We offer three scan sizes for every format: BIG, BIGGER and TIFF. A table overview of the difference between the sizes is below. These are all pixel ratios shown at 300 dpi.
Differences by Scanner
These exact dimensions of your photos will depend on which scanner your film is scanned on.
The Noritsu has only three different size settings (small, medium, and large) for 35mm and 2 (small and large) for 120. The exact dimensions of these scans are baked into the scanner itself, so we can only select between the three pre-defined resolutions.
The Frontier, on the other hand, does allow for custom scan sizes, but the maximum resolution of the Frontier is lower than the maximum scan size of the Noritsu for all formats (135, 120, APS).
We will always use our Noritsu for every B&W and E-6 roll as, in our experience, and many others, it is objectively better for both types of film. The Noritsu does a much better job at replicating how slide film looks, compared to the Frontier, which is generally more likely to introduce colour casts. The Noritsu also does a much better job retaining shadow detail and introducing less noise into the image.
The Noritsu also does a better job of capturing the tonal range of B&W negatives. We’ve found the Frontier naturally has very muddy shadows and seems to compress a lot of the shadows and highlights. Unless you really want Frontier B&W/E-6 scans we will do your rolls on the Noritsu (it’s for your own good, trust us!)
For C-41, it’s much more a question of preference. While the Noritsu scanner definitely outputs a higher-quality image, no one can deny that the Frontier does an absolutely fantastic job of rendering colour. When people think of the ‘film look’, a big part of that is the Frontier colour. For this reason, we will happily use whichever machine you prefer. However, by default, we will do BIGGER and 120 scans on the Noritsu because of the significant increase in image quality (we want you to get your money’s worth!).
Noritsu HS1800
Pros
Tones are more neutral and flat
Skin tones are more peach or pink toned
Colours are softer and lighter
Slightly higher resolution than the Frontier
Perfect for black & white, with great shadow detail
Great results for slide film
Black point is more muted and can deviate to greenish on underexposed images
The grain is sharper and more noticeable on higher ISO emulsions
Amazing for scanner 120 film – much higher resolution than the frontier
Cons
Only scans 35mm and 120 film
The maximum resolution does not compare to drum scanners
Fuji Frontier SP3000
Pros
Fantastic colour and tonality for colour-negative film
Maintains highlight detail very well
Colours are more vivid, punchy or saturated
Skin tones are more golden
Black point is very rich (there tends to be a bluer black in the black shadow areas)
The grain is always smooth and clean due its grain suppression algorithm
Scans an entire roll in a matter of minutes
Cons
Slightly lower resolution than the Noritsu. If you want BIGGER 35mm or 120 scans on the Frontier, the image quality/resolution will be worse than from the BIGGER Noritsu scans.
Not great for B&W negatives, they come out with a tint and are a bit muddy due to a lack of shadow detail
Also not great for E6. The backlight is just not strong enough to capture the finer shadow detail in E6 film
Scanning anything but 35mm requires manual advancement of the roll so more time consuming.
Print size guide – Approximate Maximum Size We Would Recommend – 35mm
Scanner
BIG
BIGGER
Frontier
8 x 12/A4
12 x 18/A3
Noritsu
8 x 12/A4
16 x 24/A2
If you are wanting prints larger than the sizes listed above you will need to use our high resolution scanning service which is charged out at a per frame rate. Using those scans you will be able to print up to A0 from even a 35mm negative
Explaining Print Size, Resolution and DPI
DPI and PPI
This can be a confusing topic. Essentially DPI doesn’t mean anything unless you’re printing. Digital files aren’t measured in inches. DPI stands for “Dots Per Inch” and it’s the number of ink dots per inch in a print. PPI means “Pixels per inch” and it refers to the digital resolution of an image on a screen. It’s simply a measure of printing resolution. Some printers print at different dpis but the standard across most and the ones we use is 300dpi
When the PPI of your digital file is the same as the DPI of a print, it means that one pixel and one ink dot are the same. So in an ideal world, your PPI/DPI would be the same size or larger than the size you are printing for the best resolution. When your file is smaller than the size you want to print, each pixel will become multiple dots of ink, and the more dots of ink per pixel, the softer the image will be. Viewing distance is also to be taken into consideration. if you were to do a large print at 150dpi, it would show pixels close up, but the further you walk away, it will look like a transparent file.
For example, our BIG 35mm scans have a resolution of 2400×3600 pixels at 300dpi and our BIGGER scans are 6774×4492 at 300dpi
So why does it say a funny dpi like 72 DPI in Photoshop?
The 72 DPI value in your file properties is an arbitrary placeholder in the file’s metadata. Many decades ago, 72 PPI computer monitors were the standard so it became a default placeholder. This measurement does not have anything to do with the resolution of your file; what you want to be looking at is the pixel ratio of your file
If you want to see how big your file will print at a certain DPI (let’s use 300). Divide the dimensions by 300 dpi. If you were to take our 2400px x 3600px scans. 2400px/300dpi is 8 inches and 3600px/300dpi is 12 inches. So the standard scans will print perfectly at A4/8″ x 12″. You can go bigger, however, then the DPI will decrease slightly, meaning you will not have an as crisp print.
JPG vs TIFF
By default, all our files are delivered as JPGs because, in 99% of cases, JPGs are sufficient.
However, we do offer TIFFs as a scanning option. These are scanned at the exact resolution as our BIGGER scans but are saved as an uncompressed TIFF file rather than JPG.
TIFFs allow more latitude in editing, especially if you are making significant brightness and colour changes, as there is more information in the file, and you will be able to make bigger changes before the image begins to break down. TIFFs will also have more/grain noise as they are not compressed like JPGs. This means you will likely have to apply your own noise reduction + sharpening, but you’ll be able to do this more accurately and refinedly. The Noritsu doesn’t do a great job of noise reduction and sharpening – it uses pretty blunt algorithms, so making your own noise reduction and sharpening should lead to a higher-quality scan, albeit requiring a lot more effort!
The main downside to TIFFs is that the file sizes are HUGE. We’re talking multiple gigabytes per 35mm roll. Not only that, but most photo viewers can not correctly display them. So please only opt for TIFFs if you know all the drawbacks!
Please note we can only output TIFFs from our Noritsu scanner.
What Scanner is Best for Each Process
C-41
You can use any of the above scanners. We find that when people talk about the “film” look, people are referring to the colour of the frontier. However, the Noritsu may be the way to go if you like a slightly flatter and more neutral look.
E-6/Slide film
The Noritsu or a drum scan wins hands down. The light source isn’t optimised for slide on the Frontier. The Noritsu produces more accurate results than the physical slides without as much editing.
B&W
The Noritsu also wins for B&W. It can get more shadow detail out of the negative and doesn’t have the tint that the Frontier gives it. We also have more controls on the Noritsu for B&W to change the shadows, highlights, contrast and tone curves.
Film Scan Resolution Guide
How big are your scans?
We offer three scan sizes for every format: BIG, BIGGER and TIFF. A table overview of the difference between the sizes is below. These are all pixel ratios shown at 300 dpi.
Differences by Scanner
These exact dimensions of your photos will depend on which scanner your film is scanned on.
The Noritsu has only three different size settings (small, medium, and large) for 35mm and 2 (small and large) for 120. The exact dimensions of these scans are baked into the scanner itself, so we can only select between the three pre-defined resolutions.
The Frontier, on the other hand, does allow for custom scan sizes, but the maximum resolution of the Frontier is lower than the maximum scan size of the Noritsu for all formats (135, 120, APS).
We will always use our Noritsu for every B&W and E-6 roll as, in our experience, and many others, it is objectively better for both types of film. The Noritsu does a much better job at replicating how slide film looks, compared to the Frontier, which is generally more likely to introduce colour casts. The Noritsu also does a much better job retaining shadow detail and introducing less noise into the image.
The Noritsu also does a better job of capturing the tonal range of B&W negatives. We’ve found the Frontier naturally has very muddy shadows and seems to compress a lot of the shadows and highlights. Unless you really want Frontier B&W/E-6 scans we will do your rolls on the Noritsu (it’s for your own good, trust us!)
For C-41, it’s much more a question of preference. While the Noritsu scanner definitely outputs a higher-quality image, no one can deny that the Frontier does an absolutely fantastic job of rendering colour. When people think of the ‘film look’, a big part of that is the Frontier colour. For this reason, we will happily use whichever machine you prefer. However, by default, we will do BIGGER and 120 scans on the Noritsu because of the significant increase in image quality (we want you to get your money’s worth!).
Noritsu HS1800
Pros
Cons
Fuji Frontier SP3000
Pros
Cons
Print size guide – Approximate Maximum Size We Would Recommend – 35mm
If you are wanting prints larger than the sizes listed above you will need to use our high resolution scanning service which is charged out at a per frame rate. Using those scans you will be able to print up to A0 from even a 35mm negative
Explaining Print Size, Resolution and DPI
DPI and PPI
So why does it say a funny dpi like 72 DPI in Photoshop?
JPG vs TIFF
By default, all our files are delivered as JPGs because, in 99% of cases, JPGs are sufficient.
However, we do offer TIFFs as a scanning option. These are scanned at the exact resolution as our BIGGER scans but are saved as an uncompressed TIFF file rather than JPG.
TIFFs allow more latitude in editing, especially if you are making significant brightness and colour changes, as there is more information in the file, and you will be able to make bigger changes before the image begins to break down. TIFFs will also have more/grain noise as they are not compressed like JPGs. This means you will likely have to apply your own noise reduction + sharpening, but you’ll be able to do this more accurately and refinedly. The Noritsu doesn’t do a great job of noise reduction and sharpening – it uses pretty blunt algorithms, so making your own noise reduction and sharpening should lead to a higher-quality scan, albeit requiring a lot more effort!
The main downside to TIFFs is that the file sizes are HUGE. We’re talking multiple gigabytes per 35mm roll. Not only that, but most photo viewers can not correctly display them. So please only opt for TIFFs if you know all the drawbacks!
Please note we can only output TIFFs from our Noritsu scanner.
What Scanner is Best for Each Process
C-41
E-6/Slide film
B&W
Default Scanners Per Process