Film Services
Full Circle Photo Lab
Full Circle provides complete professional film services for traditional photographers. We support the creative needs of photographers working with analog processes including alternative and historical techniques.
The studio continues to offer in-house processing of negative color (C41) and B&W film, with multiple scanning options, and partnered support for slide processing.
Drop off film
You can drop off film in the studio anytime during open business hours. We also have a convenient film drop in our door for after hours drop off. If using the film drop please secure your film in an envelope or bag and include a detailed note with contact information and services needed. We will email you an online invoice. We also accept shipped film. Please see our Mail-in Film tab for more information.
Processing & Scanning
We process film on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays to ensure a prompt, reliable turn around time for you. Most services are complete in 1-3 business days. For more information on exact turnaround times, please see our Film Prices tab.
File Transfer & Pick-up
Scans will be delivered to your email via WeTransfer. (CD and Flashdrive options also available). If you chose the process only option, you will receive a text message when your negatives are ready for pick up. We hold your negatives for 60 days to give you ample time to pick up at the studio.
Film Processing & Scanning Price List
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Preview Roll Scan $8.00
If in by 1pm on M/W/F, ready the next day. 1500px, equivalent to 6″ print
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Premium Roll Scan $15.00
3-4 business days. 3000px, equivalent to 12″ print
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Professional 120 Scan $22.00
5-6 business days. 6000px, equivalent to 20″ print
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Professional 35mm Scan $25.00
5-6 business days. 6000px, equivalent to 20″ print. Delivered as TIFF file.
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Preview Strip Scan $2.00
Scan of 3-7 frame strip. If in by 1pm on M/W/F, ready the next day. 1500px, equivalent to 6″ print
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Premium Strip Scan $3.00
Scan of 3-7 frame strip. 3-4 business days. 3000px, equivalent to 12″ print
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Professional Strip Scan $5.00
Scan of 3-7 frame strip. 5-6 business days. 6000px, equivalent to 20″ print. Delivered as TIFF file.
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Printed Contact Sheet $15.00
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Digital Contact Sheet $12.00
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Push/Pull Per Stop $5.50
Adds one additional processing day to turnaround time
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Cross Processing Surcharge $5.50
Adds one additional processing day to turnaround time
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Cut & Sleeve $5.00
Cut negatives into strips and put in print file. Adds one processing day to turnaround time.
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Same Day Rush 100% Surcharge
In by 10am, out by 3pm. Only available on M/W/F.
Answers to your most common questions
Blank film is usually caused by an error in the film loading process, or from a malfunction in the camera’s advancing system. Though less common, it could also be the result of the shutter not functioning correctly.
Push processing is when a film is metered and shot at a higher ISO/ASA than it is rated at box speed, and processed according to the altered ISO rating. For example, if a roll of Tmax 400 is metered and shot at 800 speed, it will need to be pushed a stop in development to get properly exposed negatives, essentially overdeveloping the negative to compensate for underexposure in the camera. Conversely, pull processing is when film is shot at a lower speed than box speed, and is developed for the lower speed. Pushing film will increase contrast and grain, and cause colors on C41 film to be more saturated. Pulling film will decrease contrast, increase detail in the shadows, and make grain less noticeable. Pushing film is common in low light situations where a film’s native ISO rating may not be fast enough to provide a satisfactory shutter speed and aperture combination. Though each film stock is different, we recommend not pushing or pulling film more than two stops in either direction.
We are able to process C41 and traditional Black and White in house, with partnered support to develop E-6 film. We accept almost any sized formats that require these processes, including 110, APS film, 220, 620, 4x5 and more. If you have a format that seems older or discontinued, just give us a call and we can reference you to a partner if it is something we cannot process.
Of course! We hold your negatives for 60 days to allow ample time to come pick them up. If you shipped film to us, we can happily ship your negatives back to you.
Over and underexposures are simply frames that have been exposed to either too much or too little light. Overexposures occur when too much light is allowed to be exposed onto the film, resulting in a dense and grainy negative. Underexposures are the opposite, not enough light is getting to the film which will give you a thin negative with little to no detail in the shadow areas. When unsure of the perfect exposure, it is usually best to err on the side of overexposure; both color and black and white films have wide exposure latitudes that can give you good negatives despite being a little overexposed.
Frames overlapping each other is caused by the camera’s film advance system not positioning the film in the correct place. After exposing a frame, the camera is not allowing the film to advance enough to create space for a new exposure. With 120 film, if the frames are not reaching the end of the roll or starting too early, this can be caused if the arrow on the backing sheet of the film is not properly advanced to the indicated line on the camera while loading.
We offer three different sizes for film scans: preview, premium, and pro scans. Preview scans are 72dpi and 1500px wide, sized for a 4”x6” print. Premium scans are 72dpi and 3000px wide, sized for a 8”x12” print. Professional scans are our largest option, giving you a 72dpi and 6000px wide tiff file that can be printed up to 20”. We recommend preview scans for screen sharing and small prints, premium scans for medium sized prints, and pro scans for large scale prints.
Absolutely. If you decide you need more out of your negatives, you can always bring them back for additional services. We are a full service arts studio so just tell us your needs and we will help you find the best way to get there.
First, check your spam folder. If your scans are not there, just call us.
Film scans will be sent via WeTransfer. An email with a download link will appear in your inbox with your film scans included. Transfers expire a week after their initial sending so be sure to check your spam folder if you do not see it in your inbox. We can also make you a CD with your images on them, or put the data onto a flash drive (recommended for pro scans).
It is not uncommon for a roll to have one or more blank frames. Whether a result of severe underexposure, error in film advancement, or shooting with a lens cap on, these frames are not scanned along with the rest. Other errors in film handling or shooting such as light leaks or accidental exposures can also contribute to lost frames.
JPEG files are a compression format that can produce smaller and more versatile file sizes, but also result in a loss of information from the original file. TIFF files are a non-compression format that retains all information in the file on each save. TIFFs are of the highest quality, retaining all data and having the option of 8 or 16 bits per channel, though it comes at the cost of very large file sizes. While still capable of producing high quality images, JPEG files are recommended for screen sharing and smaller printmaking. TIFF files are recommended for large printmaking or archiving work that may need to be edited later.
We process film on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Color film that is dropped off prior to 1pm on these days will be guaranteed ready the next day. Black and white film takes 2-3 processing days to develop. E-6 film’s turnaround is 7-10 days. Premium and pro scans, and push/pull orders take an extra processing day to be completed.
No, we do not offer machine prints. We recommend taking the digital images we send you to any store with a photo kiosk for simple prints. We do offer archival, inkjet printing. See more information on fine art printing here.
No, sheet film needs to be the manufacturer 3 piece box. Film boxes will be returned to you. If you do not have a dark space to unload your film into the box we are happy to let you use our darkroom to do so.
Yes, you can drop off your film anytime during normal business hours.
If you'd like to drop off film after normal business hours, just use our film drop. Please ensure that your film is enclosed in a bag or envelope and that it has a clearly written note with your contact information (name, email, and phone) and the exact services you need. We will send you an invoice that can be paid online.
Yes, we accept mail-in film from anywhere in the United States. Simply print and complete our mail-in form and enclose it with your film.
When we receive your film we will send you an invoice to your email that can easily be paid online.
First off, please use a secure box or padded shipping envelope to send film. Never use a letter envelope as they can break open in shipping. We also recommend always requesting a tracking number when shipping with USPS.
We will ship your negatives back to you once your order is complete or you can chose to pick up in our studio. Negatives are always returned sleeved and uncut unless specified otherwise.
Trust us with your film from anywhere
Full Circle accepts your mailed-in film. Simply print and fill out the form below. (Don’t have a printer? Just include a detailed note with your contact information and the services your need) When we receive your film we will send you an invoice which can easily be paid online. After your film is processed we ship back the negatives to you.
We Provide the Most Comprehensive Service in the Industry
Get in touch with us for questions, comments, or just to say hello