Find Us
State Film Lab
445 Baxter Ave Ste 125
Louisville, KY 40204
Monday-Thursday 10am-4pm
Located in the Town Talk building:
F.A.Q.
We utilize traditional dip & dunk development techniques with our state of the art Refrema processors. Our chemistry and wash cycles are truly archival which sets us apart from one-hour style labs.
Dip & dunk processing is an extremely clean process – your film never touches anything other than chemistry. Alternative methods on the market utilize a series of belts and rollers to pull your film through chemistry which puts your film at a higher risk for damage.
We offer pushing up to 3 stops on C-41 film and we offer custom push/pull speeds for B&W film.
Please mark each individual roll when pushing or pulling. If you do not mark the actual roll, we cannot guarantee the roll will get processed as requested.
We accept most all disposable cameras. When placing an order online, select C-41 35mm for color cameras and B/W 35mm for black and white cameras.
Blank rolls can happen when film is not properly loaded into the camera, or when the camera is malfunctioning. There is no way to know the roll is blank until we develop it and view the negative.
In the case of a blank roll we still need to charge for the chemical processing, but not for scans/prints. We will contact you upon order completion and send a store credit in place of the amount paid for scans/prints. Please note that you are always welcome to email us and request a refund instead of the store credit.
Standard Scans are designed to make film affordable. These are high resolution, professional scans without detailed density and color correction.
Pro Scans include color grading and density adjustments during the scanning process, yielding strong consistency and accuracy. We can work with you over time to learn your style of photography and adapt our scanning techniques to complement your work.
XL Scans are available for 35mm Standard & Pro services. XL scans offer increased resolution for suitable large format printing. CLICK HERE for our scan size resolution chart.
Please note we do not offer post-production services. Choose TIFF scans for maximum latitude in post.
We do our best to keep our lab dust-free, but dust can be present in scans on occasion (more common on B&W than color).
We use industry leading Noritsu film scanners. By default, film scans are high resolution JPG files delivered to your online gallery, where you can view and download them.
TIFF files are available for an additional fee. Please note TIFF files will not be rotated for proper image orientation (portrait vs. landscape).
Film scan resolution varies based on film format. See our scan size resolution chart.
Our Digital Contact Sheet is a 100 megapixel scan of your entire 35mm or medium format roll, with the film borders preserved. It is great for proofing a roll, judging exposure across every frame, and cropping in on single images while keeping rebate details like your film stock. These contact sheets are available as an add-on to any film process/scan order.
Orders are checked into production the following business day after arrival. If the package is delivered to us on Tuesday, you should receive an email on Wednesday confirming we have started processing your order.
Details and current lead times are posted HERE.
Rush service is a 50% up-charge and places your order at the front of our production queue. To place a rush order, look for the rush option at checkout. Current lead times are listed HERE.
Rush service is not available for E-6 processing.
Package film in an airtight plastic bag, then secure inside a box and ship via USPS Priority, UPS, or FedEx. Please include your name and order number on the box.
If you purchased a prepaid UPS label during checkout, you can access it in your order history by clicking ACCOUNT at the top of this page. Print the label or save the QR code and drop off the package at any UPS store.
Your package will be delivered directly to our hands or to our secure lockbox. We will email you once the film has been received into production.
Negatives can be returned to you via shipping carrier or local pickup. If you do not want the negatives back, please choose one of the “Discard Negatives” shipping options at checkout.
Negatives will be placed in archival sleeves and rolled gently for secure transit. We do not cut negatives unless a Digital Contact Sheet is ordered with the roll.
Develop & Scan – we typically wait 2-5 days to ship negatives back after scans are delivered.
Develop Only – we ship negatives immediately after processing.
You will receive an email update once your negatives have shipped.
Negatives that are not claimed within 21 days of order completion will be discarded*. We do not have space to hold orders long term.
If you cannot make it to our lab during business hours, please contact us about shipping options for your film.
*Only applies to film that has already been scanned and delivered digitally.
Our Story
State Film Lab began with a vision of taking the film negative back to its original state. Film has an unmatched, internal beauty. With this in mind, we work to provide pure film scans that are true to the light and tonality of your exposure. We believe that film is for everyone. In a digital world, our mission is to preserve the analog process and keep film in the hands of photographers everywhere.
We are small team based in Louisville, KY and we work with photographers across the country. We began building State Film Lab in the fall of 2012. Rather than rushing to launch, we took a slow approach to building the lab to ensure we were doing things right. We officially launched in late 2013.
Film can be challenging because you have one chance to get it right. This goes for the photographer and the lab. We care about your film just as much as you do, so we are always checking and balancing our processes to make sure you get the service you deserve.
We love meeting photographers and talking shop. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or new to film, let’s start a conversation and find out how we can support your film journey.
Through the years
