Negative Scanning, Slide Scanning and Photo Restoration in Abbottabad
We scan old 35 mm negatives and color slides, restore old photographs, and make prints, using color methods we built ourselves. Every picture is corrected by hand, one at a time.
Why color negatives are hard to scan
A color negative is orange-brown, and every roll of film is different. When a scanner is left to guess, the scan often comes out flat and tinted green or yellow. That is why many family negatives look poor when they are scanned, even when the negative itself is good.
How we scan and correct negatives
- The scanner is set to neutral. On our professional Epson scanners we switch off every automatic adjustment, so the scanner records the negative honestly.
- We use our own color profile. We photographed a Kodak Q-60 test chart on Fujicolor Superia Reala 100 film, measured the chart with a spectrophotometer, and built a color profile for color negatives from it in 2014.
- We correct every negative by eye, one by one. Each roll, lab and batch of film is different. As in the darkroom, we find the dominant color, then balance the highlights, the mid-tones and the shadows.
- We finish with careful spotting. Dust and scratches are cleaned up with care.
Color slides (transparencies)
A color slide is a positive picture on film, so it is easier to scan than a negative. We scan slides with a separate color profile built for transparency film, made from a Kodak test chart and its measurement data. The scanner is set to neutral, the colors are checked, and dust and scratches are cleaned up with care. If you have a box of old slides, bring it in.
Black and white negatives and old photographs
Black and white negatives are scanned with tonal correction, to bring out the full range from highlight to shadow. We also reproduce and restore old photographs. The result depends on the condition of your original picture.
Scan and print prices
How to read this list: choose the size of the print you want. The price is for one picture, meaning one negative or one slide, and it includes the scan and the print. A bigger print needs a higher-resolution scan, so it costs more. These prices are for scanning and printing, not for portraits.
| Print size (inches) | About (cm) | Scan and print, per picture |
|---|---|---|
| 8 × 12 | 20 × 30 | Rs. 2,500 |
| 10 × 15 | 25 × 38 | Rs. 3,500 |
| 12 × 18 | 30 × 46 | Rs. 5,000 |
| 16 × 24 | 41 × 61 | Rs. 7,500 |
| 20 × 30 | 51 × 76 | Rs. 10,500 |
| 24 × 35 | 61 × 89 | Rs. 15,000 |
Example: one 35 mm negative or slide scanned and printed at 12 × 18 inches costs Rs. 5,000.
Most customers bring 35 mm film. We also scan 120 roll film. If a picture also needs restoration, the restoration charge is added to the scan and print price. Show us the picture and we will tell you the cost.
The experience behind it
Before digital photography, Asad Ali Zaidi spent ten years printing color negatives in the darkroom, adjusting the yellow and magenta filters by eye. He also developed color film himself, mixing his own C-41 chemicals. When digital arrived, he studied professional color management, and in 2006 he brought back inks and paper from Photokina in Cologne, Germany. That darkroom experience is the foundation of our negative scanning today.
Common questions
Why do my scanned negatives look green or yellow?
A color negative has an orange base, and every roll of film reacts differently. A scanner that guesses the colors often gets them wrong. We start from our own color profile and then correct each negative by eye.
What film can you scan?
Most customers bring 35 mm negatives and color slides. We also scan 120 roll film and black and white negatives. Please tell us what you have when you call.
Do the prices include the print?
Yes. Each price includes the scan and a print of that size.
Can you restore a faded or damaged photograph?
We reproduce and restore old photographs. The result depends on the condition of your original picture. Restoration is charged in addition to the scan and print price.
Can you send the prints?
Printing and postal or TCS delivery are available through our email.
Bring your negatives, slides or photographs
Tell us what film or photographs you have and what you would like done.
Please call (0992) 334440 or email [email protected]. The studio is opposite GPO Cantt Bazar, Abbottabad. We are open Saturday to Thursday and closed on Fridays.
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