format photography.

Many of us are drawn to it precisely because it slows us down. We enjoy the deliberate pace of setting up a camera, carefully composing an image on a ground glass, loading holders by hand, and making every exposure count. In a world where everything seems to move faster each year, large format photography encourages the exact opposite. It rewards patience, observation, and craftsmanship.

Yet when the time comes to develop those negatives, the experience is often far less enjoyable.

Anyone who has spent an evening standing in complete darkness, carefully shuffling sheets of film through trays of chemistry knows exactly what I mean. The process works, and photographers have relied on it for generations, but it can also be tedious, messy, and nerve-racking. Every movement must be made by touch alone. One moment of distraction can result in scratched negatives, uneven development, or a tray tipped over onto the floor.

For many photographers, tray processing becomes an accepted part of the craft. For others, it becomes the reason they shoot less large format film than they would like. It is not uncommon to spend an entire day making photographs in the field, only to postpone development because the thought of standing in darkness for another hour feels more like a chore than part of the creative process.

That simple observation was where the Zebra Daylight Processing Tank began.

Not as a product, not as a Kickstarter campaign, and certainly not as a finished design waiting to be manufactured. It began with a series of questions.

What if the only part of the process that required darkness was loading the film itself? What if everything that followed, from development to fixing and washing, could be done comfortably in normal daylight?

Of course, daylight processing systems already existed. But simply creating another tank was never the goal. We wanted to push the idea further and solve problems that many existing systems still struggled with.

Could a single system work equally well for sheet film, glass dry plates, tintypes, direct positives, and photographic paper? Could it support everything from small sheet film formats to large 8×10 negatives and historical plate sizes? Could it be portable enough for field use, reliable enough for everyday darkroom work, and simple enough to make large format processing more accessible to photographers of all experience levels?

Answering those questions turned into a development journey that would span more than a year, produce countless prototypes, and ultimately culminate in one of the most successful projects we have ever launched.

From an Idea to an 1100% Funded Kickstarter

When we launched the Zebra Daylight Processing Tank on Kickstarter, we knew there was interest in daylight processing. What we did not know was just how many photographers were actively searching for a better solution.

The response exceeded every expectation.

The campaign finished at over 1100% funded, supported by photographers from around the world. Some were experienced large format photographers processing film every week. Others were just beginning their journey into dry plates or alternative processes. Many shared the same frustration: they loved making photographs, but they did not love spending hours in complete darkness developing them.

The success of the campaign was both exciting and humbling. For us, however, it was also the beginning of a new challenge.

Designing a successful prototype is one thing. Building hundreds of reliable tanks that photographers can depend on for years, in darkrooms, classrooms, workshops, and remote field locations around the world, is something entirely different.

The end of the campaign was not the finish line.

In many ways, it marked the beginning of the most important stage of development.

While production was ramping up, we continued testing. We continued refining. We continued questioning every component and asking whether it could be improved. Some of the changes were immediately visible. Others were so subtle that most users would never notice them. Yet together they transformed the tank into something significantly better than the version originally shown during the campaign.

One of the biggest advantages of producing the tanks ourselves is that every stage of the process remains under our direct control.

The Zebra Daylight Processing Tank is not designed in one country and manufactured in another. Every tank is produced entirely in our workshop in Slovenia, where the same team responsible for designing the system also oversees its production, assembly, testing, and final inspection.

This close connection between development and manufacturing proved invaluable throughout the Kickstarter fulfilment process. Whenever we identified an opportunity for improvement, whether it was a small adjustment to an insert geometry, a refinement to the light maze, or an enhancement to the hardware, we could implement and test changes immediately rather than waiting months for a supplier or factory to react.

It also means that every tank that leaves our workshop has passed through the hands of the people who understand it best.

For us, keeping production local is about far more than geography. It allows us to maintain consistent quality, respond quickly to feedback, and continue improving the system long after the original design work has been completed.

The final production version includes a redesigned light maze, stronger structural components, improved stainless steel hardware, redesigned inserts, easier maintenance, and numerous smaller refinements throughout the system. None of these changes were made because something was broken. They were made because we believed the tank could be better.

Today, hundreds of tanks are already in the hands of photographers around the world, and the lessons learned from those first shipments have helped shape the final version available today.

Ready for the Next Chapter

After more than a year of development, a hugely successful Kickstarter campaign, and months of production and fulfilment, the Zebra Daylight Processing Tank is now preparing to enter its next chapter.

In just two days on June 17th, the tanks will officially become available through our store for the first time. While they are not yet available to purchase, you can already explore the complete range of tank sizes, adapters, accessories, and supported formats through the links below.

Discover the story behind the Zebra Daylight Processing Tank, from its 1100% funded Kickstarter campaign to a fully refined production system for large format film, dry plates, tintypes, and alternative processes.

Solving Problems Most Photographers Never See

One of the interesting things about developing photographic equipment is that the most important improvements are often the ones nobody notices.

When photographers first encounter the tank, they naturally focus on the obvious things. They notice the robust construction, the chemical ports, the modular adapters, and the fact that the entire system allows daylight processing.

What they do not see are the countless small decisions hidden beneath the surface.

Take the light maze, for example.

At first glance it is simply a hidden component inside the lid. Its job appears straightforward: allow chemistry to enter and leave the tank while preventing light from reaching the film. In reality, designing that system turned out to be one of the most technically demanding parts of the entire project.

Every change involved a compromise.

Whenever we made the maze more resistant to light, filling speeds suffered. Whenever we improved filling speeds, we risked compromising light protection. The challenge was not simply creating a tank that worked. The challenge was creating one that photographers would actually enjoy using.

After extensive testing, the final design allows chemistry to move quickly through the system while maintaining complete light protection. A fully loaded 4×5 tank can be filled in approximately six to seven seconds, ensuring that developer reaches every sheet rapidly and evenly. This may sound like a small detail, but it has a direct influence on consistency and repeatability.

The latest production version also introduced a redesigned maze geometry that reduces potential light exposure significantly while remaining easy to clean and maintain. It is one of those components most photographers will never think about while using the tank.

Which is exactly how it should be.

The best engineering often disappears into the background.

One Tank, Many Possibilities

One thing became clear very early in development.

Photographers rarely work with just one format.

A photographer who shoots 4×5 today may decide to explore 9×12 cm tomorrow. A dry plate photographer may occasionally work with tintypes. Someone processing film in the studio may become fascinated by paper negatives after discovering an old camera at a flea market.

Photography has a habit of leading people down unexpected paths.

Unfortunately, many processing systems do not.

Most existing solutions are built around a specific format and a specific workflow. They work well for their intended purpose, but the moment your interests expand, you’re often forced to purchase another tank, another holder, or an entirely different processing system.

From the beginning, we wanted the Zebra Daylight Processing Tank to grow alongside the photographer rather than limit them.

That philosophy eventually led to the modular adapter system that now forms the heart of the Zebra ecosystem.

Today the tanks support standard sheet film formats, glass dry plates, tintypes, direct positives, paper negatives, and numerous historical plate sizes including quarter plate, half plate, whole plate, and many others.

Instead of purchasing a new tank every time your interests expand, you simply change the adapters and continue working.

Many photographers originally backed the project for film development and later discovered that the same system could be used for dry plates, paper negatives, and alternative processes. That flexibility was never an afterthought.

It was one of the original goals.

The Features You Never Notice

Some of the most important changes happened inside the tank, hidden from view.

During testing we occasionally encountered small issues that would never appear in a product photo. Wet film sometimes clung to the insert more strongly than we’d like. Certain geometries created slightly more turbulence than necessary. None of these problems were dramatic, but they were enough to convince us that the design could be better.

The solution required a complete redesign of the inserts.

The final design incorporates carefully engineered drainage channels, reduced contact surfaces, and micro-grooves that allow chemistry and water to move more freely around the material. These seemingly small changes improve chemical circulation, reduce suction during unloading, and contribute to more consistent development.

Most photographers will never notice these features directly.

What they will notice are clean negatives, smoother handling, and reliable results.

And ultimately that is what matters.

From the Darkroom to the Forest

One of the most rewarding aspects of the project has been seeing where photographers use their tanks.

Some are processing film in dedicated darkrooms. Others are working in bathrooms, spare bedrooms, garages, and workshops. Some have taken their tanks into forests, mountains, and remote locations where a traditional darkroom would be impossible.

These photographs have become some of our favourites.

Not because they showcase the product, but because they demonstrate the freedom that daylight processing can provide.

The ability to load materials in darkness and then complete the rest of the workflow in normal daylight fundamentally changes what is possible. A hotel room becomes a darkroom. A classroom becomes a processing space. A campsite becomes a temporary laboratory.

The tank was designed specifically for these situations.

Its body is constructed from durable chemical-resistant materials. Stainless steel hardware provides long-term reliability. The lid now sits securely within the tank body itself, improving alignment while protecting critical sealing surfaces. The sealing system creates a fully watertight and light-tight environment that remains secure throughout processing.

Taken together, these improvements transformed the tank from a promising prototype into a tool designed for real-world use.

Designed to Help You Succeed

A great processing system is only part of the equation. That’s why every Zebra Daylight Processing Tank is accompanied by a detailed user manual covering setup, loading, unloading, recommended chemical volumes, agitation techniques, maintenance, and troubleshooting.

Just like the tanks themselves, the manual continues to evolve. As we receive feedback from photographers and discover new workflows, formats, and applications, we update and expand the documentation to help users get the most from their equipment.

Whether you’re developing your first sheet of large format film or processing hand-coated glass dry plates, you’ll always have access to the latest version of the manual and supporting resources.

👉 View the User Manual

What We Didn’t Expect

Looking back on the project today, what surprises us most is not the number of tanks we have produced, nor the fact that the campaign exceeded 1100% funding.

Those milestones are certainly exciting, but they were never the real goal.

What has been genuinely rewarding is seeing where the tanks have ended up and how people are using them. Over the past months we’ve received photographs from darkrooms, garages, spare bedrooms, university classrooms, workshops, and field locations around the world.

We’ve watched photographers process their first large format negatives. Others have used the system to revive historical photographic processes they had not practiced in decades.

Perhaps the most encouraging part has been the feedback itself.

Long before the tanks officially reached the store, photographers were already sharing their first experiences, their results, and their excitement about finally having a daylight processing system that could handle such a wide variety of materials and formats.

Reading these messages has been one of the most satisfying parts of the entire project.

After spending more than a year designing, testing, redesigning, and manufacturing, there is nothing quite like seeing the first successful negatives emerge from a system you built yourself.

More Than a Product

In many ways, the Zebra Daylight Processing Tank is simply a tool.

A carefully engineered tool, certainly, but still a tool.

The real purpose has always been something larger.

We wanted to remove unnecessary barriers. We wanted to make large format photography more accessible, dry plate photography less intimidating, and experimentation easier for photographers working with alternative processes.

Most importantly, we wanted photographers to spend less time worrying about development and more time creating images.

Because at the end of the day, nobody buys a processing tank because they love processing tanks.

They buy one because they love photography.

They buy one because they want to focus on the image rather than the obstacles standing between them and the final negative.

If the Zebra Daylight Processing Tank succeeds at anything, we hope it succeeds at exactly that.

And if, after a few years of use, the tank has quietly faded into the background of your workflow while the photographs remain proudly displayed on your walls, in your archives, and in your portfolios, then we will consider the project a success.

Because the camera may make the exposure, and the tank may help develop it, but the photograph has always been, and always will be, the thing that matters most.

Looking Ahead

When we started working on the Zebra Daylight Processing Tank, we weren’t trying to reinvent photography.

The magic of large format photography has never been found in the equipment itself. It lives in the quiet moments beneath a dark cloth, in the anticipation before opening the shutter, and in the excitement of seeing a negative emerge from the chemistry for the very first time.

Those experiences remain exactly the same.

What we wanted to improve was everything that stood in the way.

Over the course of more than a year, the project evolved from a simple idea into a system now used by photographers around the world. Along the way it grew far beyond its original purpose. What began as a daylight processing solution for sheet film became a versatile platform for dry plates, tintypes, paper negatives, direct positives, and a growing range of historical formats.

More importantly, it became something shaped not only by us, but by the photographers who supported the project, tested the tanks, shared their results, and provided invaluable feedback throughout the journey.

As the Zebra Daylight Processing Tank officially joins our store, it feels less like the end of a project and more like the beginning of a new chapter.

Large format photography continues to inspire us every day, and there is still enormous potential to make it easier, more accessible, and more enjoyable for photographers of all experience levels. The Daylight Processing Tank is only one step in that journey.

We will continue developing new tools, refining existing products, and exploring new ideas that help remove barriers between photographers and the images they want to create. Whether that means improving traditional workflows, supporting historical processes, or introducing entirely new solutions, our goal remains the same as it was on the day we built our first prototype.

To help more people discover the joy of large format photography.

Because the future of analog photography depends not only on preserving its traditions, but also on making those traditions easier to explore, easier to learn, and more rewarding to practice.

We are excited for what comes next, and we look forward to continuing that journey together.