What went wrong?
My colour negative scans come out orange or blue
Inverted colour negatives look overall blue, cyan, or still have an orange cast.
Check this first
Are you inverting from a raw or linear file, or from an already-processed JPEG?
Likely causes
- 1.
The orange mask hasn't been removed properly
Common- How to tell
- A simple invert gives a strong blue or cyan cast.
- Fix
- Sample the unexposed film base and neutralise it before inverting, or use a negative-conversion tool or the scanner's negative mode.
- 2.
Camera scan with auto white balance or a processed file
Common- How to tell
- Colours change from frame to frame for no reason.
- Fix
- Shoot raw with a fixed white balance set on the light source, then invert.
Avoiding it next time
- Lock exposure and white balance when camera-scanning a roll.
Go deeper
- DSLR and Mirrorless Film Scanning →
- Scanning Problems Troubleshooting →
- Film Scanning Workflow Basics →
Other scans problems
Last checked October 2026. Seen something different? Tell us.