It was once very popular to capture memories on slides and without a working slide projector, chances are you haven’t seen those images in years. We receive a lot of slide orders here at ScanDigital because once converted, you can enjoy these memories at the click of a mouse.  First I’ll share what a slide actually is and then go on to how I process them.

But first, check out this video that explains our slide scanning process:

A slide, which uses reveral film, is a mounted individual transparency meant to be projected onto a screen using a slide projector. It is a positive image on a transparent base. The Autochrome Lumière Process, patented in 1903, was one of the first additive color photography process available and remained the most popular until the invention of Kodachrome for still cameras in 1936. Kodachrome was the first commercially successful color film to use the subtractive method for producing color. Professional photographers often chose to use slides for images intended for reproduction in print media because the film has high resolution and high contrast.

The most common slides we get are 35mm mounted in cardboard. When scanning these slides, the first step is to sort through each stack and make sure that they are all facing the same direction so that they are inserted into the scanner correctly. Then I go through the stack again and remove all dust from the slides, using an air duster. I also sometimes have to use a non-abrasive wipe to remove excess dust that doesn’t come off with the air. If the slides are really old and extra dirty I use an emulsion cleaner to wipe them down and safely remove anything that is stuck to them. Preparation, including sorting and cleaning, is extremely important to capturing a good scan.

Next, I begin scanning them, making an individual folder for each stack depending on how the customer has labeled them. The scanners have to be monitored closely to ensure the sharpest scan possible. As each stack is going through the scanner, I look through each digital image and make sure that they were scanned correctly without any lines or dust spots. If all goes well the Nikon scanner will go through the stack automatically without having to be reset.

A less common form of slides we scan are the 2.25 inch slides. I clean these the same way but they are scanned differently. For these slides I use a flat bed Epson scanner, so only a couple can be scanned at a time.

After scanning is complete, we use Digital ICE to remove and dust and scratches from each individual image. Since many of the images I scan are old family snapshots that have been passed down through generations, it never surprises me to see slides that are dirty, scratched, and faded in color. Many are also deteriorating as a result of the aging process. Luckily we are able to use Digital ICE technology and computer editing to remove these blemishes during the process of converting the images to digital, protecting and preserving the memories forever. After I complete this first step of editing, the digital images are passed along to our editing technicians to further enhance the images by hand.

If you have any questions about this post, scanning slides, or anything about our service, feel free to contact me at 888.333.2808, by email at jenny@scandigital.com, or on Twitter at @DevirianSD. Hope you hear from you soon!