Your first project: import, edit, and export

Before you start

Use one roll per project where possible: the app uses information from the whole roll for color-negative conversion. Combine rolls only when the film, development, storage, and capture conditions closely match. Have the source files ready and choose where to save the project and exported images. If you have no matching CCM, leave that correction off for now.

Steps

1. Choose the film type

   On the welcome screen, choose Color Negative, B&W, or Reversal under Film Type, then click New Roll Project. Choose the source film type, not the appearance you want to create.

   

2. Choose source files and wait for preparation

   Choose the roll folder or select the images you want to import, then confirm. The Contact Sheet may open while Preparing Thumbnails is still shown at the bottom. Thumbnails appear as they become ready; wait for the task to finish before checking that all images are present.

   

   Wait for thumbnails in the Contact Sheet

   After confirming, the Contact Sheet opens. Preparing Thumbnails at the bottom means work is still running; do not reimport because some images have not appeared yet.

   

   Visible photographs may still be preparing

   Photographs are visible here, but the bottom still says Preparing Thumbnails. Wait for preparation to finish before checking the roll count and order.

   

   Recognize completed analysis

   Calibration Complete marks completed analysis. A temporary message may remain from an earlier action; Pasted settings in this example is not an expected first-import message.

   

3. Choose flat field and CCM if needed

   If you have no flat-field reference or dedicated CCM, skip this step and check the negative analysis area. Usually, leave input color at Automatic; there is no need to open its settings first. If you have a flat field and matching CCM ready, enable the flat field, then select the profile from the CCM dropdown at the top of the Contact Sheet. Recheck CCM compatibility if you later change input or flat-field settings. No CCM skips only that correction, not all color processing. B&W projects do not need a color CCM.

4. Check the negative analysis area and enable conversion

   Double-click a thumbnail to open the Viewer, then choose Calibration Area in the top toolbar. For color negatives, keep the image and a small clean base region if available; leave perforations, the light source, and abnormal edges outside the box. Choose Apply for this frame, or Apply to All only if the other frames have matching positions. When analysis finishes, use the upper-left arrow to return to the Contact Sheet. Turn on Convert and choose a roll method from Algorithm beside it. These controls are not in the Viewer. B&W uses Invert instead. Reversal is already positive and skips negative analysis and inversion.

   

5. Adjust and crop the photograph

   Open the photograph again and adjust tone or white balance under Current Frame Adjustments on the right. Leave the defaults if the image needs no correction. Next choose Crop in the top toolbar, select an aspect ratio, drag the edges, and straighten if needed. Click Done, then check orientation, the subject, and all four corners. The analysis area does not set the export crop; framing is a separate step.

   

6. Save the complete project bundle

   Click the disk-shaped Save Project icon at the upper right, or choose File → Save Project. If Save Project To… appears, choose a location and the app will create a .softloaf project bundle. macOS may show it as one item; Windows normally shows a folder. Do not edit its contents. The project stores your edits and references external originals—it does not back them up. To reopen it, choose Open Project on the welcome screen and select the whole .softloaf bundle.

7. Select images and export

   Return to the Contact Sheet and click a photograph to export. Hold Cmd on macOS or Ctrl on Windows to add others, then check the count at the bottom. Choose File → Export Selected… or the Export icon immediately left of Save. For everyday viewing or sharing, start with Standard viewing, JPEG, sRGB, and No Resize. Choose a separate empty folder under Destination → Choose, check Selected frames, and click Start Export. Once finished, open an exported image and check its color, crop, and dimensions. See the export lesson for editing, lossless, or HDR files.