Shipping and payments
1How can I pay?
Via bank transfer, Satispay, PayPal and, in case you will come to our lab, via cash, debit or credit card.
2How can I give you my rolls?
You can find all the information you need by clicking on this link.
3Do you offer an express service?
Usually we process every order within 7 days, in case you need an express service please contact us, we will do our best to satisfy your needings.
4How long should I wait to get my scans?
We usually send the WeTransfer or MyAirBridge link within 7 days, if you need an express service please contact us.
Development
1What do you mean with Push and Pull?
It's the process that let you expose a roll at a speed different than the one at which it's rated.
You can, for example, expose a 400 ISO roll at 200 ISO (pull of 1 stop) or 1600 ISO (push of 2 stops).
Every time you double or halve the speed you are pushing/pulling by 1 stop.
You can, for example, expose a 400 ISO roll at 200 ISO (pull of 1 stop) or 1600 ISO (push of 2 stops).
Every time you double or halve the speed you are pushing/pulling by 1 stop.
2What's cross-process?
It consists in developing film using a developer that was not designed to be used with that particular kind of film.
We can develop an E6 film (direct positive slide film) in C41 or BW chemistry or a C41 film in BW chemistry, but we cannot develop a BW film in color chemistry (C41 or E6).
This technique will usually lead to unpredictable and unique results (at your own risk).
We can develop an E6 film (direct positive slide film) in C41 or BW chemistry or a C41 film in BW chemistry, but we cannot develop a BW film in color chemistry (C41 or E6).
This technique will usually lead to unpredictable and unique results (at your own risk).
3Do you cut processed film rolls?
We cut rolls and put them in high-quality paper sleeves that won't scratch your film and will keep them flat and out of the reach of dust.
Uncut rolls take up a lot of space and are susceptible to scratches and dust and won't stay flat.
Uncut rolls take up a lot of space and are susceptible to scratches and dust and won't stay flat.
4How to have back my rolls?
By adding a small extra fee to the order (around 3€ for most of the EU countries) we can ship them back to you.
We can also keep them for a period of 12 months, after which we won't guarantee their availability anymore.
We can also keep them for a period of 12 months, after which we won't guarantee their availability anymore.
Scan
1How will I get my files?
We upload files up to 2GB (total) on WeTransfer and bigger files on MyAirBridge and send the link to download them to the email address you have given us.
Files will be available, from the date of upload, for 7 days on WeTransfer and 3 days on MyAirBridge: remember to download them in time!
Files will be available, from the date of upload, for 7 days on WeTransfer and 3 days on MyAirBridge: remember to download them in time!
2Qual è il servizio di scansione più adatto a me?
We use three different scanners:
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Fuji SP3000
Choose this if you want to scan an entire roll on a budget. We offer many different scan sizes, ranging from roughly 6 to 20MP and 50MP for an entire roll in both JPEG and TIFF file formats. The final scan will be vivid and ready to use. -
Drum Scanner (ScanView ScanMate 5000)
This is our flagship scanner, with it we can scan all formats up to roughly 20x30cm. It's the right choice if you want to scan your 4x5" or 8x10" sheets or if you want to get the maximum control out of your film, in fact with its 12bit color depth we will provide you with a low contrast (and extremely sharp) scan that can be post-processed without loss of information. -
Pinguino (ScanView ScanMate F6)
A nice scanner with which we can scan film up to 20x30cm, but with a lower resolution and dynamic range then our drum scanner.
We can provide digital contact prints of entire rolls or film sheets at a resolution of 600 DPI or scan entire 120 rolls at the same resolutions as our Fuji SP3000, you will get slightly more control over lights and shadows and the entire surface of the film will be scanned (including the frame around the photos).
3Color depth: what's the difference between 8 and 12 bits?
Colors in digital images are created using three main colors: Red, Green, and Blue. All the three colors at full intensity create white, absence of all of them creates black, the combinations of different quantities of them generate the whole color spectrum.
Color depth (in bits) tells the number of levels each of the three main colors can take from 0 to full intensity.
In case of an 8-bit scan, you can get over 16 million colors, whereas a 12 bit one can reach over 68 billion.
It's to say that your eye cannot distinguish so many colors, so why is this useful? A larger color depth equals a wider dynamic range, so you can have many more intensity levels between black and white (between shadows and highlights), thus enabling you to post-produce your scan with a higher degree of freedom (which is particularly useful in case you want to make high-end fine art prints).
Color depth (in bits) tells the number of levels each of the three main colors can take from 0 to full intensity.
In case of an 8-bit scan, you can get over 16 million colors, whereas a 12 bit one can reach over 68 billion.
It's to say that your eye cannot distinguish so many colors, so why is this useful? A larger color depth equals a wider dynamic range, so you can have many more intensity levels between black and white (between shadows and highlights), thus enabling you to post-produce your scan with a higher degree of freedom (which is particularly useful in case you want to make high-end fine art prints).
4What's the difference between JPEG and TIFF?
We are talking about the file formats of the scan you will get.
JPEG (or JPG) is a type of compressed files, created by an algorithm that removes the information content considered useless for the visual rendition of the image.
Our JPEG files are high-quality ones and usually satisfy the majority of our customers who want ready to use scans.
TIFF files, on the other hand, are big uncompressed files (they can reach over 1GB in file size) in which the image is stored unaltered, please note that not all systems (computers, smartphones, ...) can open or edit them.
Pinguino and Drum scan all come in TIFF format, and we can provide both for the SP3000 ones.
JPEG (or JPG) is a type of compressed files, created by an algorithm that removes the information content considered useless for the visual rendition of the image.
Our JPEG files are high-quality ones and usually satisfy the majority of our customers who want ready to use scans.
TIFF files, on the other hand, are big uncompressed files (they can reach over 1GB in file size) in which the image is stored unaltered, please note that not all systems (computers, smartphones, ...) can open or edit them.
Pinguino and Drum scan all come in TIFF format, and we can provide both for the SP3000 ones.
5What resolution (scan size) best fits my needings?
This depends solely on your needings and expectations: the higher the resolution, the finer the detail, allowing you to crop your photos or make bigger prints.
If you intend to publish your work online or make some small prints, then an M resolution will likely fit it, whereas XL or King resolutions are recommended for very big prints or crops.
If you intend to publish your work online or make some small prints, then an M resolution will likely fit it, whereas XL or King resolutions are recommended for very big prints or crops.
6What is a drum scanner?
It's a very special type of scanner that gives the possibility to get high res high color depth scan (thus widening dynamic range), on the other hand, it requires expensive materials, considerable experience and a lot of handwork which requires a lot of time just to scan a single frame.
It's the perfect solution to get the maximum of control on your scan, especially if you want to later print high-end fine art prints. The file you will get won't be processed at all so that you can be free to post-produce it as you prefer.
In case you'd like to know how it works, there you go: Your film is thoroughly cleansed using specifically made products that won't damage it, fixed used some special silicon tape to a mylar (PET) sheet made by Aztek specifically designed for scanner use, this sheet is placed on an acrylic drum and an optical coupling fluid made by Kami is sandwiched between mylar, film, and drum.
The prepared drum is placed inside the scanner where it rotates at hundreds of revs per second, passing in front of an array of very powerful sensors (photomultiplier tubes).
It's the perfect solution to get the maximum of control on your scan, especially if you want to later print high-end fine art prints. The file you will get won't be processed at all so that you can be free to post-produce it as you prefer.
In case you'd like to know how it works, there you go: Your film is thoroughly cleansed using specifically made products that won't damage it, fixed used some special silicon tape to a mylar (PET) sheet made by Aztek specifically designed for scanner use, this sheet is placed on an acrylic drum and an optical coupling fluid made by Kami is sandwiched between mylar, film, and drum.
The prepared drum is placed inside the scanner where it rotates at hundreds of revs per second, passing in front of an array of very powerful sensors (photomultiplier tubes).