Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Details About A Professional Photo Lab

By Shanna McNeil


A professional photo lab is a place where photographs are developed and printed. These labs often have the necessary equipment to produce prints from digital files or film. In recent years, the demand for film development has decreased as digital photography has become more popular. Minilabs, small developing and printing systems, have taken the place of some of the larger labs.

It is standard for professional labs to have film processors and printers. The brand of equipment and quantity will differ based on the lab. Still, both of these items are necessary in order for photographs to be processed. Films, 35mm, must be pulled. This means that the end of the film is extracted from its cassette, which may be done manually or by using a small machine.

Two stickers, called twin check numbers, with matching numbers are placed on the film and an envelope. This is used to keep track of orders after processing and make sure that the film goes into the correct order envelope. Film is spliced on leader cards, one at a time, and then placed inside the processor. These are fed through the machine by the sprockets on the leader cards.

The film will go through developer, then bleach, and fix. It will pass through a stabilizer before a dryer dries it. Following this process, it will be cut from the leader card and placed with the envelope that has the details from the customer order. Film will have to go through a photo printer. In cases where there is no film and only digital files, the photo printer is the main equipment used since film does not need to be processed.

Many photo printers are controlled by a computer. The paper stock comes in one long roll that is cut after the photos have been printed in the correct size. There are different roll widths to correspond with the various image widths available. One at a time frames print onto the paper that advances itself. The special paper must be placed in developer, bleach or fix and then a dryer.

All prints will be cut according to the correct size and then put together. A machine is used to cut the negatives, if applicable, into slides of four that are put in a sleeve protection. The last major step involves putting it all together for customers. In the facilities that do digital photos only, the process is much the same, but no negatives are needed.

The cost of having prints processed through these professional facilities will vary. Typically the cost is related to the amount of prints and their size. There are numerous stores that offer these services through in-store labs. There are also photo-developing kiosks at many stores that allow customers to print out digital photos.

Professional photo labs are not as popular as they once were. These facilities are equipped with the necessary machines to develop and print photographs, from film or digital files. In modern times, digital photography is more popular. Because of this, there are less large labs available, more do-it-yourself kiosks and minilabs. Prices associated with development will vary greatly.




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