Enlarging old slides
How far can a 35mm slide go? Further than most people expect, provided the slide was sharp to begin with.
A small frame with a lot in it.
A 35mm slide is only about 36mm by 24mm, yet well-exposed slide film can hold fine detail and rich colour. The print size you can reach depends less on the age of the slide than on how sharp the original shot was, and on how close people will stand to it.
Sizes, shape and scale
The frame has a 3:2 shape, so some sizes take the whole picture and others trim it. Here is what each size means, with 190gsm photo gloss as a price guide.
| Print size | Enlargement (long edge) | Crop needed? | Photo gloss 190gsm |
|---|---|---|---|
| A2 | About 16.5 times | A little off the long edge | £17 |
| 30in x 20in | About 21 times | None | £24 |
| 40in x 30in | About 28 times | Yes, it is a squarer shape | £38 |
| 60in x 40in | About 42 times | None | £60 |
The film also needs scanning first. A 35mm slide fits inside A7, the smallest size on our drum scanning list, at £12.00 per scan. Larger formats such as 6x6 slides need less enlargement to reach the same print size, so they go further.
Guide prices from our price list. They exclude VAT and delivery and assume print-ready artwork.
Sorting the box
- Hold slides up to a lightbox or a bright white screen, using a magnifier if you have one.
- Look at the eyes in portraits and any fine edges in landscapes. If those are soft at this size, they will be soft on the wall.
- Set aside any with white, web-like growth. That can be mould, and it should not sit with clean film.
- Keep the original order and any notes on the mounts. They may be the only record of who and where.
- Pick a small number for scanning. A handful of good frames beats a hundred average ones.
Try not to run favourites through an old projector for long. Projector lamps are hot and bright, and neither is kind to old dyes.
What age does, and what can be done
Colour dyes shift with time, and many old slides have drifted warm or towards magenta. Colour correction on the scan can bring much of this back. Dust and small scratches can usually be retouched. Mould etching and heavy fading are harder, because the image itself has been altered. For the choice between matching the film and correcting it, see drum scanning transparencies.
Is a drum scan always needed?
No. For sharing with family, a simpler scan will do. A drum scan pays off when one image is going big, and drum scan or flatbed scan sets out the difference. For the print itself, large photo paper prints covers the paper choices.
Old film, new scale.
Your questions.
Do I have to take the slides out of their mounts?
Please leave them as they are and let us know the mount type. Slides usually come out of their mounts for a drum scan, and it is best handled as part of the job.
My slides have gone red. Are they ruined?
Not necessarily. A colour cast is often correctable on the scan, though very faded film will not return to how it first looked.
Can I have a whole carousel scanned?
Tell us how many slides you have. Drum scanning is priced per scan and suits your best frames, so you may want to choose a selection first.