Why Dip and Dunk processing?

Dip and Dunk processing is the only professional, archival way to develop color materials. A well calibrated dip and dunk processor keeps the chemistry temperature consistent, doesn’t have rollers that scratch film, and washes your film to make sure it’s archival preserved!

Film Processing is expensive. Do you offer any discounts?

Yes, we have a membership program where you have access to lab discounts in addition to other benefits. It’s not just for photographers in DFW - if you shoot 5 rolls of film a month, it’ll save you money. You’ll save 20% off develop only and develop+scan packages!

Members also have access to our rental darkroom, so if you’re local to DFW, you can order your film as develop only, and use our rental Noritsu scanner to scan your film yourself. It can significantly reduce the cost while continuing to have us develop to maintain top quality.

How do I get my film to Lone Star Darkroom?

You can place an order online or in our lab in Dallas or our drop-off location at Norman Roscoe in Denton. Once an order is placed online, you can send your film via any carrier - please include your order number and phone number in the package.

Lone Star Darkroom

3160 Commonwealth #115

Dallas, TX 75247

How do you process film?

C41 is done in our Kreonite dip and dunk processor where we run control strips throughout the day, and plot color information with special fuji software with our calibrated X-Rite densitometers. This allows us to make real time changes to the process which keeps your color the best they can be!

Black and White roll film is processed in XTOL (or your choice of developer) in hand tanks, and large format is processed with XTOL (or your choice) in jobo expert tanks.

E-6 is sent out to a partners lab - after testing a bunch, there are only a few labs we trust to process E-6 properly. We can either send it out for you to simplify your workflow, or just ask us and we’ll hook you up. Our goal is to bring top quality lab work to DFW!

What’s your turn around time?

For develop+scan our standard turn around time is 4 to 6 business days. Please keep in mind we are closed Sunday and Monday. We offer rush services that can reduce that to 24 hrs. For mail in orders, we are centrally located in Dallas, TX so USPS is usually only 2 to 3 days from anywhere in the US.

Prints take 2 to 3 days, and please inquire for large projects. We’re always willing to do what we can to turn around your project asap to meet your deadlines!

What type of scanners do you use?

While scanner type can be important, we’ve found that the operator is even more important. We use Fuji Frontier sp3000 and sp500 scanners, and maintain strict quality control standards.

We also use digital capture with a medium format sensor and special industrial lenses for high-res capture. After extensive testing, we’ve found our high res capture setup to equal or exceed drum scans in every metric, and they throughly beat Imacon/hasselblad scanners. 

Do you process E-6?

In our quest to make sure all of our services are done right, we have decided not to pursue developing E-6 in house. Color development requires incredibly precise temperatures to be done within control, and the only way to achieve those is with a dip and dunk processor. Unfortunately there is no longer the volume to maintain a d&d processor for E-6, so if you drop off with us, we will send your film off to a hand selected partner lab.

You can drop off or mail in E-6, and we will have it developed and then scan to our exacting standards. Please be advised that the turn around time is longer for E-6 because there are no local labs that process E-6 to our standards.

If you like slide film, our advice in the digital world is to shoot Ektar to another highly saturated film, and then adjust the contrast and saturation in post. This gives you the best of both worlds - you get the look of slide film, with the exposure latitude of negative film.

How will I receive my scans?

Your scans will be delivered via email link to our system where you can create an account and save each roll indefinitely for safe keeping. You can download your files and order prints directly from the system.

How do I get my film back?

If you drop off, your film will be ready for pickup at your drop off location, and mail in orders will be shipped back via USPS for $9. If you prefer a different carrier, please let us know.

What about services you don’t offer?

Our number one goal is to help you achieve your artistic vision, so we’ll recommend other labs we’d trust our own work to. There are a handful out there that cater to artists and discriminating customers.

Do you process any other film formats?

Yes! We process any film format including 620, 828, 127, 126, APS, 110 and any size of large format. Please contact us with questions.