Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: What should I look for when it comes to choosing a slide scanning service?
Q2: Is scanning slides, film, and photos at a higher resolution always a good idea?
Q3: Are there any special processes or steps associated with scanning black and white imagery?
Q4: Wouldn’t it be much easier just to scan my slides, negatives, and photos by myself?
Q5: How should I package my photos in order to ship them safely?
Q6: What kind of turn around time can I expect when I choose a professional scanning service?
Q7: If I opt for an image-to-DVD-transfer option, how many of my photos will be able to fit on a DVD?
Q8: How can I make sure that my original photos, negatives, and slides will be safe?

Q1: What should I look for when it comes to choosing a slide scanning service?

Other than the information covered in our selecting a slide scanning service page, you should first and foremost look for a company that is upfront about both its prices and its history.

For example, one of the companies mentioned has launched a particularly vicious attack against one of the other companies. The criticism has centered primarily on the issue of outsourcing, with unfounded allegations this practice is not in the best interest of the customer.

Make sure that the company you choose is willing to take the time to explain all of its business practices to you. If they aren’t upfront or are constantly attacking their competition, it’s time to look elsewhere.

Q2: Is scanning slides, film, and photos at a higher resolution always a good idea?

Generally speaking, yes, the higher the dpi resolution, the higher the photo quality. ScanCafe, for example, scans at 3000 dpi for slides and negatives and 600 dpi for photos. They also offer the option to increase to 4000 dpi and 1200 dpi, but only suggest these resolutions for professional photographers.

The higher resolution, the easier it is to restore the photos because, as some major photo scanning sites point out, imperfections such as dust, scratches, dirt and particulate matter are often magnified by this process. This is why it is important to choose a slide scanning company that utilizes Kodak Digital ICE and manually restores images.

Q3: Are there any special processes or steps associated with scanning black and white imagery?

Black and white imagery takes more manual effort to successfully restore than colored ones, usually because they are generally older and haven’t been stored correctly. Also, Kodak Digital ICE technology doesn't work if the film still contains silver, which is the case with almost all black and white film.

For black and white photos, especially, it really makes more sense to trust your scanning needs to a professional scanning service. ScanCafe manually restores photos using tools such as Adobe Photoshop, which is essential to get a quality black and white scan.

Q4: Wouldn’t it be much easier just to scan my slides, negatives, and photos by myself?

Not unless you have significant amounts of time and equally significant amounts of expertise. Scanning photographic media manually is an extremely lengthy and very technical process, and so, unless you are a professional, and plan on scanning thousands of slides, photos, and negatives by yourself, it is better to trust a professional.

ScanCafe even has a service that helps eliminate pre-sorting. They allow you to discard up to 50% of what you send for free, after its been scanned! This saves you the time of having to sort all your images before you send them for scanning.

Q5: How should I package my photos in order to ship them safely?

First of all, never, ever, package your photos in department store boxes, Kleenex boxes, or shoeboxes. This may seem like a creative, time saving way to send media, but in reality, these boxes are too flimsy to withstand the shipping process. UPS can provide you with sturdy boxes and the packing materials necessary to insure that none of your precious memories become damaged in transit.

Some sites advocate the use of aluminum foil boxes and other materials, as they are often the right size for slides, but they do so at the risk of losing their valued customers. ScanCafe has provided detailed information on how to package your slides, negatives and photos.

Q6: What kind of turn around time can I expect when I choose a professional scanning service?

Turn around times vary by company, but the important thing to remember is that having something done right the first time is well worth the wait. Especially when you consider that resending your priceless media again and again can cost you significantly more than paying for a quality service in the first place.

Many people have had their images sitting around in closets and attics for years, bringing them into the digital age in great quality should be the top priority.

Q7: If I opt for an image-to-DVD-transfer option, how many of my photos will be able to fit on a DVD?

That depends, but generally speaking, approximately 1200 paper print scans at 600 dpi, or 300 negative scans at 3000 dpi cam fit on one DVD. The exact number will vary by image size.

For those professional photographers out there that choose to archive at 4000 dpi and in TIFF file format, ScanCafe offers to return images on a USB hard drive at cost. Scan Cafe also does not charge for CDs or DVDs, other companies charge up to $10.

Q8: How can I make sure that my original photos, negatives, and slides will be safe?

Choosing a reputable company and following their safe shipping tips is the only way to ensure the safety of your media. This is why it is so important to choose wisely. ScanCafe has scanned over 5 million images without incident, and even has a shipping guarantee. See our selecting a slide scanning service page for further information.