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Silverlog

What went wrong?

My colour photos have a strong colour cast

Scans or prints are too green, magenta, blue or yellow, and correcting one area spoils another.

Check this first

Is the cast on every frame and does it change with the scanner software, or is it in the negatives themselves?

Likely causes

  1. 1.

    Scanner or inversion settings

    Common
    How to tell
    The cast changes when you rescan or use different software. The negatives look normal on a light box.
    Fix
    Set the white and black points per channel, or use a dedicated inversion tool. See the scanning guide.
  2. 2.

    Expired or heat-damaged film

    Common
    How to tell
    A cast on every frame plus raised base fog. Often magenta or green, getting worse with age.
    Fix
    Overexpose expired film by about a stop per decade, and expect to correct the colour.
  3. 3.

    Wrong processing temperature or exhausted chemistry

    Occasional
    How to tell
    Colour crossover: shadows and highlights have different casts.
    Fix
    Hold the C-41 developer at its stated temperature, usually 37.8°C ± 0.3°C, and check the chemistry's capacity.
  4. 4.

    Mixed or tungsten lighting

    Occasional
    How to tell
    Only indoor shots are affected, with an orange or green cast.
    Fix
    Use a filter or tungsten-balanced film indoors, or correct while scanning.

Avoiding it next time

  • Store film cool.
  • Keep C-41 developer at temperature.

Go deeper

Other negatives problems

Last checked October 2026. Seen something different? Tell us.

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