Converting Slides-Negatives-Photos-Flatwork into
Digital Files
Preserving History Every Day!
All work is done in our store by Bob and Lauren, not sent out of the country—Mexico and India are 2 of the most common destinations.
B&L Photo Lab will turn slides, negatives, transparencies, photographs, artwork or flatwork into digital files. Instead of hauling out the slide projector, thumbing through stacks of old prints or holding negatives up to a light, you can see your memories as an electronic photo album.
Please review the information below. It tells you what services B&L Photo includes with your order, what B&L Photo will work from, and how B&L Photo does the work. Then take a look at our prices. If all you look at are prices, B&L Photo may seem higher. But if you look at both prices and services, you will see that B&L Photo far outshines its competitors. If your slides are like most people’s slides, and range from under-exposed to over-exposed, are dusty or dirty, and have begun to fade, B&L will give you the best result. (But if you are having only slides scanned, and those slides are perfectly clean, not faded, and perfectly exposed, our competitors may be cheaper). In addition, if you wish to have slides, negatives, photos and documents converted to digital files, B&L Photo can handle all your needs under one roof. Please read the rest of the information below. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.
Phone: 414-964-6626
Email: blphotolab@aol.com
B&L Photo works with you to produce an electronic photo album of your memories. Your album can be made of slides or prints or any combination of photographic medias. You may submit slides, negatives or photos any size or format. You can mix and match slides negatives or prints of any size. Your slides can be mounted or not. Your negatives can be in rolls, strips or cut individually. Your photos can be any size from lockets to 6 feet long. Photos can be loose, mounted, in frames or in albums. B&L Photo will put your photos on disc in a sequence determined by you. Photos can be put into separate folders with custom names. B&L Photo uses four different professional scanners to convert all manner of transparencies and negatives into digital files. All photos and flat work are photographed with a 24 megapixel digital camera with Carl Zeiss lenses. At B&L Photo you talk to the people who do your work. All work is done in our store by Bob or Lauren, the owners of B&L Photo Lab, who have a combined experience in photography of 65 years.
The following services are included with the scanning of slides, transparencies and negatives:
- Correct orientation of the photo
- Full frame cropping of the photo (we don’t crop off part of the photo no matter the format)
- Dust and minor scratch correction of color slides or negatives but not on black and white (badly damaged photos will require restoration at additional cost)
- Cleaning of each slide, negative or transparency with an electrostatic brush before scanning
- Color correction of each photo
- Density correction of each photo
- Contrast correction of each photo
- Enhancement of color for faded color photos
- Creation of custom named folders when requested
- Placing photos on disc in sequence determined by you
- Placing the files on CD, DVD, memory stick or hard drive
(Memory sticks and hard drives will be charged for, unless supplied by customer.)
The materials that can be scanned include:
- Black and white or color negatives, 35mm through 8x10”
- 35mm paper or plastic mount slides
- 35mm glass mounted slides
- 110, 126 and 127 mounted slides
- Unmounted slides
- Transparencies: 2 ¼” through 8x10”
- Stereo slides
- Glass magic lantern slides
- Glass autochromes
- Glass negatives up to 8x10”
- Nitrate base black and white negatives up to 8X10” (only nitrate negatives in condition 1, 2 or 3 can be scanned)
(All of the above can be in perfect or damaged condition.)
The following services are included with the photographing of photos and flatwork:
- Full frame cropping of the photo (we don’t crop off part of the photo no matter the format)
- Color correction of each photo
- Density correction of each photo
- Contrast correction of each photo
- Enhancement of color for faded color photos
- Enhancement of detail for faded black and white photos
- Creation of custom named folders when requested
- Placing photos on disc in sequence determined by you
- Placing the files on CD, DVD, memory stick or hard drive
(Memory sticks and hard drives will be charged for, unless supplied by customer.)
The materials that can be photographed include:
- Color or black and white photos from locket size to 4 feet x 6 feet
- Photo albums (either individual photos on the page, or whole pages)
- Documents, certificates and diplomas
- Newspapers, magazines, books and yearbooks
- Paintings and other flat artwork
- Cirkut prints (Panorama photos 5”to 10” high by 24” to 72” long)
- Maps
- Pamphlets
- Framed work under glass
- Photos adhered to glass or broken glass
(All of the above can be in perfect or damaged condition.)
The following is the procedure that is used to convert materials into digital files:
- A file format must be selected before work is begun, TIF or J-PEG. (See What are TIF or J-Peg file formats? in the FAQ section for additional information on which format best suits your needs.)
- TIF files are large files suitable for printing.
- J-PEG files are best for email, easy viewing, and necessary for TV-DVD viewing.
- For an additional fee, both file formats can be produced.
- Each item is surface dusted with an electro-static vacuum brush.
- The item is then photographed as a preview image.
- The preview image is then corrected for density and contrast, and if it is a color image, color.
- The image is cropped full frame to produce a print that is 10” in its longest dimension (the per item cost will increase if files to make larger than 10” long prints are requested).
- The item is then developed as a 300 DPI TIF or J-PEG file.
- Each file is opened and inspected to check the density, contrast and color a final time.
- The photos are dust spotted (this is not corrective artwork).
- The files are placed on CD, DVD or hard drive.
Here is the price schedule for converting materials into digital files:
These prices include scanning the original, the creation of TIF or J-PEG files (you choose), placing the files on CD, DVD, memory stick or hard drive. These prices do not include the cost of artwork to correct dirty, scratched or damaged originals. Artwork costs will be gladly given after inspecting the materials presented and before work is commenced. There will be an additional charge for supplying both TIF and J-PEG files for an order. All orders include one disc, additional discs are $10 each.
| cost for | cost for | cost for | cost for | cost for | cost for | cost for | cost for |
| 1 item | 2-5 items | 6-20 items | 21-50 items | 51-99 items | 100+ items | 200+ items | 300+ items |
| $25 | $15/item | $10/item | $5.50/item | $3.50/item | $2.25/item | $2/item | $1.75/item |
The fine print:
- We cannot guarantee that our DVDs will play on all DVD players. There are a number of programs available on line to prep files for display on a DVD player. (See How can I view my digital files? and What are TIF or J-Peg file formats? in the FAQ section for additional information).
- Original items to be photographed that are larger than 20”x24” in size, items in frames or items on thick backings may incur additional camera costs.
- Production time for orders is dependent on the size of the order, the time of year and the amount of work B&L Photo has received before your order is placed. An estimated delivery time will be provided when an order is placed. Rush order may be fitted into our schedule. Please advise us if your order is needed for a specific date. Rush orders must be paid in full when the order is placed.
- Correction of damaged original items is not included in the costs shown above. Damage includes but is not limited to scratches, cracks, tears, stains, water marks, mold, mildew, insect damage or fire damage. B&L Photo will gladly quote on the costs for copying and restoring any damaged original before work is commenced.
- Return shipping of finished orders will be by USPS. Shipping and handling will be added to the cost of an order. Insurance, if requested, will be added to the cost of an order.
- Your files will be archived at B&L Photo for 60 days after delivery of your order.
