Finding a pile of old film negatives may not seem like a big deal at first glance. After all, they’re virtually useless as is. Unless you like squinting your eyes to see tiny x-ray-like images void of color.
But, if you look a little deeper, that stack of undeveloped film is worth its weight and more in nostalgic gold. So many stories just waiting to be untold. Memories longing to be remembered.
But that begs the age-old question, “how do I get pictures off old negatives?”
Well, there’s a couple ways, but one of them is a future-proof method that will save you money and worry in the long run. Let’s start with the traditional route first.
Method 1: Get Your Negatives Developed
Sending your photo negatives to a photo lab to be developed seems like a no-brainer, right? After all, people have been sending their negatives to professionals for film processing for more than a century. And, in return, you get a nice set of freshly developed prints to frame, hang, share or preserve in dusty castaway binders for decades to come.
Method 2: Scan Your Negatives at Home
Digitizing photo and film negatives at home is another fantastic way to preserve your memories and unlock those hidden treasures tucked away in your collection. With a good-quality film scanner that supports negatives, like a flatbed scanner with a film holder, you can easily convert those tiny strips of film into stunning digital images. Plus, there’s something satisfying about seeing those old negatives come to life on your screen right before your eyes!
Method 3: Get Your Negatives Professionally Digitized
While getting your original negatives developed into prints might be the classic method, it is not the best method.
By digitizing your negatives, you’re not only getting to see what’s been hiding on those brown little strips over the years, but you’re also preserving them for many more years to come and prolonging the lives of your old photos.
You see, actual photographs and prints are great for displaying but these delicate photo prints are under constant attack by time and other natural factors that are out of your control. It’s why old photographs tend to look dingy and yellow, almost void of any vibrancy. Because despite your best efforts to keep them safe and well cared for, you can’t stop the elements such as light, moisture, humidity, dirt and grime from getting to your photos. Even photo albums aren’t solve-all solutions.
But you know what is?
You guessed it, digitization.
When you send your negatives to Kodak for digitizing, we’ll take the physical hassle off your hands and remove any worry or doubt from your mind. Our cutting-edge digitization process makes it easier than ever to send in your negatives (and other analog media for that matter) in a convenient prepaid box. From there, our professional preservationists get to work digitizing your old film with the latest digitizing technology.
When we’re all done, we’ll make sure to send you back all your old negatives along with shiny new digital files via thumb drives, DVDs or cloud downloads.
Using a digitizing service to scan negatives often provides better results than attempting the process at home, especially if you’re looking for high-quality, hassle-free outcomes. Our professionals use high-quality equipment and also handle the tedious parts, saving you time and effort. Additionally, if you have a large collection of negatives and old pictures, a service can digitize them much faster than you could on your own.
Now, you can share, post and preserve your family photos with all the digital ease and none of the physical burden.
So, the next time you hear someone ask, “how can I get pictures off my old negatives?” Just tell them, Kodak Digitizing. We’ll take it from there!
