The authors describe a film dosimetry system for use in calculating the surface dose delivered by a CT scanner. Kodak XV-2 film is wrapped around a cylindrical water-filled phantom and the dose distribution is recorded. This system is easier to use than thermoluminescent dosimetry (TLD) and provides a detailed map of the dose distribution. Comparison with TLD measurements for a variety of CT scanners indicates that an accuracy of +/-15% can be achieved using this system. Dose distributions obtained with several scanners are shown.