Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Main Features Of 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.

Film is sent through developer, and bleach or fix. It must go through stabilizer and be dried before the process is complete. It must be cut off the leader card and put with the processing envelope that includes details about the order. The process is not complete until the film is passed through a printer. If digital files are used instead of film, photo printers are the main equipment that are used in these facilities since there is no film to be processed.

A computer is used to control most photo printers. The paper stock that is used is typically a continuous roll that is cut after all of the photos have been developed according to the size of the order. Different roll widths will be used to correspond with the image width requested. The frames are printed one at a time, with the special photographic paper being advanced each time. The paper will process through developer, bleach or fix, wash, and the dryer before it is finished.

Prints that have been processed and printed are cut to the correct size and placed together. In orders that use film, a small machine is employed to cut the negatives, which are then placed into a sleeve for protection. All of these parts are put in the envelope and readied for the customer. Places that only do digital photography processing will go through the same process, but without the handling of negatives.

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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