How To Tell Slide Backs From Slide Fronts When Stacking

To start off: Click here for the movie file of the above animation..

We have struggled with this problem since 2002 and keep trying to give instructions that make sense to everyone.

NOTE: 99 times out of 100 the "blank" side of the slide holder is going to be what we call the "BACK". If you find a slide you just can't decide "FRONT" or "BACK", use the method below.

1. Look through each side of the slide and when the scene looks right, place it down on the table with the side you just looked through (the BACK) facing UP. The FRONT will be DOWN.

2. This will be the FIRST (#1) slide in your stack.

3. Do the same with every other slide to go in this stack. Each one on top of the previous.

4. When the stack starts to get too high, Flip the stack over and put a label on the top slide which is still the first slide in the stack and label it Folder #1. Rubberband the stack. Use multiple rubberbands.

5. Do the same for subsequent slides and stacks. (Make sure you ROTATE each slides so they are ALL in the "Landscape" orientation. We will correctly rotate them after scanning.)

6. If you want multiple stacks to go in the same Folder, Label your stacks like this: #1A, #1B, #1C and etc. These will ALL go into Folder #1.

7. Viewed thru the "back" of a slide, a sign will read correctly.

8. The film on the back of the slide will also be somewhat glossier than the front. The front of the slide will have the emulsion which is slightly duller but sometimes this is very hard to determine.

9. Some slides will have "This side towards screen" printed or embossed on the FRONTS of the slides and that should make it easier. There are some slides that have PLASTIC holders and are colored "BLACK" on fhe FRONT and white on the BACK.

Here are some examples of "Fronts" and "Backs" of different slides.