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Film and darkroom
An orange colour negative on a light table, a contact sheet with a circled favourite and a print with pencil notes: three looks from the days of the darkroom.
Showing a sample photo.
Your photo
Your photo is processed on this device and is never uploaded.
Ready-made looks
Pick a theme, then a look. Every frame from every theme is also in the Frame list above, grouped by theme.
Before the screen, there was the strip
Before phones, a roll of film was a small mystery. You had to wait for the lab, then hold the negatives to the light and pick favourites from a contact sheet. This category brings that ritual back with your own photo in the middle.
The negative and the contact sheet repeat your picture across several frames, with small changes in crop and exposure, the way a real roll would. The negative look inverts the colours into the orange-brown of old colour film. It is a style effect, not a real scan.
Choosing a photo
A photo with strong light and a clear subject makes the best strip, because the face needs to read even when it is small. For the colour negative, the result looks odd by design, so try a portrait with simple colours. The darkroom print suits tall pictures.
What each look does
Colour negative. Three frames of an orange-brown colour negative on a light table, with frame numbers and a handwritten note. It starts at 1978, and you can drag the slider or change the year to move it earlier or later.
Contact sheet. A full page of twelve small frames on three film strips. One is circled in red, the way photographers marked their picks. It starts at 1962, and you can drag the slider or change the year to move it earlier or later.
Darkroom print. A black-and-white print on cream paper with a wide border and pencil notes about exposure, resting in a dark tray. It starts at 1955, and you can drag the slider or change the year to move it earlier or later.
Tips for this theme
- Pick the sheet for varietyThe contact sheet shows twelve small frames with different crops, so one upload gives you a whole roll.
- Write your own noteOpen Frame and edit the grease-pencil note or the pen note. Short notes of two or three words look best.
- Black and white suits the darkroomThe darkroom print and the contact sheet look best with the earlier, black-and-white eras on the slider.
- Try the negative on a bright photoLight photos turn into rich orange negatives. Very dark photos can look muddy.
How to make a film negative or contact sheet from a photo
Choose Colour negative or Contact sheet, add a photo with a clear subject, edit the pen note and download the JPG. For a black-and-white look, move the slider to an earlier year.
Questions
How do I make a photo look like a film negative?
Choose Colour negative and add your photo. It inverts the colours into an orange-brown film base and sets three frames on a light table. It is a free film negative effect online.
How do I make a contact sheet from one photo?
Choose Contact sheet and add a photo. A contact sheet maker would normally need a whole roll, so this one repeats your picture across twelve frames with different crops and circles one favourite.
What is a darkroom print effect?
It places a black-and-white style print on cream paper with a wide border and pencil notes, resting in a dark tray, like a print lifted from the darkroom.
Can I make a 35mm film strip photo?
Yes. The Cinema and posters page has a film strip look with three frames. The negative and contact sheet looks on this page add other 35mm film effects.
Is the colour negative a real scan?
No. It is a style effect that inverts your colours and adds an orange base, so it resembles a negative on a light table.
Why are the frames on the contact sheet slightly different?
Each frame uses a different crop and brightness, the way separate shots on a roll would differ.
What is the grease-pencil circle for?
Photographers circled their favourite frame on a contact sheet. The circle is just decoration, and the note next to it is editable.
Does my photo leave my device?
No. Everything on this page runs in your browser, and your photo is never uploaded.
Can I change the year printed on the frame?
Yes. Use the Year you were born box, or drag the slider. Dates and captions follow the year you choose, unless you have typed your own text.
Which file formats can I use?
JPG, PNG and WebP work everywhere. HEIC opens in browsers that support it, such as Safari.
More themes: Portraits School Days Weddings and Celebrations Festival Cards TV and Home Video Music and Magazines Cinema and Posters Travel and Paper Parties and Snapshots Y2K and Digicam Games and Collectibles By decade