SLIDES
Our 35mm slides are imaged at 4K, or 4096 pixels across the long dimension by extremely sharp film recorders, unless you request higher-cost 8K imaging for even sharper slides from larger files. Our Lasergraphics film recorders are designed for 8K (8192 pixels) imaging of true-color photographic film quality; whereas most service bureaus use film recorders designed only for 2K or 4K imaging, and many are optimized for Powerpoint charts only. The razor-sharp slides we produce will make competitors' slides look a bit fuzzy in comparison. Do not be fooled by lower prices from competitors who offer low-cost 2K imaging and claim that you will not see the difference. You will.
We can make slides from virtually any file format or software currently in use. Your cost per 35mm slide is determined by how quickly you need your slides produced, how many slides we make for you, the resolution of the slides, and whether you want us to correct any errors we may find in your digital files. (Please check to see our list of supported software.)
We do not charge you for sending us large files; large files will produce better slides than small files no matter what anyone tells you. We would rather have large files and give you better slides than accept small files to save us time while giving you poorer-quality slides.
35mm slides from digital files will be returned to you in plastic slide sheets. Slides from presentation software with consecutive pages will be in the correct order. If you need multiple copies of each slide, order two or more original 35mm slides from each image; you will receive all original slides created by the film recorder. If you want to have multiple copies of your slides at a lower cost, consider having duplicate slides made from one set of original slides. You must specify on the order form that you want one set of original slides plus duplicates, as we first have to produce the original 35mm slides and then produce the duplicate slides from the originals. Having two processes adds to the turnaround time but can reduce the cost of larger orders. Duplicate 35mm slides are enlarged slightly (they may cut off objects at the extreme edges of the slide), and they have just a bit more contrast (dark colors will become a bit darker and light colors will become a bit lighter). Duplicate slides will be returned to you in plastic boxes unless you pay extra for 35mm slide sheets.
We have some design guidelines and 35mm slide examples for you to use so that you can create professional-looking 35mm slides easily. Our standard slide mounts are 1.4mm plastic Quickpoint mounts, which fit Kodak 80 slide trays as well as Kodak 140 slide trays.
We use Kodak Ektachrome EPG film for all digital slides, color or black-and-white. If your images are b&w you may see a slight color cast from the color dyes used in the film. Theoretically it is possible to use very fine grain b&w film for b&w slides, but a b&w slide retains silver after processing, and when projected it will heat up rapidly and pop out of focus. EPG film is a sharp, fine-grained film and gives beautiful, very natural, true colors, unlike EPP film, which has more saturation and contrast and is used by some of our competitors.
NEGATIVES
We can make 35mm black-and-white or color negatives for you instead of 35mm slides - the prices are the same as for 8K slides, except there is an $8.00 set-up charge. Note that our film recorder is specifically designed to output to negative film without the haloes of scattered light that many film recorders produce on this type of film.
OTHER FORMATS
Prices on 4 x 5" transparencies, 2 1/4 " transparencies, and overhead transparency production are also available.
You should double-check all the images for size, shape, and background. You should include all necessary digital files, and be sure that we have all the fonts used in your slides installed on our system. We send your slides directly to the 35mm film recorder after a quick overview, and only minor mistakes will be caught. If we find problems when we inspect the finished slides, we will try to make corrections to your files at extra cost, then re-image the files at extra cost. If we can not correct the errors, you will have to submit new, corrected files.
Our Standard Service pricing does not include a comprehensive review of your file before imaging it, but for an extra charge, you may have our Premium Service. With Premium Service, we will check every digital image for correct size, shape, missing fonts, line endings, text breaks, backrounds, and miscellaneous errors, and then make any necessary corrections so that your 35mm slides come out perfect even though you may have made some errors. The additional charge for premium service is $1.50 per first original slide for two-day service, $2.75 per first original slide for one-day service, and $4.00 per first original slide for same-day service. Note - we try to correct any spelling errors (we may not get them all) but do not change color schemes. We will send a note with the finished 35mm slides to let you know what we had to do.
Our turn-around times are based on our work week, which is Monday to Friday. All orders have a $4.50 handling charge in addition to the cost of the slides.
Production of these items has ended. This page is for information only. Photographic Specialties is no longer producing slides and transparencies. I have been self-employed for 35 years, but looking forward to retirement since my wife died five years ago. With the decline of conventional photography and the recent recession, the availability of film and chemicals as well as the volume of work has declined to such an extent that it is no longer possible to have fresh chemicals to develop film. I hope that if you still need conventional slides and transparencies, you will be able to find someone who can produce them for you. Thank you for your orders over the years.