Develop Only

This option is for you if you already have your own film scanning setup and just need the negatives developed and ready to go for that.

This also may be what you need if you have found old film and aren't sure if there will be anything worth scanning on it. Just write in the roll notes that you're interested in scans if the film turns out.

Develop Only Banner

Pick your film type

Processing only — your negatives come back, with no scans. Prices are per roll: choose C-41 for color negative film, or B&W for black and white.

Not sure this is the right service?

Develop Only is the development on its own: the same processing we run for every other service, stopped before the scanner. Here is how the three compare.

  • You're here

    Develop Only

    The same processing as our Develop and Scan orders: we simply stop before the scanner and mail the negatives back. From $8 a roll.

    Right for you if you scan at home, or if you have found an old roll and want to see what is on it before deciding whether to digitize it.

    Formats and prices are just below.

  • Develop and Scan

    Processing plus high-resolution scans, delivered over Google Drive, with your negatives returned if you want them. From $17 a roll.

    Pick this one if what you want at the end is photographs rather than negatives.

    Develop & Scan

  • Scan Only

    Already developed your film? We will digitize negatives you already have: a whole uncut roll, a strip, or a single frame. From $2.50.

    Also the follow-up to this service, once your negatives are home.

    Scan Only

What comes back

Develop Only is exactly that: we process your film and send the negatives home. Here is what is in the envelope, and what is not.

You get

  • Your developed negatives, run through our roller transport processor.
  • C-41 color and black & white, in 35mm, medium format, 110 and APS.
  • Negatives rolled up, or cut and sleeved. Tell us which you would like when you order.
  • Film handled by hand, one order at a time.

You do not get

  • No digital files: nothing to download, and no Google Drive link.
  • No prints.
  • No contact sheet.
  • Return postage is chosen separately at checkout. It is not part of the roll price.

How this works

  1. Place your order

    Pick your film type above. Your confirmation email includes an order number — you'll need it in step 3.

  2. Choose how it gets to us

    Buy a prepaid label from us, ship it yourself, or drop it off in Tampa. All three are explained below.

  3. Pack it up

    Rolls in a sealed Ziploc, then into a padded mailer or small box — not a paper envelope. Put your name and order number on a slip of paper inside.

  4. Get your negatives back

    We process your film and send the negatives to the return address on your order. Current turnaround is posted in the banner at the top of this page.

Getting your film to us

Three ways to do it. Pick whichever suits you. Your order is processed the same either way.

  • Easiest

    Buy a prepaid label

    Add a shipping label to your order and we'll email you a private link right after checkout. Fill in your address, pick USPS or UPS, and print the label, or wait for the copy we email you.

    4 package sizes, from a padded mailer up to a large box.

    Sending more than fits a mailer? Compare all 4 sizes

  • Ship it yourself

    Already have postage sorted? Send your film to us with any carrier you like. Use a padded mailer or a small box — not a paper envelope — and hold on to your tracking number.

    Coastal Film Lab
    1704 N Nebraska Ave
    Tampa, FL 33602

    How to pack your film

  • Drop it off

    In the Tampa Bay area? The counter is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 10am–6pm, and Saturday 10am–3pm. Outside those hours use the drop box between our two front doors. There's a second one in the back parking lot. We develop film every day, including the days the shop is closed to walk-ins.

    No shipping to buy. Just include your name and order number.

    Get directions

Whichever route you pick, write your name and order number on a slip of paper and put it in with your film. Want your negatives back? Choose a return shipping option at checkout. That's separate from any label you buy to send film to us.

Changed your mind about scans?

It happens, and it is usually the right call. Plenty of people send in an old roll without knowing whether there is anything on it. There are two ways to go about it:

  • Before we process it. Get in touch with your order number and we will move you over to Develop and Scan and invoice the difference. Contact us as soon as you can — once a roll is through the machine we can only scan it as a separate job.
  • After your negatives are home. Send them back for Scan Only (from $2.50 a frame, or $9.99 for an uncut 35mm roll) to digitize just the frames that turned out.

Want scans that are ready to print or publish straight from the lab, with no editing at your end? That is our Premium service.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Develop Only and Develop and Scan?

Develop Only gets your film processed and the negatives mailed back to you. Develop and Scan does the same, then digitizes every frame and delivers high-resolution files over a secure Google Drive link.

If what you want at the end is photographs you can look at, share or print, you want Develop and Scan.

Do I get any digital files with Develop Only?

No. Develop Only produces negatives and nothing else: no scans, no downloads, no contact sheet and no prints.

Will my negatives come back cut and sleeved, or uncut?

Either. Let us know which you would prefer when you place your order. Uncut is usually what people scanning at home want, since it keeps every frame on one strip and loads straight into most film holders.

I found an old roll and don't know if there's anything on it. What should I order?

Develop Only is the most direct way to find out. We process the roll and send the negatives back, and you can hold them up to a light to see what is there.

If there are frames worth keeping, send the negatives back for Scan Only and digitize just those.

Can I add scans after I've already sent my film in?

Yes. Get in touch with your order number as soon as you can and we will upgrade your order to Develop and Scan and invoice you the difference.

Once a roll has already been processed we can still scan it, but it becomes a separate Scan Only job rather than a change to your original order, so the sooner you tell us, the simpler it is.

Does the roll price include mailing my negatives back to me?

No. The price you see is for processing. Choose a return shipping option at checkout if you want your negatives posted to you. That is separate from any label you buy to send film to us.

Which films can you develop this way?

C-41 color negative and black & white, in 35mm, medium format, 110 and APS. Everything we currently run is listed above with its price.

Shooting something else? Talk to us before you send it and we will tell you whether we can help.

Do you push or pull process?

Yes. Choose Push / Pull Processing from the options on any developing product when you order, and tell us how you shot the roll.

We pull to -1 and push up to +4 stops. It is $3 a roll from -1 through +3, and $5 at +4.

Shot further than that? Talk to us before you send the roll in and we will tell you what we can do with it.

How long will you keep my negatives?

You have 30 days to collect your negatives from our store. The clock starts when we email you to say they're ready for pickup, not when you placed the order.

To request mail delivery instead, contact admin@coastalfilmlab.com.