Skip to main content
developable

developable

6.5
Film or negatives that can be turned into a visible picture
  • adjective
  • /dɪˈvɛləpəbl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : revelable
  • Only developable film can be used to create printed photographs in the darkroom.

Examples

  • The old negatives were still developable after many years in storage.

  • She was relieved to hear that the damaged roll was still developable.

  • This film is developable in standard chemicals.

  • Are all these negatives developable?

  • The old negatives were still developable after many years in storage.

  • Only developable film can be used to create printed photographs in the darkroom.

  • She was relieved to hear that the damaged roll was still developable.

Antonyms

undevelopable
  • Specialized
8.8

Not able to turn film into pictures

How Developable

developed
2.3
developable
  • Specialized
6.5
undevelopable
  • Specialized
8.8

Surface Forms

developable positive

Morphology

developable = develop (transparent) = develop + able

The photographic sense is a routine extension: 'able to be developed' (processed to produce an image) from the verb 'develop'.

Etymology

The word developable comes from develop, which once meant 'to unwrap' or 'reveal', and the ending -able means 'able to'. So film that is developable can be 'made visible' in a darkroom, like 'unwrapping' a hidden picture.