HDR Drum Scans – The Best Way to Digitize Film

Drum scanning is the highest-quality method for digitizing film, capturing every detail with exceptional clarity. Whether you want to preserve your film’s full depth or create large, high-resolution prints, this process ensures nothing is lost.

At our studio, we use the Heidelberg Tango, one of the most advanced drum scanners ever made, to achieve stunning detail and color accuracy.

How the Drum Scanning Process Works

  1. Film Cleaning & Preparation
    Before scanning, we carefully inspect and clean the film using a special solution, then remove dust with anti-static compressed air.

  2. Mounting the Film
    The film is placed on a rotating acrylic drum and covered with a thin Mylar sheet, using a high-quality liquid that enhances clarity and sharpness.

  3. Securing the Film
    The Mylar cover is gently taped down, ensuring the film stays perfectly flat for a distortion-free scan.

  4. Pre-Scanning & Adjustments
    A test scan is performed to determine the ideal size, resolution, and exposure settings. We then fine-tune the highlights and shadows for optimal detail.

  5. Final High-Resolution Scan
    Once everything is set, the Heidelberg Tango drum scanner captures the film with unmatched precision, preserving every nuance, texture, and tonal shift.

By using drum scanning, your film is digitized at the highest possible quality, making it ideal for professional printing, archiving, or digital editing. 

Why Choose Drum Scanning?

Drum scanning delivers the highest-quality film scans, preserving every detail with exceptional clarity. Here’s why it stands out:

  • Unmatched detail & tonal range
    Captures everything from the brightest highlights to the deepest shadows with smooth, natural transitions.

  • Incredible sharpness
    Produces razor-sharp scans without artificial enhancements or sharpening.

  • Minimal dust & scratch removal needed
    The special mounting fluid fills in tiny scratches and suppresses dust, reducing the need for heavy retouching.

  • Superior contrast & clean edges
    Unlike other scanning methods, drum scans prevent light bleeding, keeping highlights and shadows crisp and well-defined.

  • The best foundation for Fine Art prints
    Whether for archiving, exhibition prints, or digital restoration, drum scanning provides the best possible starting point.

For more details, check out our film scanning fact sheet: