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*[http://www.minilabworld.com MiniLabWorld.com] - Industry Site
*[http://www.minilabworld.com MiniLabWorld.com] - Industry Site
*[http://www.noritsu.com Noritsu America Corporation] - Industry Site
*[http://www.noritsu.com Noritsu America Corporation] - Industry Site
*[http://www.minilabhelp.com Minilabhelp] - User Group
*[http://www.minilabhelp.com/site/ Minilabhelp] - User Group
*[http://fujifilm.com/products/photofinishing/dmlab.html FujiFilm Minilabs]
*[http://fujifilm.com/products/photofinishing/ FujiFilm Minilabs]
*[http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/hub/labDig/workflowComponents.jhtml? Kodak MiniLabs]
*[http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/hub/labDig/workflowComponents.jhtml Kodak MiniLabs]
*[http://www.minilabfactory.de Minilab factory (formerly part of AGFA)]
*[http://www.minilabfactory.de Minilab factory (formerly part of AGFA)]
*[http://www.smi-grp.com/corporate_profile.html SMI Group (San Marco Imaging)]
*[http://www.smi-grp.com/corporate_profile.html SMI Group (San Marco Imaging)]
*[http://www.icmw.de ICMW.DE] - Commercial site -
*[http://www.icmw.de ICMW.DE] - Commercial site -
*[http://www.phototechservice.com/digitallabchartmed.htm Comparison] of mid-range digital minilabs
*[http://www.phototechservice.com/digitallabchartmed.htm Comparison] of mid-range digital minilabs
*[http://www.phototader.com Phototrader Inc.] Used Equipment Broker of Photofinishing Minilabs
*[http://www.phototrader.com Phototrader Inc.] Used Equipment Broker of Photofinishing Minilabs
[[Category:Photography]]
[[Category:Photography]]



Revision as of 08:59, 22 September 2009

A Noritsu QSS-3301 digital minilab

A minilab is a small photographic developing and printing system, as opposed to large centralized photo developing labs. Many retail stores use minilabs (or digital minilabs) to provide on-site photo finishing services.

With the increase in popularity of digital photography, the demand for film development has decreased. This means that the larger labs capable of processing 30 or 40 thousand films a day are going out of business, and more retailers are installing minilabs.

In Kodak and Agfa minilabs films are processed using C41b chemistry and the paper is processed using RA-4. Using these chemical processes films can be ready for collection in as little as 20 minutes, depending on the machine capabilities and the operator.

A typical minilab consists of two machines, a film processor and a paper printer/processor. In some installations, these two components are integrated into a single machine. In addition, some digital minilabs are also equipped with photo ordering kiosks.

Film processor

35 mm films are pulled, this means the end of the film is extracted from cassette. This can done manually or by using a small machine that essentially uses tape to pull the film leader out of the cassette. In cases when the end of the film cannot be removed or if the film is damaged, the film can be removed using a dark bag or a dark box. A twin check number (a pair of sticker with a unique number) is put onto the film and the matching number onto the film processing envelope, so that after processing this film can be easily identified to the customers envelope. Films are spliced on the leader cards one or two at a time, to do this the end of the film is cut square, special Permacel tape is used to attach the film to the leader card. The leader card(s) is/are then inserted into the film processor and are fed through the machine using sprockets in the card. The film goes through a developer, bleach, fix and stabiliser then through a dryer. After the film is processed it is cut from the leader card and re-united with the processing envelope containing the customer details, from here the film goes forward for printing.

Photo printer

Most printer/processes are computer controlled. The front of the film is fed into the printing gate. Sensors see the film and forward the film to the first frame. DX codes on the edge of the film are read by the printer and the film channel is selected accordingly to give the optimum result. Each frame is printed one at a time, the photographic paper is advanced each time and when there is sufficient frames printed the paper automatically advances into the paper processor. The paper passes through a developer, bleach/fix, a wash, and dryer. The prints are then cut up and are collected in a bundle. From here a smaller machine is used to cut the negatives into fours and sleeved to protect them.

The final job is to put the negatives with the prints into a wallet and into the processing envelope. The order is then priced and placed into a rack or draw waiting for the customer to collect.

Industry changes

By the end of 2005, two manufacturers, Agfa and Konica went out of business. Minilab Factory GmbH took over the renowned minilab branch of Agfa in 2006. Gretag Imaging, not to be confused with former Gretag Macbeth, went bankrupt in December, 2002. Subsequently, the minilab related assets were sold to the newly formed San Marco Imaging. The wholesale lab related assets were sold to KIS Photo Me Group. In 2006, Noritsu and Fuji announced a strategic alliance. [1] Noritsu now manufactures all of Fuji's minilab equipment [2]

Digital minilab

A digital minilab is a computer printer that uses traditional chemical photographic processes to make prints from digital images. Photographs are input to the digital minilab using a built-in film scanner that captures images from negative and positive photographic films (including mounted slides), flatbed scanners, a kiosk that accepts CD-ROMs or memory cards from a digital camera, or a website that accepts uploads. The operator can make many corrections such as brightness or color saturation, contrast, scene lighting color correction, sharpness and cropping. A laser, LCD/LED, or Micro Light Valve Array (MLVA) then exposes photographic paper with the image, which is then processed by the minilab just as if it had been exposed from a negative.

The price of a digital minilab can reach up to $250,000 USD. The most popular brands include KIS, Noritsu, Doli and Fuji..

Digital minilabs are generally too expensive for typical home use, but many retailers purchase or lease them to offer photo printing services to their customers. The resulting photographs have the same quality and durability as traditional photographs since the same chemical processes (e.g. RA-4) are used. This is often better than can be achieved by typical home inkjet printers, and for smaller prints generally less expensive.

A new type of minilab is the chemical free “dry lab”. These machines are cheaper, smaller, and use inkjet printing instead of a chemical process. This allows them to be installed in smaller retail stores, print shops, and resort/tourist locations that could not justify an expensive, high throughput, wet minilab. Standard questions of inkjet quality and longevity apply.

See also

References