Getting the best results for fitting an image in a 35mm slide film frame.

Fitting an image to a 35mm film frame can be difficult visualize. The size of a 35mm film frame is 24mm by 36mm. If your image is set to this size it should very nicely fill the complete film frame. If your image is larger in size but still has the same size ratio of 2:3 it should still nicely fill the film frame. (A couple of sizes with this same ratio are: 4x6 and 8x12 )

The problem is that most images are not at that size ratio unless they came from a 35mm camera. So they do not fill a 35mm film frame without either cropping or distortion. Most digital cameras create digital photos which
are shaped differently than a 35mm film frame. Similarly, a Powerpoint's default presentation size is usually: 10.5"x7" and gives an image which fits most computer screens nicely, but it does not fit a 35mm frame.

Here is a photo image used in a Powerpoint presentation in which the photo image is sized to fit on Powerpoint's default page size:


This will not fit correctly on a 35mm frame. The 35mm frame has a longer shape. Here is the same image fit on to a 35mm frame:



The image is full and there is no cropping but the ends of the frame would not be filled by the photo and would come out white. We can fill the ends with either white or black. A black fill is usually preferred because white will usually be so bright around the photo it makes it difficult to view in a presentation. Here is the same image with a black fill:

We call this a "SmartFit" of the image on to a 35mm film frame.

If one really wants the image to fill the 35mm film frame and not show any black, then the image must be enlarged to fill the frame, and then cropped where the image goes past the frame. Here is the image expanded to fill the ends of the frame, but extending beyond the top and bottom of the film frame edges:

The part of the image which had expanded beyond the film fame will need to be cropped off as it will not fit on the film. On the film it will be cropped to look like this:

We call this a "SmartCrop" of the image on to a 35mm film frame.

One other consideration comes from the fact that a tiny part of the edge of the film frame is covered up by the 35mm slide mount to hold the film. If there is an important part of the image which runs along the edge and should not be covered up, then we recommend our standard 8% shrink of the image inside the film frame. This makes sure none of the image is cropped and nothing is covered up by the 35mm film mount. Here is an example of the above image using what we call our standard "8% shrink":

Notice the image sits completely inside a black background fill. This can be important for photos of artwork in order to be sure that not any part of the image is cropped off.

So our standard options are:

1. SmartFit - no cropping, black edge fill
2. SmartCrop - expanded and cropped to fill
3. 8% Shrink - fit inside a black background

Please consider these options when ordering your slides and communicate what you need to the slide recording service.