Film Scan Styles — GelForm by Gelatin Labs

The best film scans
in the biz.

10 film scan styles, crafted with intention and delivered with consistency. At Gelatin Labs, every roll is handled by photographers who care about getting your scans right.

The Spacely film scan style on Kodak Portra 400 — scanned by Gelatin Labs
Photographer: Jakob Lilja-Ruiz

10 film scan styles. Find your 'Form.

GelForm is a family of meticulously crafted film scan styles — each capturing a distinct vibe and personality. Instead of juggling contrast and temperature sliders, you simply pick the one name that resonates with you. We spent over a year calibrating every scanner in our lineup to make it happen.

Develop icon

Simple to choose

Pick a named formula instead of wrestling with complicated combos. One choice, one look — done.

Color icon

Consistent across scanners

Your chosen GelForm looks the same no matter which scanner your roll runs through — calibrated to within 1–2% accuracy.

8x10 icon

Curated, not compromised

Each GelForm highlights different characteristics — contrast, tone, warmth — without losing your film's essence.

Specialty Film Scan Styles

Film scan styles that make your images stand out from the crowd.

Classic Film Scan Styles

Reliable, dialed-in film scan styles for any situation.

Every layer. Fully preserved.

Select The Flat Earth for color (C-41, E-6, ECN-2) or The Flat Moon for black + white — our baseline GelForms with minimal processing. Delivered as uncompressed TIFFs, flat scans preserve the full tonal range of your negative — more akin to a RAW file than a finished scan, giving you complete creative freedom in post without losing a single detail to compression.

Highlight tonal layer
Highlights

Bright areas like sky and direct light — preserved at full intensity so you never clip detail in post.

Midtone tonal layer
Midtones

The neutral backbone of your image. Skin tones, textures, and ambient detail — untouched and ready for your creative decisions.

Shadow tonal layer
Shadows

The darkest areas of your frame, rich with hidden detail. Lift shadows without noise or banding.

Scanning film should feel as intentional as shooting it.

We scan on Noritsu HS-1800 and Fujifilm Frontier — two of the most trusted names in film scanning — chosen for their sharpness, dynamic range, and tonal depth.

Our automated status system keeps you in the loop from start to finish, and your scans arrive beautifully organized with labeled folders and any notes you shared.

When your scans are ready, we send you a simple download link — no apps, no accounts, no fuss. Click, download, and start sharing or editing right away.

Noritsu HS-1800 film scanner at Gelatin Labs

It starts with the team.

From the team members that open your packages to the ones that ship them out the door, we are a group of photography enthusiasts and film lovers.

Every step is handled by someone who understands what makes a great frame. We don't just develop and scan — we evaluate, we adjust, and we care. Expect consistent results, personal customer service, and a crew that takes pride in getting it right.

Gelatin Labs team member at the workstation

Good negatives make a positive.

C-41, Black + White, E-6, and ECN-2 — all developed in-house with trusted chemistries, precise temperature control, and decades of combined experience.

Colenta roller transport processor with panels removed showing internal tank system

Colenta Roller Transport

Our workhorse. The Colenta handles C-41 color negative processing with the kind of consistency that only a purpose-built roller transport system can deliver.

It accepts film from 110 all the way up to 8×10 sheet film, running each roll through a precise sequence of chemistry tanks at controlled temperatures — ensuring uniform development from edge to edge, frame to frame.

Inside the Machine

Six tanks. One path.

Each roll travels through a carefully sequenced series of chemistry baths — developer, bleach, fix, wash, stabilizer, and a final archival wash stage.

No shortcuts, no skipped steps. The result is a fully processed, archival-quality negative ready for scanning.

Colenta tank diagram showing chemistry sequence from developer through archival wash
B+W & E-6

dev.a Rotary Processor

Modern rotary processing for E-6 slide and black + white film. Full customization for different film stocks and push/pull development.

High Volume

Noritsu V-50 & V-30

Roller transport processors for high-throughput C-41 runs without any sacrifice to quality. Consistent results at scale.

Cinema

ECN-2 by Kodak Atlanta

Motion picture film gets the real deal — processed at Kodak Atlanta's true cinema lab for authentic ECN-2 development.

Get to the grain.

More bits, better files, and your images delivered the way they were meant to be seen.

Casual

Basic JPEG

Included with develop + scan. Great for social sharing and everyday use. High quality compressed files, ready to go.

Pro

Basic TIFF

Uncompressed files with more editing flexibility. A solid step up for photographers who want to fine-tune their scans.

Pro Plus

Archive TIFF

Higher resolution archive-grade TIFFs. Available on select scanner configurations for maximum detail.

SuperPro

Premium TIFF

Our highest resolution output — 16-bit color depth, maximum dynamic range, and every bit of detail the scanner can capture.

.TIFF

Available at Pro, Pro Plus, and SuperPro levels. Uncompressed files that store everything the scanner sees — maximum editing capability, maximum color information.

.JPEG

Available at Casual level. High quality compressed files, ready to share. If you don't need extra firepower for post-processing, JPEGs deliver beautiful results right out of the box.

We love featuring your photos.

The final stage of our process is the best part — seeing what you create. Tag us on social media or submit your work to our community gallery, and you might just see your images featured on our site and channels.

@gelatinlabs

Tag your shots on Instagram, share them in our community, or submit directly to our gallery — we're always looking for great work to spotlight.

Your first roll is on us.

Gelatin Labs is a family-run film lab trusted by photographers in all 50 states. Choose from 10 film scan styles, then let us handle the rest — with real status updates, careful handling, and scans built around your creative vision.

Join thousands of photographers who use Gelatin Labs, and see the difference for yourself.

Start Your Order
First roll free* with code FirstRollFree

*Free roll of develop + scan valid on first orders of $99 or more. Valued at up to $25 per order. Cannot be combined with other offers. One use per customer.

Gelly: My name is Gelly, your virtual assistant. How can I help you today? Here are some types of questions you can ask me:

Do you return negatives to me? Can you develop single-use disposable cameras? How should I prepare my package?

FAQContact Us

CHAT

0
Your Order
Your cart is emptyReturn to Shop

A GelForm is a thoughtfully crafted balance of temperature and contrast—bundling them into distinct looks that are both intuitive and reliable. Whether you prefer a clean, true-to-film rendering, a punchy high-contrast feel, or something with a bit more warmth or coolness, there’s a GelForm that fits your style.

We’ve created a set of unique formulas (GelForms) that unlock endless possibilities—making your photos more personal and distinctive. These are not presets, but in-scanner adjustments to get the best from your film.

HOW IT WORKS

Choose the GelForm that best fits your style and application – we apply carefully tuned formulas based on contrast and temperature. For specialty GelForms, we can also preserve details like sprockets or the rebate edge.

Each formula is unique and will render a different result. Explore the possibilities of your images by experimenting with each GelForm. (Note: Results may vary from sample images, and depend on the film stock chosen, exposure settings while shooting, and film storage).

SCANNER INFO

Each GelForm is made possible by professional film scanners that evoke different styles. To understand which GelForm relates to each scanner, refer to the table below.

ScannerGelForm
Noritsu HS-1800THE STANDARD, THE HI-C, THE HI-C SPIKED, THE FLAT EARTH, THE NOIR, THE FLAT MOON
Fujifilm Frontier SP-3000THE FRINGE, THE SPACELY
Fujifilm Frontier SP-500THE PALM-AIRE, THE ELIZABETH

Image Credit

Photographer:

Services

At Gelatin Labs, we can process, digitize, and print your film. Start by selecting from our three service offerings to find the best options for your film.

How do I drop off my film?

1. Place your film order on gelatinlabs.com – select ‘Return Shipping’ at checkout’ to get negatives returned (and prints, if you ordered them).

2. Envelopes for your order are provided over the counter. Write your name and order number, and load film rolls inside.

3. Hand over your envelope to a Knickerbocker team member.

Your film will head to Gelatin Labs every Monday and Thursday!

How do I drop-off my film?

1. Place your film order on gelatinlabs.com – select ‘Ship Negatives’ to get negatives returned (and prints, if you ordered them).

2. Our box is located near the exit of the coffee shop. Take an envelope (or your own ziploc), bag up your film, and write your order number. Your film will head to Gelatin Labs!

How do I drop-off my film?

1. At the front entrance, buzz in to be let inside.

2. The Gelatin drop-off box is directly across from the front desk. Place your order via the QR code on the box. Select ‘Ship Negatives’ to get negatives (and prints, if you ordered them) returned.

3. Take an envelope (or your own ziploc) from the front desk, bag up your film, and write your order number. Your film will head to Gelatin Labs!

Turnaround

FAST PASS

Jump the developing line and receive your scans as soon as possible. We start your order immediately, and work to get it out the door within one business day. Estimates guaranteed.

(Note: Deliverables like prints and contact sheets are not covered by Fast Pass. Only digital scans are guaranteed.)

FLEXIBLE

For those not on a deadline, we process in the order we receive your film. Estimates are updated to reflect the current average time from “order start” to “order finish”. Flexible estimates are not guaranteed.

Order size and options chosen may affect turnaround time. Lots of film? Expect a longer lead time.

Check status.gelatinlabs.com for latest Flexible Turnaround averages.

Print With Gelatin Labs

Fill out the form below and our team will get back to you via email with a link for you to upload your images.

It’s Time To Get Printing!

Whatever type of work you create, the Gelatin Labs Print Upload will render beautiful, archival prints that will enable you to bring your art off of your screen and into the realm of physical existence. The process is simple: select your print size, upload your images, and pick from three distinct finishes!

8x10 inch

Body text for more information. Body text for more information.

4x6 inch

Body text for more information. Body text for more information.

Pushing / Pulling

Mark rolls (+1, +2, +3, -1) according to the options you have selected.

Start Your Film Order

Welcome to Gelatin Labs, your trusted partner for all your film photography needs! We recognize that each photographer has their unique preferences, which is why we are excited to introduce two remarkable options to cater to your individual needs: Simplified and Customized.

Simplified

DEVELOP + SCAN • PRINT

  • Streamlined options for quick checkout
  • Choose the look & feel of your images
  • Less options for an uncomplicated experience

Customized

DEVELOP • SCAN • PRINT

  • Expanded customization for film types, options, services
  • Upgrade to SuperPro hi-res scans
  • More options for the more advanced user

Contact Sheet