Frequently Asked Questions for Slide Scanning

ScanCafe answers your questions

ScanCafe receives a number of slide scanning questions, and we have posted a list of TOP FAQs here for slide scanning. These frequently asked questions will be helpful, but feel free to send us a message if you have additional slide scanning questions.

1. Do you scan medium format slides?

Yes. We scan 35mm slides. We also scan 110, 126, 127 slides. Finally, we do scan 120/220 medium format slides.

2. What is resolution or dpi and which dpi should I choose?

DPI means dots per inch, and you should always select the highest dpi that works for that particular media for slide scanning. Specific to slides, our experience has shown that the maximum dpi you should use is 3000dpi. If you go higher than 3000 dpi, the resolution becomes too fine tuned and you start to see the microscopic permutations on the slide.

3. If I have the image on negative film and on a slide which one should I scan?

It is always better to scan the negative film, but slide scans also produce very high quality. The major difference is that the intense light from slide projectors can discolor the slide. Therefore, you will get a better scan from the negative film. You can check out negative scanning and photo scanning solutions if you need more information.

4. My slides are very old. Can you remove mold from my old slides?

If you have mold build up or crusted dust that is difficult to get off with a jet of air, we will use a special film cleaner such as “Rexton Anti-Static Film Cleaner for Black & White and Color Film”. A lint free cloth will then be used and we will wipe gently along the length of the slide. We will not apply the cleaner in a swirling motion because this will scratch the surface. In certain cases, the mold build up will be so extreme that we will need to do advanced photo restoration.

5. How do you know the correct orientation for scanning slides?

Most slides will bear a brand logo or the phrase "this side facing the screen." It is this side of the film that the scanner detector should read. The actual insertion procedure will vary from scanner to scanner.

6. Many of my slides are extremely faded, how are you able to restore the colors?

ScanCafe's service is unique because we provide free, manual color correction and restoration for each slide although a small number of slides require more advanced restoration work. It works the same way as our photo restoration, but the image comes from the slide.

Color restoration can be done during the scanning process using the scanner hardware or after the scanning process using an image editing software like Adobe Photoshop. At ScanCafe, we do both. We use Kodak Digital ICE™ which is built into our Nikon scanners, and we use Photoshop photo editing software after the image is scanned.

7. I scanned my own slides, but I noticed the image is getting cropped and I don't see the entire slide image? How does ScanCafe do it?

Most slides are of the standard size and the film is rectangular. Some slides are square in shape (super slides) and some are rectangular in the vertical direction. The Nikon 5000ED does not scan the entire area of these non-standard sized slides. To fix this, ScanCafe uses a Nikon 9000ED slide scanner on irregular sized slides. The 9000ED is a great piece of equipment but it is expensive so you should let ScanCafe scan these image types for you.

8. Do you scan glass slides or glass mounted slides?

At this time, we do not scan glass sides.

9. How should I pack my slides?

See our packing slides page for shipping tips.

10. How can I track my images?

We have door-to-door package tracking through UPS as well as on our website. More information can be found on our logistics page.

11. Can you tell me more about your India Operations?

Absolutely! See pictures and highlights on our India operations page.

If you have more questions, feel free to contact our customer support team, and we would be happy to answer your questions.