cover photo: have a nice day by popular doctor (cc by-sa 2.0), taken with lomography 400 color film on an olympus xa-4
oh, times are changing… most of the photo labs from the heyday of analog photography have closed their doors for good and it’s almost impossible to find a pharmacy that still develops film (see which stores still offer the service) here).
reading: 35mm film processing by economy mail
and perhaps the biggest change of all? Mail-in film processing has revolutionized the world of photography, as many labs have pivoted to accommodate the new way most people do business: online.
Sending your film in the mail for development is not an entirely new phenomenon; some professional photographers with a fierce allegiance to a certain lab have been doing this for decades. But today, there are places that exist online without even operating a physical location.
If you’re not so lucky to live in a place with an independent photo lab, or maybe you’re not happy with the results, mail order film processing is definitely worth considering.
Since most labs offer this service in some way, it can be overwhelming trying to find the best place to send your valuable film.
Don’t worry, we’ve put together a list of 12 best places to develop movies online, as well as some tips to make sure you’re happy. with the results we have included what types of films are accepted and prices for each ad. check it out below!
best places for mail order film development
Note: While we’ve done our best to provide the most accurate information possible, please check that prices and services haven’t changed before submitting your film to one of the labs on this list.
For each lab, we have listed what types of film are accepted (unaccepted formats are crossed out). we have also given the development price, as well as the prices of the cheapest and most expensive scans.
These figures are based on a roll of 35mm color film and scan prices include the cost of developing.
Here are our 12 favorite places for online movie development, listed in alphabetical order:
photo of the citizen
location: portland, OR
website: photo of citizens
We’ve already written about a citizen’s photo in our list of the best places for film development in portland (see here).
Offering the cheapest processing option on this list, a citizen’s photo could save you a lot of money if you scan your own film, but it still needs processing.
If you’re also interested in their scanning services, you’ll have two size options, both for a few dollars less than most of their competitors.
Which way you look at it, citizen’s photo is definitely one of the best places to get cheap movies by mail.
the dark room
location: san clemente, ca
website: the dark room
the darkroom is hands down the biggest name in the online movie development game. You’ve probably seen their ads or come across their extremely popular and informative instagram page.
Established in 1976, they were way ahead of the pack and switched to a fully online photo lab long before that was common. and since then, they have fully embraced this business model; they don’t even list a phone number to contact the lab.
The darkroom can develop almost any type of film you see and the scans come in three different sizes.
If you’re new to mail-order film processing, the darkroom is a great place to start, as they make the process incredibly easy, even offering free mailers to send your film.
photo of dwayne
Location: parsons, ks
website: dwayne’s photo
dwayne’s photo had the honor of revealing the last roll of kodachrome (r.i.p.) worldwide. This distinction has led to a lot of press, some cheesy merchandise, and even a Netflix movie about a photographer’s journey to Dwayne (watch the trailer below if you’re interested).
used the most attention to increase the presence of its online movie development services. both processing and scans are at the cheaper end of this list, with two scan sizes available.
the search lab
location: orem,ut
website: the search lab
Loved by many, many wedding film photographers, the find (film is not dead) lab is a fantastic high-end photo lab that develops film by mail.
Although they offer the most expensive scanning option on this list, you can certainly develop and scan your film for about the same price as most of the other photo labs mentioned.
The difference lies in the extremely customizable scan options, offering not only three different scan sizes, but also three levels of scan settings. the lowest and most economical option offers basic unmodified scans, the highest option offers color and density correction, as well as a custom color profile created to your particular preferences.
If you are looking for a high-end lab for online movie development and need the highest professional quality, you should check out the search lab.
gelatin laboratories
location: vauxhall, new jersey
location: gelatin labs
what do you think? Could you ever start a business with a family member? How about one as close as your father or son?
Whether you think the idea sounds novel or wretched, you have to respect the father-and-son team at the Jell-O labs for trying it.
With two generations who grew up in two very different time periods to be film photographers, Gelatine is blessed with the wisdom of the past, combined with a finger on the pulse of younger photographers.
services are simple with two scan sizes available. e-6 and large format slides are not accepted.
You’d be surprised how many photo labs are run by people who don’t take photos, which is why we always love to see a lab run by people who love shooting movies as much as we do.
independent film lab
location: montgomery, alabama
see also: where do i send my idaho state tax return?
location: independent film lab
indie film lab offers many options so you can get exactly what you need from your film developed by mail.
three scan sizes are available and they also offer a cheaper uncorrected scan option for 35mm color film.
If you’re short on time, expedited processing is available (for a fee), which is a good option, as the time it can take to develop your movie online is one of the biggest drawbacks.
although you can definitely order prints along with your scans, his side business, indie print co. It also has less common offerings like handmade leather camera straps and bags.
memphis film lab
location: cleveland, oh
website: memphis film lab
I bet you didn’t expect memphis film lab to be based in ohio, did you? the geographic location of this lab hardly matters because, in addition to an off-lab film drop box, it is effectively a fully online film processing service.
Three scan sizes are available, with .tiff files as an option for the largest size.
Although Memphis is already one of the cheapest places to get developed film by mail, it offers significant discounts for developing and scanning more than 10 rolls of 35mm color film.
If this is the type of film you normally shoot and shoot a lot, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better deal to develop and scan your film.
north coast photographic services
location: carlsbad, ca
website: north shore photo services
the north shore holds the title of the preferred photo lab of the man, the myth, the legend, ken rockwell. They’ve been in the game since Ken opened in 1978.
Two size scans are available, and there’s no question this is one of the most expensive places to get your film developed by mail.
It’s also worth noting that they’re only open Monday through Thursday, which can lead to quite long wait times for photos to be returned.
at the end of the day, if it’s good enough for ken, it’s probably good enough for us.
photographic vision
location: salem, OR
website: photographic vision
photographic viewing is neck and neck with the North Shore as the most expensive place for online film processing.
That said, you will be able to choose between two scan sizes and you can submit a preferred image for the technician to use as a reference while scanning your film.
While some labs may offer this level of customization on demand, we like that photo vision advertises the service as it really helps photographers get the exact look of their photos.
process one
location: overland park, ks
website: process one
all this talk about expensive film development is making my wallet ache…what a perfect opportunity to see the process one.
This is one of the cheapest online film development services you can find, and you’ll have just as hard a time finding prices like this in person.
This lab is as basic as a skeleton and only offers development and single size scans. That said, if cost is at the top of your list of considerations, you should definitely consider process one.
richard photo lab
location: santa clarita, ca
website: richard photo lab
richard photo lab has been in business since 1984 and has grown into a sizable operation that develops film by mail, as well as takes outsourced film from other labs that have ceased to operate the service in-house.
We’ve written about freestyle photography in our guide to Los Angeles (check it out here), and while they’re considered one of the best photo labs in town, it’s actually Richard Photo who does the heavy lifting.
You will have three sizes of scans to choose from and the prices are pretty standard compared to the other labs on this list.
state film laboratory
location: louisville, ky
last but not least, we have a state film lab, based in kentucky.
While they also operate a physical lab, this place is relatively new, opened less than a decade ago by a small team of photographers who built the lab they’ve always wanted.
Scans come in two different sizes and you can choose between intact scans or color and density corrected scans.
Prices are as average as they can get, making this a viable online film processing service for a variety of photographers.
Is it safe to develop movies by mail?
Now that you have a list of great places to get film developed online, you may be wondering: Is it safe to develop films by mail?
There is certainly a bit of trust involved in the process, but in all the years and all the hundreds of rolls we’ve developed by mail, we’ve never experienced a problem.
lost movie in the mail
Possibly the biggest concern when sending your film to be developed in the mail is that the package might get lost. to be completely frank, that’s a valid concern!
There are no official statistics on how much mail is lost each year, but almost everyone has experienced this problem at least once. it makes sense to hesitate a bit before sending something as valuable and irreplaceable as a movie by mail.
see also: usa Postal Service Implements New First-Class Package Service Standards and Updates Priority Mail Service Standards – Newsroom – about.usps.com
While packet loss is unfortunately out of your control, you can take a few precautions to minimize the chances of this happening:
- Please pay the additional fee to include tracking in your package. If lost film is a concern, it seems the additional fee is minimal in exchange for the peace of mind of knowing exactly where your valuable cargo is.
- Use an operator you trust. some people avoid shipping anything through usps, while some companies ship everything through the postal service. some are loyal to fed ex while others prefer ups. Regardless of your position, try to submit your film through the provider you feel most secure with.
- Please drop off your package in person, rather than have it picked up. Not everyone has the benefit of knowing (and trusting) their mail carrier. while this may be overkill, we always feel better taking important packages directly to the local post office or delivery service. this can sometimes help your package start its journey sooner.
There’s no denying that someone has lost rolls of film in the mail, but it’s never happened to us or to any of the photographers we’ve asked about it (which is more than a few).
There will always be a little fear that you’ll never see your film again, but we’ve found that the more often we develop the film in the mail, the less we worry about it.
If you ever have a movie that is priceless (we know, we know…all movies are priceless, but you know what we mean), it might be a better idea to find a lab you can visit in person.
x-ray damage
Another concern with leaving your precious photos in the mail is the use of x-rays in transit. you may have seen the signs when you went through the tsa at the airport:
“do you have film? undeveloped film can be damaged by security equipment. please remove it from your checked baggage.”
While we cannot guarantee exactly what happens once your film begins its journey to the lab, it seems unlikely that an x-ray examination will be performed. think of how many rolls of new film are ordered online every day and delivered with no problems…
That said, some people like to be more cautious and put a note on their package that says something like “package contains photographic film, please do not X-ray”.
There is no promise that your request will be honored, nor is there anything wrong with scrawling this message on your package, just to help give you a little more peace of mind.
If you’re still concerned about x-ray interference, another point to note is that, at least according to the tsa, film speeds of 800 or less will not be affected by x-rays. for the average analog shooter, it’s quite rare to shoot many movies (if any) above 800.
The bottom line is that x-ray damage should probably be pretty low on your list of concerns when developing films by mail.
what to look for when choosing a lab
So, you’ve decided to give online movie development a try. You’ve read the list of the best places to develop films by mail and you don’t know exactly which lab to choose; there are so many great options.
To help you decide which lab will be best for you, we recommend you think about these questions when researching your options:
what kind of film are you developing?
The labs we have listed above are quite inclusive and most offer developing and scanning of any modern film format. That said, there are some types of film that are not accepted at all of the labs on the list.
The most problematic formats for mail order processing are wide format film and e-6 slide film. Large format has logistical issues that make it more difficult to mail than other sizes, and e-6 is definitely the least common format used by most photographers.
Unless you record in one of these formats, you’ll almost certainly be able to use any of the labs we’ve listed. There is no problem developing color or black and white film by mail.
what do you need to do with your film?
Everyone has different needs when it comes to dropping off your film at a photo lab (in person or by mail). some people just need to develop and prefer to handle the scanning themselves. some need to be developed, scanned and printed all at once. some circumstances call for inexpensive scans, others call for the best scans money can buy.
Decide exactly what you need to do with your film before you decide which lab to send it to.
There are labs that offer much cheaper rates just for developing, while other labs include the cost of developing when you receive your scans.
If you’re going to get scans at the same time you develop, be sure to check what scan sizes are offered and verify that they are sufficient for your needs.
Most labs offer a few scan options, each with a different price and quality. Generally speaking, smaller scans are perfectly fine for viewing online or on social media, but if you ever want to get hard copies or enlarge all the fine details of a photo, it’s usually better to go for higher resolution scans.
what are other people saying about the lab?
We try not to make too much of online reviews like yelp and google, but there’s no doubt that they can still be a valuable tool.
Try to take reviews with a grain of salt (see what we did there?) and remember that someone who had a bad experience is much more likely to leave a review than someone who had a good experience.
If there’s a recurring problem with a particular lab, it’s usually pretty obvious from a quick scan (we did it again!) of their online reviews. one person’s problem may be more of a difference of opinion, while multiple people complaining about the same problem may be more of a cause for concern.
another great tool when evaluating a photo lab is to check if they have a website or instagram page. It has become quite common for labs to post images of client photos they have developed and/or scanned; nothing will give you a better idea of what kind of work they do than… well, seeing the work they do.
tips to get great results from each roll
By now, you’ve decided to develop your film by mail and have even narrowed down the lab you want to use. great! Let’s look at some quick tips to make sure you get great results from every roll.
pack it right, pack it right
While some aspects of online movie development are out of your hands (there’s not much you can do if a package is lost), the most important thing you can > > ; control is how you pack your precious cargo before sending it to the lab.
The most basic, yet common question we get is: what exactly should I put my film in to send it to the lab?
- envelopes are unsuitable. They can tear easily, especially when filled with something stiff like film, which can damage the rolls or lose them during shipping.
- padded envelopes are a safer bet. Whether you buy your own padded envelope or go to a lab that provides free padded envelopes, this seems to be the most common and cost-effective way to mail movies.
- Boxes work too, especially for bulk orders. If you’re shooting enough film that a padded envelope won’t cut it, or if you want that extra level of security, some type of box is probably the safest option. however, security comes at a price, as it is often the most expensive option.
Once you’ve chosen a ship, be sure to follow these additional steps to ensure your film arrives at its destination, unscathed.
- extra padding never hurts. may be overkill on an already padded envelope, but especially if you’re mailing your film in a box, be sure to use some form of padding (bubble wrap, newspaper, etc.) to ensure a good fit. . We don’t like our film moving around in an oversized box, and this also adds another layer of protection in case your box/envelope gets damaged in transit.
- ziploc bags protect against the elements. You never know what will happen to your package in transit; it could be left outside on a rainy day or stacked under a leaky box of the latest and hottest energy drink. Play it safe and toss your rolls in a Ziploc bag before packing, just in case you come into contact with any kind of liquid on your trip. (undeveloped film and liquid don’t mix very well).
labels are your best friends
One of the biggest challenges with mail order film processing is that it can be difficult to properly communicate every detail with the lab, especially when you may not even have contact with them.
There is a simple solution to this problem: tags, tags and more tags.
do you need a pushed or pulled roll? tag it. Want to keep track of which of your cameras shot each reel? tag it. what about special requests like cross-processing or developing an expired roll that may take longer to develop? You guessed it… put a tag on that son of a bitch!
Before we develop film online, we always like to keep track of pertinent information for each roll and assign a number to make it easier to keep track of when we retrieve scans.
How much information you want to record is entirely up to you, but here’s what we write down in a notebook before the package goes out:
- identification number. each roll has a number, starting with 01, which is also written on the roll. lyrics work fine too.
- type of film. Unless you exclusively engrave one type and speed of film, you will probably have some variety in your order. it’s good to have this information once you get your photos back.
- speed at which the film was shot. if you push or pull the film, be sure to label this on the roll itself, but also make a keep track of your own logs.
- camera/lens used. if you’re a gear junkie like us, you’re probably submitting reels shot with a few different cameras. we like to have this information in the future, and it can be a lot harder than you think to know which camera was used when you’re getting a handful of rolls at a time.
- date(s) of the photos. This is probably the least important detail, but some people like to keep track of the dates photos were taken. we are perfectly content with just the month and year.
- any additional details worth mentioning. did you try a new technique on this roll? take pictures with a new photometer? test an old lens that might be damaged? Especially since mail-order film development can take some time, it’s best to make a note of anything else you want to remember about each roll, as it’s unlikely you’ll remember these details when you retrieve your photos.
don’t forget your contact information
Last but not least, be sure to include all of your contact information written clearly enough for someone else to read.
You’d be surprised how often this (seemingly) basic step is forgotten. There’s not much a lab can do if they receive an envelope full of film, but the only identifying factor is a barely legible return address, which also doesn’t include any way to contact you if there’s a question or problem. well, they could write you a letter…
Many online film processing services have order forms that you send in with your film, which include all the necessary information. If the laboratory you choose does not have such a thing, we recommend that you include a sheet of paper with the following information:
- name
- address
- phone number
- email address
- order number (if you have one)
- any special requests or instructions. we usually write, “keep a record of each roll’s ID number when you return scans.” and while we always tag any push/pull on the roll itself, it doesn’t hurt to also include here: “roll 02 should be pushed 1 stop”. Prevention is better than cure!
final thoughts
If this is your first time developing a film by mail, the process may seem daunting, but once you’ve done it a few times, it will certainly be less daunting.
We love supporting local photo labs and still prefer to handle our film processing needs in person. That said, there are many situations where online movie processing is the best option.
Especially with many smaller photo labs continuing to close their doors for good, we believe mail-in film processing will continue to grow in popularity and perhaps even become the norm in the future. As they say, modern problems require modern solutions.
If you have a favorite online movie development service, let us know in the comments!
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