The process begins with you! Learn how to safely ship your film to us.
Your film has made it to the lab safe and sound, woohoo! Now that your film is here, we’ll send you a confirmation email with an invoice.
While writing up your order, we’ll look at your order form to make sure all your film arrived and is processed correctly. Order forms tell us:
*Pro tip: When shooting Ilford Delta3200, be sure to tell us what you rated it at and how you would like it developed.
Now it’s time to turn your exposed film into beautiful negatives! Here is a quick breakdown of the chemical reactions that happen in the darkroom:
Push/pull processing refers to the amount of time film is in the developer to compensate for either under- or overexposure. Learn more here!
Exposure Reference Sheets are made right after your film is developed and are designed to close the gap between your exposures and your scans. They are the ultimate tool when it comes to studying your exposures! You can find them alongside your scans in your order’s Box.com folder. Learn how to read your Exposure Reference Sheets here.
Your film has been developed into beautiful negatives that are now ready to be scanned into digital files! This is where we apply your artistic vision by hand, frame by frame.
We have a fleet of Frontier SP3000s and Noritsu S-1800s ready to rock 'n' roll. Although these scanners have some differences, the workflow is very similar.
Your film is loaded roll-by-roll into the scanner. Beneath your film is a lightbox that projects the right amount of light and color (determined by an expert color technician) through your negative to be read by the scanner’s sensor above. This process creates a digital scan.
But how do we make sure the right amount of light and the correct color combinations are made for each frame? Preference images! Preference images are 3–5 frames that best represent your style in terms of color, density and contrast.
Submit or update your preference images.
*Pro Tip: If you number your rolls, they will be scanned chronologically, leading to more consistent scans that arrive pre-organized!
Now that your film has been scanned, each and every frame is sent through Color Check. Color Check is where we make small adjustments to the coloring and density of your scans. This step helps your scans stay consistent from one frame to the next and allows us to get even closer to your vision.
Your film has made it to the final stage before we upload your scans—Final Check! In Final Check, we take one last look through each and every frame, looking for any red flags in your film or from your camera, such as scratches, light leaks, water damage, base fog and more. This allows us to spot any issues you might be having with your film or camera so we can let you know right away!
After Final Check, it's time for your beautiful scans to be uploaded to Box.com, a simple, online file sharing system that keeps all your orders organized. When your upload is complete, we'll email you a link to view and download your scans! Woot-woot! Learn how to use Box.com here.
If you ordered proof prints (psst—we recommend everyone does this!), your scans are sent to our printer immediately after upload.
Our prints aren’t your typical prints. Our true, photographic wet process prints pay homage to traditional darkroom printing and come on only the finest premium Fujicolor Crystal Archive Supreme Paper. This isn't your typical photo paper—Fujicolor Crystal Archive Supreme comes with a luscious thickness you have to see (and feel) to believe with rich colors that bring your images to life.
Proof prints are made and shipped 1–2 business days after your scans have been uploaded, meaning you could have prints to your clients the same day they receive their final gallery. Talk about speedy service!
Want to see your scans before your order prints? Not a problem. You can always order prints online here.
