Frequently Asked Questions

Got a question? Here are some answers!

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Store & Shipping FAQs

Yes, our refund and returns policy last 30 days. If 30 days have passed since your purchase, we can’t offer you a full refund or exchange. We do not offer returns or refund for change of mind. 

 

Please note, we are unable to offer refunds for purchases of sale items, clearance items, gift cards and darkroom booking times.

We only replace items if they are defective or damaged. If you need to exchange it for the same item, send us an email at or****@th*****************.nz and post your item to:

The Black and White Box
127B Newton Road
Eden Terrace
Auckland 1010

All our prices are per roll, unless otherwise stated. If you order in lots of 5, we’re more than happy to give you that beautiful pro pack box.

If your order hasn’t been shipped yet, we can easily change the address. If it has shipped we will have to call the courier company and see if they can change it before it has been delivered.

Please email through the changes you need to make as soon as possible.

You will be sent a tracking number via email by our courier system GoSweetSpot. It can sometimes go into your spam or junk, so please double check. If you still can’t find it, please contact us and we can send it through.

Yes! Click and collect is available on the online shop when you are checking out.

Please get in touch as soon as possible with your order number and photos of the damage and we can take it from there!

Film Processing FAQs

To get your film to us you have a few options; either drop it off to one of our handy drop off locations, send it to us via mail, or come and hand it to us personally in store!

For further information on how you can get your film to us, head over to the Film Processing page.

C-41:
Anywhere from 4 – 5 working days.*

B&W:
Anywhere from 4 – 5 working days.*

E-6:
Processed once a week on a Wedneday afternoon. All film must be in by Tuesday afternoon and can be expected the day after processing.

*Turn-around times may vary depending on the volume of jobs in the lab. When your film is with us, ready to be processed, you will receive an email with payment details and an exact time you can expect your scans to be delivered by.

Once your film arrives safely in-store we will let you know via email, within which we will also provide information on how to complete your payment, and when you can expect to have your scans/negatives delivered back to you.

No. As a small independent business we try to keep our prices as low and competitive as possible. We take the time and care in every roll whether you drop off 1 or 50.

Unfortunately, we do not. If we found a slide mounting machine we would offer it. However, they are so rare these days.

Absolutely! Pushing/pulling is an extra $2.50 per stop. Pushed or pulled.

Yes we sure do, it has to be developed by itself in our Jobo processor so there is an extra charge. It comes under the Alternate Formats price on our film processing pricelist.

Pushing and pulling is the term used for over-developing (pushing) or under-developing (pulling) film when it has been incorrectly exposed or shot at a different ISO to the box speed.

We can develop all of the following types of film in C-41/B&W/E-6, 35mm, 120, 220, 110. 126, 127, APS, 4×5, 5×7, 8×10.

You’ve got a few options on how you can get your negatives back.

Pick up (FREE): To collect your negatives feel free to pop in-store and pick them up, free of charge.

Courier : If you’re too busy to pick up your negs we are happy to send them back via Post Haste tracked Courier service. Negatives will be flat packed for their protection and be back with you before you know it.

Negative Archival Service: If you’re not too fussed about getting your negs back straight away we are more than happy to keep them safe for you in our archives. We can keep your negs stored with us for a maximum of one year, after which we will dispose of them.

Our go-to B&W developer is Kodak HC-110, as we have found this gives our customers the best overall results.

Film Scanning FAQs

The scan size you will need depends on what you will be using the photographs for!

Big Scans:

This resolution (approximately 3600 x 2400px) is perfect for when you need a resolution boost for things such as medium professional prints, design work or just for general, professional purpose. These scans exceed the screen resolution needed for high-quality work posting on social media or websites. Capable of printing in perfect quality in A4 and beyond.

Bigger Scans:

This resolution (approximately 6770 x 4400px) is perfect for professional projects/commercial work where you demand the maximum amount of detail out of your images. Produces exceptional quality print work for exhibitions and larger scale prints up to A1 and A2 in size, and is capable of being pushed even slightly beyond.

Size approximations above will change depending on the film format. If you need scans even bigger than ‘Bigger’, contact us directly about our drum scanning services.

We use a Fuji Frontier SP 3000 for all ‘big’ C-41 35mm scans. This is a state of the art film scanner that renders beautiful tones, dynamic range and has inbuilt infrared dust removal technology.

We use a Noritsu HS-1800 for all E-6, black and white, and 120 film; as well as for ‘bigger’ and TIFF scans. The Nortisu HS-1800 is another state of the art scanner capable of scanning at even higher resolutions, and at a faster rate than the Frontier. It is especially great at capturing shadow detail and accurately reproducing colour, which is why we use it for scanning E-6 and black and white film.

We sure can! Simply indicate your desired preferences in the ‘Scanning Preferences’ section on the order form, and from here we can tailor our scanning service just for you!

If you’re going for a particular look for your images you are more than welcome to contact us with some reference images which we can use while scanning.

For any further information you would like to tell us about your film or your order please drop us a line in the order form’s comment section.

All scans are delivered via file sharing service WeTransfer.

Once your photos are scanned and ready to go you will receive a WeTransfer link where you can download all of your files – but be quick; this link is only valid for 4 weeks!

If for some reason you have not received your link within 24 hours of the due date, check your spam folder and contact us immediately. Any scans that have not been downloaded within the 1 week download period will incur a $10 re-upload fee.

Upon request an alternative service to WeTransfer such as Dropbox can be used – please let us know on your order form if you would prefer this.

We do! See our pricelist for more information on processing these formats.

Printing FAQs

Photographic Prints:
Fulfilled in 2 – 3 working days.

Fine Art Prints:
These can take anywhere from 4-5 working days to be completed depending on quantity and paper stock selected.

If you require a rushed job, please contact us to find out more about our rush services and fees.

There are many different options when it comes to printing your work, but that’s why we are here to help you through it! To give you all the answers and information, the best thing to do is come and see us in store so we can sit together and discuss your options.

By understanding the purpose of your prints we can work out the best service for you, ensuring that together we can achieve your desired outcome.

There are a few variables when it comes to printing; for example, quantity, size, and paper stock. These are all taken into account when working out the cost of a print job.

Take a look at our Printing page, for more information about services and their costs.

Most certainly! Head onto our store page and order yourself a sample print pack. This pack consists of both colour and black & white prints on our photographic paper and fine art stocks, and a complete guide on the paper characteristics, allowing you to make the most informed paper decision possible.

We sure can! We can do them at A4/8” x 12”, 10” x 24” and 10” x 44”. Contact us to get a test print done.

You can send us your artwork via our WeTransfer link here

Or you can order them on our online store here

Let us know what type of printing, paper and size you require and we will get back to you to finalise your order!

You can also flick us an email at or****@th*****************.nz or call us on (09) 525 0289 so we can run you through the process.

 
Colour Space
For printing we need sRGB or Adobe 1998 colour spaces. None of our equipment uses the CMYK colour space.
 

Our preference is sRGB as this has the closest gamut to photographic paper. Adobe RGB and ProPhoto have a colour gamut that is larger than photographic paper.

Format
JPEG or TIFF (TIFF files should be 8-bit, flattened and saved as IBM PC with no LZW compression)

A colour shift from computer screen to prints usually indicates that your monitor is not calibrated correctly, and often you don’t realize this until it’s too late!

As photographers ourselves we understand how important colour is; we want our digital images to be replicated exactly the same on paper. Part of our goal is to educate, and demystify the world of colour!

Perhaps the most important difference between digital and physical image is that a computer screen is backlit, while a print is viewed with reflected light. This means that generally, prints will come out darker than what you see on your monitor.

To ensure you’re always seeing your images how we are, we’re more than happy to assist you in calibrating your monitor; just come along and see us in store so we can provide you with our x-rite calibration system.

If you don’t want to calibrate your monitor, consulting with us and viewing your photos on our screens in-store is the best way to ensure your photos come out how just as you envision they will.

Need Help?

Email us at or****@th*****************.nz with your order number or give us a call on 09 525 0289 if it’s urgent! 

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