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To archive your analog photo collection, you can scan your negatives. We present three digitization options
Digitize negatives with the flatbed scanner
The quickest way is to scan the negatives with a flatbed scanner at home. The big disadvantage here is that the scan will be black and white.
- Place the negative on your flatbed scanner
- You now need an even backlight. A cell phone, smartphone or tablet with a white background at the brightest level is ideal for this. Apps such as the Android app Tiny Flashlight can do this for you. DIY enthusiasts can build their own passive lighting using simple instructions
- Place your tablet or cell phone on the desired negative and scan it in.
- Using freeware such as GIMP or Paint.NET, you can now easily invert the colors and obtain a positive. Click here for the separate practical tip on inverting colors
- GIMP is available as a free download for Windows, macOS and Linux, as is Paint.NET for Windows.
Scanning negatives with a slide and negative scanner
You can achieve significantly better results with slide (positive) and negative scanners.
- Slide and negative scanners can be found online from around 50 euros, but you will have to dig a little deeper into your pocket for quality and can expect to pay twice as much. Alternatively, you can also photograph slides and negatives using the DIA duplicator
- In general, external scanners are connected to the computer via USB and come with their own software for scanning and image processing.
Scanning services for photo negatives
Many photo stores and service agencies offer digitization of film negatives for little money:
- Photo postage
- FotoVital
- Most photo stores around the corner also offer this service.
