Fromex Photo & Digital

Fromex Photo & Digital, photo lab in Signal Hill (California)

Fromex Photo & Digital is a photography and digital services lab based in Signal Hill, California. The company presents itself as a business active since 1982, when John Albright opened Fromex One Hour Photo in Belmont Shore. What began as a one-hour photo shop has become, according to its own description, a nationally recognized photo and digital lab. The firm has over forty years of experience in the sector and maintains a 4.9-star rating on Trustpilot with more than a thousand reviews.

Film developing and processing

Film developing is one of the lab's core activities. It processes 35mm and 120 color, black-and-white, and slide films, and also works with 110, 127, and 620 black-and-white formats. The service includes mail-in processing: the company provides an order form and a free shipping label so customers can send their film from anywhere. In addition to developing, negative scanning and the option to purchase film directly are offered.

The film catalog for sale includes, among other references, Kodak Tmax and Tri-X, Ilford FP4, HP5, Delta 100, 400, and 3200, Pan 50, SFX, and XP-2, Cinestill XX, FPP Monster Films, and Foma 100, 200, and 400 in black and white. In color and slide, there are Kodak Portra 160, 400, and 800, Ektar 100, Kodacolor 100 and 200, Gold 200, Ultra Max 400, ProImage 100, Ektachrome E100, Fuji 200, 400, Provia 100, and Velvia 50, Cinestill 50D, 400D, and 800T, Harmon Phoenix 1 and Phoenix 2, and Flic Chrome 100. Single-use cameras from Fuji and Kodak are also sold.

Color and black-and-white printing

Digital printing covers color and black-and-white copies, with enlargements in any size up to 44x96 inches. The lab offers photo printing from digital files, Instagram image printing, and black-and-white enlargements. Printing products include comp cards and headshots, aimed at the professional sector.

Wall décor and finishes

The company produces and mounts large-format pieces for décor. Its offering includes canvas wraps on thin or thick wood frames in any size, aluminum prints up to 40x60, acrylic prints, enlargements and collages, and standouts and mural mounts. The lab performs mounting, laminating, and custom framing on-site, and sells black-and-white enlargements and historical photos of the Long Beach area.

Custom photo products

The custom product catalog includes wall calendars, jewel case, magnetic, and other formats; Christmas and holiday cards and invitations, Halloween, new address, Valentine's, birth announcements, and graduation announcements; photo puzzles in simple versions for kids and complex ones for adults; mugs and water bottles; photo books; coasters, mousepads, and photos on slate and tile; memorial service prints; museum blocks and panels; and life-size photo cutouts. It also offers digital art from photographs, with styles such as watercolor, oil, impressionist oil, impasto, and posterized.

Lab services

In addition to developing and printing, the lab provides scanning, mounting, and laminating services, conversion of movies and videos to DVD and MP4, photo restoration, and custom framing. It has public guides on resolution, print borders, digital file setup, and FAQs about aluminum prints, life-size cutouts, comp cards, and film processing.

History and team

John Albright founded the business in 1982 and, besides running it, personally handles most of the custom framing and aluminum printing. He is a graduate in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Notre Dame and co-founder, also in 1982, of Independent Photo Imagers, presented as the largest trade association of photo labs and camera stores in the United States, with over five hundred members.

Orders, guarantee, and shipping

Orders can be placed online and picked up in the lab's lobby or received by mail. The company states that online and mail orders are usually shipped the same day they are received, that it applies adjusted prices with volume discounts on many products, and that it guarantees every order, committing to redo it or refund the amount if necessary.

Location and contact

2699 E. 28th Street, Unit 405, Signal Hill, CA 90755-2270 · Phone: 562-290-8124 · Email: fromexlb@gmail.com · Hours: Mon - Sat 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Sunday Closed