Glass Slide Scanning (Medium Format)
One of our specialties is digitizing glass-encased slides with careful handling and color restoration included. We scan at high resolution and provide secure packing guidance so your slides arrive safely.
Many customers have medium format slides that are sandwiched between two pieces of glass. Some include protective metal edging, as shown below. For medium format film including glass slides (up to 120 or 620 film), our charge is $2.00 per 6×6 cm (2.25"×2.25") frame.
These two examples are also glass-encased medium format slides, but without the metal edging:
Viewed from the edge, you can see the film (white area) sandwiched between two glass plates:
Color restoration is included in our low pricing. Glass protects against dust and scratches, but it cannot stop dye fade. Below is a real example:
How should I package glass slides so they won’t break?
We leave packing choices to you, but here’s a method from a customer that works very well. The main risk arises when there is space between slides inside the stack—similar to the “Karate Chop” principle where gaps make a stack easier to break. Keep slides tightly compressed so individual pieces can’t move.
This customer initially banded slides and braced the stack with cardboard. We don’t recommend rubber bands (they can create gaps), but the overall approach of creating a tight, gap-free stack is excellent:
Next, they wrapped the stack in foam to make a snug “cocoon,” then placed it in a box with plenty of packing peanuts. Pull the wrap tight so the slides cannot shift at all:
Pack this “cocoon” inside a larger box filled with peanuts or other cushioning. With no internal gaps, the stack resists impacts much better during shipping.
35mm Glass-Encased Slides
We also scan 35mm slides encased in glass and metal. Specialty scanning for these slides is $1 per slide, scanned at 4,000 ppi.
The same 35mm glass slide disassembled:
