Determine Front and Back Of Slides

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We know this is a confusing part of your slide organization. We have been dealing with since 2002 and we keep trying to find a perfect way to help people get past this problem. For the sake of standardizing this, the side of the slide with the "LOGO" will be referred to as the "FRONT" of the slide. If you hold the slide up to the light and you can see a sign in the picture, the text will read "BACKWARDS". Now please don't get hung up on this. We are going to get your slide scans all reading correctly when you view them on your TV or computer or you make prints. It is just that we all have to be seeing things the same way. I can't tell you how many people do their organizing just the opposite of what we need. Don't over-think this. Just please give us what we need.

Stacking Your Slides From The Bottom UP

This is the front of the slide and also the side that Faces the Screen.

Stacking Your Slides From The Bottom UP 2

This is the Back of the slide. When using a projector, the light will shine through this side and out the lense and onto the screen.

Stacking Your Slides From The Bottom UP 3

Usually, the back of the slide will have very little on it. It might have "Made in USA" or a date or a number.

Stacking Your Slides From The Bottom UP 4

This is easy. You can see the film type and the logo on the front of the slide.

Stacking Your Slides From The Bottom UP 5

When looking through the back of the slide, text will read correctly.

"THIS SIDE TOWARDS SCREEN" is the FRONT of the slide.

Stacking Your Slides From The Bottom UP 7

Note for below: This will work for most slides although some are really tough to figure out. In that case, go with the logo side is the Front.

slide backs

Still confused? Put the slide down on a table or a book so that you can't see through it. Turn a light on over it. Now look at the slide to see if you see the light reflected in the slide. Is it a sharp reflection? Then it is the Back of the slide. If it is a dull or blurry reflection, then it is the Emulsion or Front of the slide.

Slide Fronts

This is the Front. It is dull and not shiny. Granted, this slide shows the dull side very prominently. Lots of slides have the emulsion side looking shinny as well but there is still a difference.

This is the Emulsion side. The camera shutter opens and light comes through and exposes the image onto the emulsion on the film. Everything looks reversed on this side of the film. Signs, house numbers all look backwards. Some slides will even have "This side faces the Screen" imprinted on the Front or Emulsion side of the slide.