FAQ

Why should my photos be converted to a digital format?
There are so many reasons – here are a few to start: Photos fade, rip and get damaged over time. It’s difficult to look at pictures and find the “one” picture you are looking for if they are stored in a box in your closet. If you ever have a flood, fire or natural disaster threat, you know your pictures are safe and you don’t have to worry about gathering together the boxes and boxes of family pictures. I’m sure there are many other reasons, but these are the first few that come to mind.

Why can't I scan my photos to a CD myself?
Actually you can, but it takes an enormous amount of time. When scanning your own pictures, many times you get caught up in the emotion of the picture. Also, home scanners are slow, so it could take you more than 3 hours to scan 100 photos, not including the time to rotate, crop, correct, enhance, and save the files. Our trained technicians will take the time and care to make sure all of your images are scanned properly and quickly so that you can have them back to enjoy.

Do you scan any type of photos?
We scan any size of printed photos up to 8" x 10", no thicker than a standard Polaroid, for the standard photo price. We are able to scan photos larger and thicker (up to 11x17), but they must be charged as Manual Scanning. We will not scan photos depicting illegal acts such as, child abuse, or animal cruelty. Nudity is acceptable as long as it is done in an artistic and/or appropriate manner. Our judgment in this matter is final.

Can I order copies of my digital images?
At the time of your initial order, you may request additional copies. We do not keep your images on our server unless you order that service. Additional CD's are $8, DVD's are $12 and to upgrade to a Flash Drives is $15 each.

Will I be able to see my photos on my DVD Player?
Yes, most new DVD players are JPEG-compatible, so that you will be able to play your DVD as a slide show. Please check with your DVD player's compatibilities to ensure this is possible.

Can you print more copies of my photos for my family?
No, we are unable to provide prints from your digital scans. However, most print shops should have the ability to print from the digital images that we provide for you on disc.

What is the difference between 300 dpi & 600 dpi / 2000 dpi & 4000 dpi?
That depends on what you intend to do with your pictures. Higher dpi produces more detailed photographs. If you are going to enlarge the picture or zoom in on a detail, you will want to use 600 dpi. If the original quality is good and you are going to print at the original size, than 300 dpi is your choice. The same goes for slides or negatives. 2000 dpi is a lower resolution that will be good for the original picture. However, if it's something you would like to enlarge or zoom in on, 4000 dpi is a higher resolution.

Can I make a change in my Order after it has been submitted?
Yes, as long as we have not yet processed your order. Please call us toll free and speak with one of our Customer Service Representatives for assistance.

How should I package my photos, negatives or slides?
We don't have any requirements concerning how you ship your materials to us, but we do have some recommendations. Pictures should be categorized by size (3x3, 4x6, 5x7 etc) and wrapped with rubber bands or tightly stored in envelopes. Negatives should be placed in envelopes, protective sleeves, or archival sheets. Slides can be shipped in the same holder you are currently storing them in, preferably trays or magazines. In general, try to avoid sending loose materials, and all material should be wrapped in plastic or put in a plastic bag. You may include a piece of paper containing clearly printed instructions regarding your material, such as special requirements, certain groupings, or specific images to be scanned or omitted. If you want your photos, negatives or slides to be scanned in a particular order, please have them physically arranged accordingly. Please be sure to print and include your Order Confirmation page in your package. Make sure you use enough stuffing to keep the pictures from sliding around in the box.

How should I mail my photos, slides, or negatives?
For pictures, we recommend using the Medium Flat Rate Box from the United States Postal Office. It is $10.95 and fits up to 1000 pictures. For slides or negatives you may also choose one of the flat rate options through USPS.
How to pack your pictures.

Will you organize my pictures for me?
Yes, for an additional fee we will organize your pictures based on size and orientation. Please choose Photo Organization as you check out.

How long will it take to scan my photos?
Our current turnaround is 7 business days for picture scanning and 14 days for slides or negatives. Our turn-around times may vary depending on the number of orders we have in our system at the time. Our Holiday Season is especially busy for us, and we may be processing orders at an extended length of time. Please contact us for larger quantities, or if you are working with a specific deadline/timeframe.

What format will you scan my photos to?
We usually scan to the compressed JPEG format with high quality. This format is compatible with practically every image viewing and editing software application on earth, and being compressed, takes much less time to be processed by computers and other devices like DVDs. Upon request, we can scan images as TIFF files, but they will not come with our editing services. If you would like to receive edited JPEG files and unedited/raw TIFF files, we can do that for an additional $.20/image.

What's the difference between scanning my photos to a CD or a DVD?
A DVD can hold up to 4 gigabytes of information, and a CD holds up to 600 megabytes. That means that a DVD is capable of storing thousands of images while a CD can only hold 500-1000 images.

Some of my photos are faded and damaged. What can be done about it?
If your photos need a more advanced correction, please choose Photo Enhancement as you check out and we will have our professionals work on each picture to return it, as close as possible, to the original state.

In what order will you arrange my photos on the disk?
We will do our best to keep your pictures in order, however, we scan according to size of the picture, so they may not all be exactly as you sent. If you need a specific order, please see Scan In Order option. To choose this option, you must number each picture in the back center and the first picture must be marked number 1.

Will you return my photos?
Yes, we will return all of your original materials along with your digitized images on a CD or DVD, via USPS Priority unless otherwise requested. Our standard return shipping fee is $12. If you would like us to dispose of your pictures, we will shred them for an additional fee. Be sure to choose this option upon check out.

What payment methods do you accept?
We accept VISA, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express cards on our order form. Please DO NOT send checks, cash or money orders along with your photos, slides or negatives.

Can you post my photos to the web?
Sure! We will post your images to an online gallery accessible through your online account. These galleries are only accessible by you through your account, but it can be shared with friends and family with a specialized link that is provided. This is a service that we are happy to provide and currently there are no additional charges for it. If our policy changes we will give our customers 30 days advanced notice before taking any files off of our servers.