Why should I digitize my old photos?

What if disaster strikes, and your entire collection is lost to an unexpected event? Your photo collection could be lost, stolen or damaged in a flood or fire and you could lose your family’s treasured memories forever.

Once your photos are digitized, you not only have them preserved but you are now able to share them with anyone you like, in nearly endless ways. Print new copies of newly restored images, print photos at any size you like, organize your photos to share with loved ones that have probably never seen some of your collection. Share your ancestor’s photos with family history and genealogy sites such as Ancestry.com or FamilySearch.org. With a digitized collection, you can now preserve your family’s irreplaceable memories for future generations to enjoy.

What kind of media can be scanned?

We can digitize just about any document that will lay flat. Loose photos of any size, scrapbooks, albums, letters, newspaper clippings and more. We can also digitize transparent media including negatives and slides of virtually any size

Do I have to ship my photos to you?

If you live in Southwest Utah, the answer is “No”! With a minimum order amount, we will pick up your collection and carefully transport it to our studio in Cedar City, Utah. Your items will never be in anyone else’s possession the entire time we work on your project.

Do you ship my items to other facilities for processing?

Absolutely not! Your items will remain with us the entire time we work on them, in our studio in Cedar City, Utah. If, for some reason, we cannot perform the necessary work, we will consult with you on how we think that situation should be handled, and whether another specialist should perform that work.

Is there a minimum order amount?

Yes, we charge a $50 minimum on all orders.

How much will this cost?

Good question. Every collection is unique and requires careful evaluation. We try to get a general understanding of the scope of your project and can often give you a ballpark amount before we ever meet, based off of our free phone consultation. In the end, we charge only for the work we perform, based on the quantity of items and extra services that may be performed.

When do I pay for my order?

We require 50% of the estimated total cost to be paid before we begin your project. We will send you an invoice for the remaining balance once work is complete and the total number if items, etc. is known.

What resolution will my finished images be?

We deliver finished images from 300dpi up to 1200dpi. As part of our free consultation, we’ll discuss what you plan to do with your images and determine the best resolution to deliver to you.

How do you handle albums, Scrapbook, etc?

If your albums contain photos that are sleeved and easily removable, we will remove each photo, scan it and return it to its original sleeve location. Albums with photos that are adhered to the pages, such as magnetic or “sticky” albums will be left in tact and each page of the album will be scanned individually. We will not attempt to remove photos that are stuck down and may incur damage if they are removed.

Scrapbooks are almost aways scanned in individual pages.

Do you perform any additional work on the scanned photos?

All of your photos will be rotated to the correct orientation and cropped to the edge of the image. We perform minimal exposure and color correction on photos that need a little extra help. Additional, more extensive “proofing” work can be performed at additional cost.

How do you organize my photos once they’re scanned?

This is where you come in. Before we pick up your collection, we will ask you to group your images in ways that make sense to you. We will then create folders and filenames based off of your groupings. If you don’t organize anything beforehand, we will group items as we scan them, and provide group labels to go along with the digital files so you can find the original image quickly.

Should I scan photo prints or the negatives that go with them?

If the negatives are in good shape, and have been stored in good environment, it’s usually better to scan the negatives. The resulting image is generally higher quality and more detailed than the print you currently have. If the negatives are not available or damaged, the photo print will still provide a good image as well.

Do you clean my negatives and slides before they are scanned?

All slides and negatives are cleaned with compressed air to remove dust and lightly wiped with lint free wipes. If you have unusually dirty slides or negatives, we suggest you clean them before we begin working on your images. To insure a good finished product, excessively dirty slides and negatives will be cleaned at additional cost.

How can you restore old photos?

We digitally restore damaged photos by capturing a high quality scan of the original image as a starting point for restoration. We then digitally retouch and fix damaged areas of the photo such as cracks, tears, scratches, etc. We will also perform color correction where light damage has washed out the original color of a photo, where possible. We can also edit the content of the photo, such as removing people or objects, or adding missing parts of the image. Once restoration is complete, you will then have an image that can be printed or for use in any way you would like.

Do you have to perform the scan for restoration?

No. You can send us your digital file for us to restore. The scan must be a minimum of 300 dpi, better if it’s at least 600 dpi. You can scan it yourself or most office supply stores that offer printing capabilities can scan it for you.

Book a Consultation

Book a free 30 minute phone call to discuss your unique photo project in detail with us.