E6 Film Developing

We handle E-6 film processing for all formats — 35mm slide film, 120, and 4x5 sheets. 

Our turnaround: 

Dev only — 3 working days

Dev&Flash scan — 3 working days 

Dev&Biggie scan — 6 working days 

How to develop E-6 film with us: 

• make an online order and mail us your film, or just stop by with your rolls 
• we develop & scan it (super fast, as always)
• check your inbox for the results
• pick up your positives or get them shipped 

Slide film vs. color negative film 

Everything you know about shooting color film flips with E6 slide film:

• Meter for highlights, not shadows 

Slide film isn’t forgiving. It doesn’t love contrasty scenes and has almost no exposure latitude. Highlights blow out fast, so always meter for the brightest area you want to keep.

• Don’t overexpose 

We always recommend to give a color negative film a little extra light, but with slide film, that’s a fast way to lose color and detail. 

• What you see is what you get

Slide film is also called positive film for a reason — after E-6 processing, you get full-color images right on the film. So don’t forget to pick up your positives!

If you get the exposure right, slide film delivers ultra-fine grain, deep contrast and rich, saturated colors. It has a distinct look, so don’t expect it to be neutral. 

Why is slide film processing the hardest? 

E-6 development needs super precise temperature, timing, and fresh chemicals. “Sounds like any other film!” Not quite! 

• temperature must stay at 38.0°C ±0.3°C, not much room for error
• even a small shift in temp or timing can throw off the colors
• E-6 chemicals have a short shelf life, so the more rolls you bring, the more you help us use them efficiently 

The name E-6 comes from the six main chemical baths. Though the full process looks like this:

1. First developer
2. First wash
3. Reversal bath
4. Color developer
5. Pre-bleach
6. Bleach
7. Fixer
8. Second wash
9. Third wash
10. Final rinse

All together, E-6 development takes about 1 hour (not counting drying). Each step keeps us on our toes — everything has to be done precisely and perfectly, and we make sure it is. 

Push/pull 

Slide film doesn’t handle push or pull processing very well, so it’s best to shoot it at box speed with an accurate metering. But if you want to try anyway, we can do that without extra charge. 

Just let us know when placing your order what ISO you shot at and how many stops you’d like to push / pull. 

Film scanning 

By default, we scan your slide film with the Noritsu HS-1800. 

It can scan your frames up to 4000×6000 px, and offer two file formats:

• JPG – ready-to-post 
• TIFF – flat scans, perfect for post-processing

If you’re planning to edit the scans yourself, print them large, or use them in a project — go for the Biggie TIFF. It gives you the maximum detail and flexibility, with no adjustments from our side. 

Drum scanning is often considered the best option for slide film — and we’ve got it covered. We use the Imacon Flextight 646, a virtual drum scanner that produces incredible resolution and rich, true-to-life colors.

Full-frame scans with film borders are available too. For that, check out our Durst Sigma Plus scanning option.

Scans & positives

We’ll send your frames straight to your inbox. Scan links are active for 3 days — if you miss the deadline, just send us your order number and we’ll reupload the files.

We keep your positives for 1 month. Need more time to pick them up? Just let us know.

Slide film isn’t the easiest to shoot or develop, but when you see those vibrant positives, it’s all worth it.

Never tried it before? Start with slide film 35mm — and thank us later.