Photo Restoration and scanning services: negative and slide examples

Negatives and slides are scanned at a higher resolution (between 1350 dpi to 5400 dpi) as they are designed to be enlarged. Deciding the best resolution to scan a negative or slide depends on the required size of the finished image, the image subject matter and degree of restoration required. Negatives are converted to a positive image as part of the scanning process.

Like photos, negatives and slides are also subject to scratches, dust, mould, foxing, chemical colour change and fading damage. Some slide and negative damage such as colour fading and dust removal, can be removed and fixed at the scanning stage. More significant damage may require a quick touch up with Photoshop to get the best results.

The black and white images above were taken from 1950s negatives. The two images on the left show the image before and after conversion from a negative to a positive; while the two examples on the right show before and after image enhancement.

This slide from the 1960s and demonstrates the benefits of photo restoration and repair. The original slide on the left had mould damage and colour fading and was taken in harsh lighting. In the middle image below the age defects were first removed, the shadows were lightened and the image was then cropped to improve the overall composition. Finally, in the image on the bottom right the lady in the background was removed.