Underclass and Prom Film Recommendations

 

Testing for Proper Exposure

To achieve the highest quality Underclass and Prom portraits from your properly exposed negatives, Excel Photo's equipment is best balanced for Kodak Portra NC160 film. Our extensive tests and experience have shown that a red filter density of 0.65 to 0.80 on the Kodak Gray Card, receiving the same illumination as the subject, is recommended. Test your equipment and your method of calculation, then leave it. Since lighting procedures and film emulsions change, periodic testing is necessary to maintain proper exposure throughout the season. For this reason, we will process your test film at no charge and make recommendations. Simply mark your processing order "Test Roll - Please Evaluate". AII test film is developed within 24 hours of receipt and is evaluated shortly thereafter. You will be contacted by phone or fax if there are any problems.

 

We also suggest that you submit pre-season tests for digital capture. You may email files up to 6MB. For larger files, we ask that you send via FTP or www.mailbigfile.com. Digital capture images will be evaluated within 24 hours.

 

Machine Cropping/Camera Cropping Guides

Excel Photo's school package printers are designed to handle 35 UP (B Crop), 46mm (D Crop) and Split70 (D Crop) films. Camera masks are available upon request at no charge. During the Fall School season, these are the only film formats that will be processed through our Underclass & Proms division (products and pricing on pages 7 through 35). All other films will be processed (and priced) through our Sports Program (see pages 37 through 65 for product and pricing information). For dances and proms or during slower times of the year, we can accommodate 35mm perforated film. Please contact customer service if you anticipate sending package orders from 35mm perforated film or if shooting proms or dances. Some limitations do apply.

 

Schedule of Approximate School Delivery Times

The sooner we know when and what you will be shooting and what your needs will be, the better prepared we can be to meet them. We strongly encourage that you provide us with a copy of your shooting schedule when it has been determined. Let us know whether you will be capturing film or digital, the school name, the date you will be shooting, the enrollment of the school, the grade level of the school and any predetermined makeup day schedules or dismissal dates. With this information, we can plan staffing and supply needs more accurately to help ensure prompt delivery.

 

Below is a schedule of approximate days in production. In-plant time may fluctuate up and down as much as seven to ten days during peak season due to the high volume of work in the lab. Other factors that can affect delivery times are improperly exposed film, missing, incomplete or disorganized paperwork and cut negatives. Please read the section titled "Avoiding Extra Time Charges" on page 2 for further explanation. Only you can help us avoid these time consuming hurdles! Because of these factors, we do not guarantee any delivery times.

 

Packages (with or without class photos).................................................................................10 -14 days Service Items Rushed Ahead of Packages................................................................................4 - 7 days Deferred Composites...........................................................................10-14 days from receipt of proofs

 

See "Instructions & Procedures for Composites" on page 19.