Quick start.
- Put a color or black-and-white negative over an even, diffused light source.
- Hold the iPhone close enough for the frame to fill the view, then wait for focus and color to settle.
- Select Color or B&W and adjust Brightness, Contrast, and Warmth if needed.
- Lock the color balance when it looks right.
- Tap Freeze to inspect the frame, or Save to add a reference image to Photos.
Positive View requires iOS 16 or later. Camera access is required. Photos add-only access is requested only when you save.
Possible problems and solution.
The color keeps changing or looks wrong
Use a neutral, even light and fill most of the view with one frame. Wait for the automatic balance to settle, then tap Lock color balance before moving to another frame.
The corners are bright, dark, or differently colored
This usually comes from uneven illumination or lens falloff. Open Settings and choose Calibrate light source…. Redo this after changing the light, camera distance, or optical setup. Use Use built-in profile in Settings to discard the calibration.
Using screens as background might create color change towards the edges of the image. A diffused LED light panel (used for scanning, or even the ones used for lighting a scene) works best.
The image is soft
Clean the camera lens, keep the film flat, and move the phone slightly farther away if autofocus cannot settle. Use a reasonably bright light and wait before freezing or saving.
The lens does not focus
Point the phone at something far away, let it change the focus, then point it on your film again.
I can see screen pixels, moiré, flicker, or bands
Move the film farther from the screen used as a light, add clean diffusion, or use a light table. Some displays and LED lights pulse at a rate the camera can see. Higher or lower light brightness or a different continuous light source usually helps.
The saved image looks darker than the live view
Maximum brightness is enabled by default in Positive View, while Photos may later be viewed at a lower screen brightness. Turn off Maximum brightness in Settings and compare both images under the same display conditions.
The phone gets warm
The camera and live processing run continuously. Positive View reduces the preview rate if the device reaches a thermal limit. Turn down the screen, avoid direct sun, or let the phone cool.
Permissions and saving.
Camera access is denied
Open Settings > Apps > Positive View > Camera and enable it. On older iOS versions, Positive View may appear directly in the main Settings list. If the device is managed or restricted, its owner or administrator must allow the camera.
Photos access is denied or Save does not work
Open Settings > Apps > Positive View > Photos and allow the app to add photos. Positive View uses add-only access: it can save a new image but does not browse or read your library. Also check that the device has free storage. Saved images appear in Recents.
How do Freeze and the Light panel work?
Tap Freeze, then pinch to zoom and drag to pan. Tap Resume to return to the camera. The sun button on the top opens a full-screen white panel intended as a backlight on a second phone or tablet - tap again to close.
Privacy.
Positive View has no account, advertising, analytics, tracking, upload, or third-party SDKs. Camera frames are processed on the device. A positive image is written to Photos only when you tap Save. Preferences and light-source calibration also remain on the device.
Read the full Positive View Privacy Policy.
Contact.
Email [email protected].
Please include your iPhone model, iOS version, light source, what you expected, what happened, and the steps needed to reproduce it. A screenshot or short screen recording is useful. You do not need to send a personal photograph - a picture of the setup or a test frame is usually better.