The free, private way to convert film negatives to positives — right in your browser.
Negative Converter is a free online tool that turns scanned film negatives into finished positive images. Every step — RAW decoding, inversion, color correction, export — runs locally in your browser. No account, no upload, no watermark.
What is a film negative converter?
A film negative converter is a tool that turns a scanned negative — where colors and tones are inverted and color negatives carry an orange base mask — into a normal-looking positive image. A good converter inverts tones correctly, neutralizes the orange mask on color negatives, and gives you control over white balance and color so the final image matches the look of the original film stock.
Most photographers use either a paid Lightroom plugin (like Negative Lab Pro) or a desktop app to do this. Negative Converter takes a different approach: it runs entirely in your browser using WebAssembly, so it works on any operating system, requires no install, and never uploads selected photo pixels for processing. The web site downloads program assets and records page-view analytics; see the privacy policy.
How to convert a film negative to a positive (3 steps)
- Import and inspect Open the converter and drop in your scanned negative — JPG, 16-bit PNG, or a RAW file (NEF, CR2, ARW, DNG, RW2). Crop to the film area, and rotate or auto-frame if needed.
- Confirm film type and rendering Check the suggested Color, B&W, or Positive type and correct it if needed. The film border is optional. For slides, choose Correct slide or Edit only. Select a film preset (Portra Classic, Frontier Lab, Sepia Classic, Slide Rich, etc.). For color negatives, sample the orange mask manually, automatically, or via a roll reference.
- Adjust and export Tune white balance with one click, then refine temperature, tint, vibrance, saturation, and the cyan / magenta / yellow channels in real time. Export as PNG, JPEG, or TIFF — 8-bit or 16-bit.
Positive slides, borderless scans and AI repair
Positive correction preserves orientation and uses a shared tone mapping. Edit only skips automatic analysis for already finished scans. Import detection supports scans without film borders, but a borderless grayscale photo may require a manual positive or negative choice.
The AI repair brush works independently of automatic dust detection. Open Retouch, wait for the model-ready status, paint a small defect and inspect the result. AI predicts replacement texture rather than recovering hidden original detail.
Supported file formats
Negative Converter handles the formats most film scanners and digital camera scans produce, including direct camera RAW.
| Format | Type | Source | Bit depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| JPG / JPEG | Compressed | Most flatbed scanners, phone scans | 8-bit |
| PNG | Lossless | Software-exported scans | 8 / 16-bit |
| CR2 | RAW | Canon DSLR / mirrorless | 14-bit |
| NEF | RAW | Nikon DSLR / Z series | 12 / 14-bit |
| ARW | RAW | Sony Alpha / RX | 14-bit |
| DNG | RAW | Adobe, Pentax, Leica, drones | 12 / 14 / 16-bit |
| DNG (ProRaw) | RAW | iPhone 12 Pro and later | 12-bit |
| RW2 | RAW | Panasonic Lumix | 12 / 14-bit |
Output: PNG (8 / 16-bit), JPEG (8-bit), TIFF (8 / 16-bit). 16-bit output preserves headroom for further editing in Lightroom, Photoshop, or Capture One.
Why use a browser-based film converter?
Free and open source
$0, no signup, no watermark, no usage cap. MIT-licensed open source.
Private by design
Photos never leave your device. RAW decoding and color correction run in your browser via WebAssembly.
No install required
Works on Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. Use it on macOS, Windows, Linux, ChromeOS, iPad, or Android.
Real RAW, real bit depth
Direct CR2 / NEF / ARW / DNG / RW2 decoding via LibRaw, plus 16-bit PNG and TIFF input/output for serious editing.
Built-in film presets
37 presets across color negative, black-and-white negative, and positive (slide) film. They are tone and color renderings, not emulations of specific branded stocks:
Color negative (16)
Black & white negative (18)
Positive (slide) (3)
Online vs desktop film negative converters
Negative Converter is the online option in a small market. Here is how it compares to the most common desktop and plugin tools.
| Feature | Negative Converter | Negative Lab Pro | FilmLab |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free (MIT) | Paid (one-time license) | Paid (subscription / app) |
| Where it runs | Browser (also offline desktop build) | Lightroom plugin (Mac/Win) | Desktop & mobile app |
| Account required | No | License key | Account / app store |
| Image upload | None — local only | Local (Lightroom) | Local |
| RAW decoding | LibRaw WASM, in-browser | Lightroom’s engine | App-internal |
| iPhone ProRaw DNG | Yes | Yes (via Lightroom) | Limited |
| 16-bit export | PNG & TIFF | Via Lightroom | Yes |
| Lightroom integration | No | Yes (native) | No |
If you are already deep in a Lightroom catalog workflow and want the closest integration, a paid plugin is hard to beat. If you want a free, install-free, privacy-respecting tool that just works in any browser — including for one-off conversions or shared computers — Negative Converter is built for that case.
More film scanning guides
These focused guides cover the conversion problems people usually search for after the first scan: RAW files, iPhone ProRaw, orange mask removal, batch roll processing, and 35mm border effects.
- RAW negative converter guide for CR2, NEF, ARW, DNG, and RW2 files
- How to convert iPhone ProRaw DNG film scans
- Negative Converter as a free Negative Lab Pro alternative
- Batch convert a whole roll of film negatives
- What the orange mask is and how to remove it
- 35mm film border, sprocket holes, and edge marking export
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free film negative converter online?
Negative Converter is a free, browser-based tool that converts scanned film negatives to positive images. It runs entirely in your browser, requires no signup, and supports JPG, 16-bit PNG, and RAW formats including CR2, NEF, ARW, DNG, and RW2. It is free under the MIT license.
Can I convert NEF (Nikon RAW) negatives directly without uploading?
Yes. Negative Converter decodes NEF files locally using a WebAssembly build of LibRaw. The file never leaves your device, and you can export as PNG, JPEG, or TIFF.
Does this tool support iPhone ProRaw DNG files?
Yes. iPhone ProRaw DNG files are parsed via UTIF.js with special handling, so you can shoot or scan a film negative on an iPhone in ProRaw and convert it directly in the browser.
Is the converter really 100% private?
Yes. All image processing — RAW decoding, inversion, color correction, export — runs in your browser via WebAssembly. No image data is uploaded to any server, and no account is required.
Which film presets are included?
37 presets in three groups: 16 color negative renderings (Frontier Lab, Noritsu Lab, Portra Classic, Gold Warm, Superia Vivid, Crystal Archive, Cinema Stock and more), 18 black-and-white tones (Selenium Cold and Warm, Warmtone, Cooltone, Palladium, Sepia Classic and Deep, Cyanotype, Platinum and more), and 3 positive (slide) presets. They are tone and color renderings rather than emulations of specific branded stocks.
Can I export 16-bit images?
Yes. Negative Converter exports 16-bit PNG and 16-bit TIFF in addition to 8-bit PNG, JPEG, and TIFF, so you can preserve tonal range for further editing in Photoshop, Lightroom, or Capture One.
Does it work on a phone or tablet?
Yes. The web app works in any modern mobile browser. RAW decoding requires WebAssembly and enough memory, so very large RAW files may run faster on a desktop or laptop.
Is there an offline desktop version?
Yes. Offline desktop builds for Windows, macOS, and Linux are available via Tauri. They wrap the same web app and run fully offline once installed.
How does it compare to Negative Lab Pro?
Negative Lab Pro is a paid Lightroom plugin that uses Lightroom’s RAW pipeline and editing controls. Negative Converter is free, browser-based, and standalone — it does not require Lightroom, Photoshop, or any local install. The trade-off is that it does not integrate into a Lightroom catalog or use Adobe’s RAW engine.
Can I batch-process a whole roll?
Yes. You can load multiple files, set a frame as the roll reference, apply its settings to selected frames, and export everything as a ZIP or download individually.
Try it now
No signup, no upload, no install. Just open the app and drop in a negative.