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Film scanning guides

Plain-English answers to the questions people ask when they turn old negatives into digital photos, written by the people who make Film to Photos. New here? Start with the best way to scan 35 mm negatives.

Getting started

• Best way to scan 35 mm negatives at home (5 ways compared)
  How to convert 35 mm negatives to digital photos: film scanner, flatbed scanner, camera, phone or a scanning service compared on quality, time, cost and effort, with a clear recommendation.
• How to turn negatives into photos on a Mac (3 ways)
  How to convert film negatives into normal, positive photos on a Mac: with a film scanner, from scans you already have, or from phone photos, and why the built-in Photos and Preview apps can't do it properly.
• How much does it cost to digitize negatives? (2026)
  What it really costs to turn film negatives into digital photos: a scanning service per frame, a home film scanner plus software, or your phone, with a worked example for a box of 20 rolls.
• How to digitize old negatives at home (a beginner's guide)
  Turn a box of old family negatives into digital photos at home, step by step: what you need, sorting, cleaning, scanning, naming and backing up, explained for beginners.
• Film scanning glossary: the words explained simply
  Plain-English meanings of the words you meet when scanning film negatives: DPI, orange mask, film base, emulsion side, C-41, 16-bit TIFF, iSRD and ICE, Newton rings and more.
• How to scan film negatives on a Mac (step by step)
  The simplest way to turn 35 mm film negatives into digital photos on a Mac with a film scanner: what you need, the settings that matter, and how to get natural colors.
• Negative, slide or black-and-white? How to tell your film
  How to identify old film: color negative vs slide vs black-and-white, and 35 mm vs 120 medium format, 110, 126 and APS sizes — with what each needs to be scanned.
• How to scan negatives with your phone (no scanner needed)
  Yes, you can digitize negatives without a scanner. How to photograph negatives with an iPhone or Android phone and a light source, turn them into positive photos, and when a phone isn't good enough.
• What to do with old negatives (scan, keep or throw away?)
  Found a box of old photo negatives? What to do with them: how to see what's on them, whether to scan or throw them away, how to dispose of them safely, and how to share them with family.

Scanners and software on a Mac

• Best software for Plustek OpticFilm scanners on Mac (2026)
  The software that runs a Plustek OpticFilm film scanner on a current Mac, compared side by side: Film to Photos, VueScan, SilverFast and conversion-only tools like Negative Lab Pro, with prices and who each one is for.
• Negative Lab Pro alternative without Lightroom (for Mac)
  Want to convert film negatives without Lightroom Classic or a subscription? How Negative Lab Pro works, what alternatives exist on Mac, and where Film to Photos fits for scanner and imported scans.
• Plustek OpticFilm Mac driver for Sequoia, Tahoe and macOS 27
  Looking for a Plustek OpticFilm 7400, 8100 or 8200i driver for macOS Sequoia, Tahoe or macOS 27? Why you may not find one, why you usually don't need one, and which software works without it.
• Plustek OpticFilm on Apple Silicon Macs: software that works
  Which software runs a Plustek OpticFilm film scanner on a current Apple Silicon Mac (M1 to M5), why the bundled software often doesn't, and how to scan without a Plustek driver.
• Will my Plustek scanner software stop working on new macOS?
  Apple says macOS 27 is the last version with full Rosetta support for Intel apps. What that means for older Plustek, SilverFast and scanner software, how to check yours, and how to keep scanning.
• Plustek scanner not detected on Mac (Sonoma, Sequoia, Tahoe)
  Your Plustek OpticFilm isn't found on macOS Sonoma, Sequoia, Tahoe or macOS 27? Step-by-step fixes, whether you need a Plustek driver, and software that works without one.
• How to set up a Plustek OpticFilm on a Mac (step by step)
  From the box to your first finished photo: how to connect a Plustek OpticFilm 7400, 8100, 8200i or similar scanner to a current Mac, load the film holder and scan, without installing a driver or the software from the disc.
• SilverFast alternatives for Mac (for Plustek film scanners)
  Simpler alternatives to SilverFast for scanning film negatives on a Mac with a Plustek scanner — Film to Photos, VueScan and others — and when SilverFast is still the right choice.
• VueScan vs Film to Photos: a simpler alternative for Mac
  An honest comparison of VueScan and Film to Photos for scanning negatives with a Plustek scanner on a Mac: scanner support, ease of use, color, dust removal and price.

Better colors and cleaner scans

• What DPI should I scan 35 mm film at? (1800 vs 3600)
  The right resolution for scanning 35 mm negatives: 3600 dpi for archiving and big prints, 1800 dpi for sharing. Print sizes, file sizes and why 7200 dpi is rarely worth it.
• How to fix faded or discolored scans of old negatives
  Old color photos turned red, magenta or washed out? Why film and prints fade, why scanning the negative usually beats scanning the print, and step-by-step fixes for color casts and faded scans.
• How to get rid of dust and scratches on film scans
  Why scanned negatives show white specks and hairs, how to clean film before scanning, what infrared dust removal (ICE, iSRD) does and doesn't do, and how to fix leftover spots afterwards.
• How to remove the orange mask from color negatives
  Why color negatives are orange, why simply inverting them in Photoshop or Photos looks blue, and how software removes the orange mask to get natural colors.
• Why do my scanned negatives look purple, pink or blue?
  Common color casts in scanned color negatives — purple or magenta walls, blue or cyan photos, orange indoor shots, green skin — what causes each and how to fix it.
• What DPI to scan negatives for prints (4×6 to 8×10 and up)
  The scan resolution you need for each print size from a 35 mm negative, from 4×6 to posters, with a simple table, how cropping changes it, and why 3600 dpi covers almost everything.

Saving, organizing and storing

• How to store negatives so they last (and the scans too)
  How to store film negatives safely: archival sleeves, the right temperature and humidity, where not to keep them, how to spot damage like vinegar smell, and how to store the digital scans.
• How to organize scanned family photos (names, folders, dates)
  A simple system for organizing scanned family photos and negatives: folder and file names that sort by date, adding the real dates and names, Apple Photos tips, backups and sharing with family.
• TIFF or JPEG for film scans and archiving?
  Should you save film scans as TIFF or JPEG? What you lose with JPEG, when 16-bit TIFF is worth the space, how much storage you need, and a simple way to keep both.