Timescales : How long does it take?

How long does it take?

We currently have 23 orders in our processing queue and are waiting to receive another 15 orders, therefore have an expected lead time of around 12 days. As such, items that we physically receive today are being given an expected completion date of between the 15th November and the 19th November 2026


The figures below are a live direct feed from our processing system and show the total number of photographs, slides and film negatives that we are currently scanning or are held in our processing queue. The figures will update once an order is completed or when new orders arrive and are booked into the system.


Photographs : 562


35mm slides : 4,670


Other film negatives : 5,985


Total number of items to scan : 11,217


Orders in progress and queued for processing : 23


Orders placed but not yet arrived : 15






Next Day Service

If you are in a hurry or have an urgent deadline to meet then our Next Day Service will prioritise your order. Next Day orders are prioritised and are normally started when we receive them. Please see our Next Day Service page for more details.





Please Note: The unpredictability of scanning old films sometimes means it takes us longer than expected to complete an order, this can cause a delay on subsequent orders and can cause us to miss our estimated completion dates.

We cannot predict when an order will arrive with us, a sudden influx of orders arriving with us, or a number of "Next Day" orders can also cause us to miss the completion dates.

Some larger orders are simply estimates by the customer on the perceived quantity of items. It is not uncommon for some orders to be considerably larger than what was originally ordered. Such orders obviously take us longer to complete and will extend the completion date of subsequent orders.

If you have a deadline to meet, it is always best to mention this when placing the order so we can try to fit your order in around other non urgent orders.

The times stated above are estimates and are subject to change without notice. We cannot be held responsible for any order which exceeds the times stated above.

What do we scan ?


Photographs / Prints

We scan all sizes of photographs, colour or black and white, provided they are at least 2" in size. Albums and mounted photographs are scanned using our large flatbed scanning service. All scans are made at 600dpi, meaning you get a larger, clearer image that will look great on your mobile device, PC screen, or TV. They can also be reprinted at least twice the size of the original.

Slides

All sizes of mounted slides are scanned, from regular 35mm projector slides to 60mm medium-format slides. Half-frame slides, 126 slides, 110 slides, and 127 "Super slides" are also scanned. All 40mm frames are scanned at 4000 dpi, giving a large image suitable for all uses. Due to their larger original size, 60mm frames are scanned at 3200 dpi, which helps to maintain a reasonable final file size.

Film negatives / Transparencies

We scan all negative sizes from 110 instamatic, up to 8 x 10-inch Large Format film. Colour, monochromatic (black and white) and transparency film are commonplace. The most common is the easily recognisable twin sprocket 35mm film, but we can also scan 110 / 126 instamatic, varying medium format film sizes from 6 x 4.5cm up to 6 x 12cm and 4 x 5 inch; Large format film, though we don't process any form of cine or VHS film.

Why convert your images to digital?

Having your film negatives, slides or photos scanned and converted to digital images preserves them before they deteriorate and fade away. This allows you to view and share them using today's digital equipment, such as computers, TVs, Digital photo frames and mobile devices.
You can upload them to social networking sites like Facebook, X (Twitter), Snapchat, WhatsApp, or Instagram or share them with anyone you wish using our Online access system. The images can also be used for presentational use with high-resolution projection systems and are suitable for publishing, either as a personal photograph album or for commercial use.

Having your images scanned to digital allows you to distribute copies of the images to friends and family. It can make an excellent birthday, anniversary or Christmas gift for a family member or friend.

The scanning process

All films are cleaned before scanning. We use an Infrared system for colour films to detect and remove most of the remaining dust and scratch defects, resulting in a clearer image. The infrared system is not available for black-and-white film scans. All items are scanned using high-quality scanners at 4000 dpi for 35 mm-based film/slides, 3200 dpi for medium format films, and 600 dpi for photographs. We use scanners designed solely for scanning the type of film or photograph, not a general-purpose flatbed scanner. We then automatically adjust the colours, brightness and contrast levels in Adobe Photoshop®.

What you get back

The images are scanned and processed as 16-bit TIFF files, then converted to standard JPG files for return. You are free to use the images for any purpose. Professional users can also select to have the images returned in the original TIFF format.

All images are available to view or download online for 30 days and can also be returned on either a disc, USB memory stick or SD card.

After we return your images to you we keep a copy of them on our secure servers for up to 2 years. So should you lose your images, we can replace them for you without having to rescan your images.

Who uses our services?

We work with a wide variety of customers, including private individuals, businesses, professional and amateur photographers, publishing houses, local government, the NHS, commercial printers, museums and archives, charities, and organisations.

Some recent customers include British Museum, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Haynes Manuals, Harewood House Trust, Cumbrian Railway Association, Watts & Co Ltd, University of Edinburgh, University of Central Lancashire, University of Oxford, Seymour Powell Ltd, Henry Poole & Co

Film Scan UK has been providing professional film and photo scanning services for almost 20 years. Originally trading as Exposure 22, we changed to the Film Scan UK name when we moved to filmscanuk.co.uk, choosing a name that more clearly reflects what we do.

No job is too big or too small for us. We regularly handle small orders of a handful of images to complete archives of many thousands of images from high-profile publishing houses, museum archives, universities, various private organisations, charities, and individuals.


Common Questions


How long does it take?

We normally try to complete each order within 10 working days, but this may be longer at peak times or if we have received a number of large orders. You can check our current estimated times here. If you are in a hurry you can select our Next day service.

Do you return the originals?

Yes, all original images are returned unless you specifically request us not to return them.

Do I need to register and place an order online?

No, you can simply send everything to us without registering.

Some of the images are faded, can you fix them?

Yes, all scans include Photoshop colour restoration, though extremely faded or colour cast images may require extra processing should you wish to restore them fully.

Do you lock the images or can I do what I want with them?

They are standard digital JPG or TIFF files which you can view and edit as you would any digital image. We place no restriction on editing, copying or sharing of the images, they are yours to use however you wish.