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Film developing in Chicago, IL
5 places to develop film in Chicago, 1 confirmed to process on site.
Labs and shops in Chicago that develop film
Bellows Film Lab Chicago
4.3 ★★★★☆ 304 reviews
Friendly, warm, helpful staff at this store specializing in developing, scanning and printing photos from film cameras.
LATITUDE Chicago
4.7 ★★★★★ 89 reviews
Community digital lab with scanning and printing services, plus an artist in residence program and classes.
What a roll costs in Chicago
| Service | Typical independent price |
|---|---|
| 35mm C-41, develop only | $5–12 |
| Develop + scan | $16–35, depending on scan resolution |
| Black and white | +$4–6 over color (hand-processed) |
| E-6 slide | $12–20 |
| Push / pull | Free–$3 per stop |
| Rush | +$2–14 per roll |
For comparison, the drugstore counters charge $15.99–18.99 at CVS, $15.99–17.99 at Walgreens and $14.96–16.96 at Walmart — all of which ship your film out, return 1–4MP scans, and generally do not give your negatives back. Walgreens ended in-house processing in April 2015, and Costco, Sam's Club and Target left film processing entirely. A Chicago lab is usually cheaper for developing alone and always better for what you get back.
Turnaround to expect
- 2–6 business days for color negative at a dedicated lab, with same-day service at Bellows Film Lab Chicago.
- Longer for black and white and slide film — hand-processing and batching both add days.
- 7–10 days at a drugstore counter, and about three weeks for black and white or slide, because the film travels to a central facility and back.
- Up to a month for E-6 or ECN-2 at labs that only run those chemistries in batches.
Developing film in Chicago: common questions
- How much does film developing cost in Chicago?
- Independent lab pricing is national in shape: about $5–12 to develop a roll of 35mm C-41, $16–35 for develop-and-scan, $4–6 more for black and white, $12–20 for E-6 slide film, and $2–14 extra for rush service. The cheapest per-roll price we have read off a Chicago business's own site is $10. A CVS, Walgreens or Walmart counter charges $14.96–18.99 for the same roll and sends it away.
- Which Chicago lab should I use?
- Ask three questions: do you develop on site, which scanner do you run, and do I get my negatives back. On-site processing means faster turnaround and someone accountable if a roll goes wrong. The scanner sets the look of your files — Frontier is smoother and punchier, Noritsu is sharper and flatter for editing. And negatives are your archive; any lab worth using returns them. 1 of the 5 listed here is confirmed to develop in-house.
- How long will it take?
- Expect 2–6 business days at a dedicated lab for color negative film, and one listing here offers same-day service. Black and white and slide film take longer because they are hand-processed or batched. Drugstore counters take 7–10 days for color and roughly three weeks for black and white or slide, because the film is shipped to a central facility and back.