Slide Scanning Pros
 
Search this site

Update:

Current start time for new orders is 30 days for orders received today.

Mold Removal



Brief overview of what we can do with mold on your images.

1. Scan your moldy slide.
2. Physically clean your moldy slide.
3. Rescan your physically cleaned slide.

Cost?  Step 1 is the normal 26 cents.  Steps 2 and 3 are a total of $1 more.  This must be paid in advance, it also is non refundable, even if you are unsatisfied with the results, or the process destroys your originals!  Let's repeat that,  if things are worse after we get done physically cleaning your slides you still will not get your money back.  If your slides are completely destroyed by us, you will still not get your money back. If there is still mold on your slides you will not get your money back.  You are  paying for us to "try."  This is completely  the opposite of our normal  satisfaction guarantee program.

We are not trying to destroy your moldy slides.  But, mold removal is a physical process, that is risky to your film.  You should understand the risks.

Why would you agree to such a thing being done to your precious original slides with a no money back policy?  To get the mold off.  Mold is destructive.  It spreads, it actually, literally, eats the emulsion right off your images.  The mold is likely to  only get worse.


A more detailed breakdown of our process.

1.  Scan of the slides with the mold still on it.  This the normal scanning process, we follow our normal guidelines and charge the normal amount.  This step acts as a back up in case step 2 goes horribly wrong, at least you will have this scan.

2.  The physical cleaning.  This means direct contact with the images on your slides. 

We consider the following factors for each piece of film;
  • the film type
  • the age
  • the emulsion
  • the extent of the damage
  • the condition of the mount
  • whether the mold is only on the film side, the emulsion side or both
  • if the mold has tunneled into the emulsion or is still on the surface
  • if the emulsion has become water soluble
  • and if the mold is in a dormant stage or is active.
 
Based on those variables the cleaning tech will use their expert judgment and a combination of the following tools, methods and techniques to remove the mold...
  • Swabs
  • PEC wipes
  • Q-tips
  • PEC-12 
  • 99% isopropyl alcohol
  • Freezing  (aka the Stanford Method )
  • HEPA vacuuming
  • Steady delicate hands
  • Remounting
  • Air drying
  • Kodak Photo-flo 200
  • Ammonia-alcohol mix
  • Distilled water


3.  Rescan your now, hopefully, mold free slide.


The below images show typical results of mold removal.
#a is a raw scan with no corrections
#b is only digital correction only.  ie what you get with our normal $.26 service.
#c is the with physical cleaning as per above.  ie what you get for the extra #1.
Comments
  Sample Images all provided by Bill Oliver.
 Moldy slide #1a.  No correction, no ICE. No Cleaning.
  
 Moldy Slide #1b.  With digital ICE and image correction.  What our $.26 service does to this image.
  
 Moldy slide #1c.  With physical cleaning.  This is an example of what the extra $1 does.  Only a little difference in this one because the digital cleaning had done fairly well above.
  
 Image #2a with mold.  No correction, no cleaning, no ICE.
  
 Image #2b with only digital corrections.    
  
Slide #2c with physical cleaning and digital corrections.

You will notice that while the mold is reduced in the physically cleaned image, there is still some left, especially in the corners.

With physical mold removal there is always a fine line to walk between scrubbing hard enough to get every last bit of mold and cleaning too hard and ruining the image under.

You may or may not like which side of the line each image comes out on.
  
 Image #3a with mold.  Pay attention to the two big spots of mold in the upper right hand corner.
  
 Image #3b with most of the mold no longer visible thanks to the  digital ICE.  But take note that the ICE's interpolation fails to correctly fill in the larger upper right blotches of mold.
  
 Image #3c with Physical cleaning and digital correction.  This is about as good as physical cleaning can get.  Notice that in the top right hand corner all the mold is gone, but a small amount of permanent damage is visible.
  
   

Above images all provided by Bill Oliver.

 

If you have any questions call toll free 1-888-210-1591.