The development of Kodachrome film marked a major leap forward in the quality and durability of color film. Before Kodachrome, color film had emulsion layers, but their dye couplers were incorporated into the layers when produced; after exposure, all three layers were developed at the same time. Kodachrome did not include the dye couplers in the production of the film but instead added them during the development process. By not adding the dye couplers during production, Kodachrome could use thinner emulsion layers. Thicker layers cause more light to scatter, reducing the sharpness of the photographic image.

The different development process utilized by Kodachrome was much more complicated than that of the older films, and it required large machinery run by trained technicians with chemistry training. Thus, the development of Kodachrome film could not be done by amateur photographers or even by most small commercial processing laboratories. When Kodachrome was first introduced in 1935, the price included Kodak processing. The package of film included a self-addressed mailer so that the purchaser could send the exposed film to a Kodak laboratory, where it was processed and then returned by mail.

The development process for Kodachrome is called the K-14 process, and it has several steps. First, the backing material is removed in an alkaline bath and wash. Then the first developer is added. The top layer of the film is the blue-sensitive yellow filter layer. A PQ developer is added, which changes the silver halide crystals to metallic silver. This makes the yellow filter layer opaque. Then the film is washed to remove excess developer.

The film is then exposed to red light, which readies the silver halide in the cyan layer. A developer and cyan coupler are added to develop this layer. The film again is washed to remove excess developer and is then exposed to blue light to ready the blue-sensitive layer. The already opaque yellow filter keeps the blue light from affecting the magenta layer, which is sensitive to both blue and green light. Finally, another developer is added to develop the yellow layer, and again the film is washed. The last bath develops the magenta layer, and again the film is washed.

The film then goes through several steps to clean and fix it. First, a conditioner is added, and then bleach, to oxidize the metallic silver back to silver halide. Then a fixative is added that converts the silver halide to soluble compounds that can then be washed out of the film. After a rinse that contains a chemical to prevent water spots, the film is dried.

The result of this processing procedure is that Kodachrome films have no unused color couplers remaining that can contribute to film and color deterioration, so the film has good dark-storage stability.

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