Slide Scans
Getting your slide collection scanned is a great way to get a new look at old memories.
Decades of our photographic history have been captured on slides, their vivid color giving us windows into our past travels and family moments. While the technology to view them has changed, the importance of preserving those moments persists. Using a combination of modern bulk loading and individual hand corrected scanners, our technicians can bring the images on your 35mm slides into the digital age for you to enjoy and archive for decades to come.
Scan Options
Auto Scans
Quantity scanning of slides that don't have any special handling or retouching requirements. Great for economically digitizing old collections of slides and viewing digitally or making prints up to 8x12. Customer is responsible for cleaning slides. Heavy dirt and blemishes may show in scans.
Price: $1 per slide
Standard Production Time: 1 - 4 Days.
(1-2 Weeks for orders large orders of 500+ Slides)
File Delivery: JPEG files delivered via web download upon order completion.
Resolution: 3200 DPI*
Details: Scan files have an auto color correction applied that generally improves the look of most scans but does not make drastic changes. For scanning, slides must be loose and not provided to us in carousels or sleeves. Slides will not be scanned in exact order. Scans are blown to dislodge dust but are not hand spotted after scanning.
*Auto scans are produced using a digital camera to photograph backlit slides and therefore resolution is not measured in the same way as film scanners that use a DPI measurement. 3200 DPI is a close approximate equivalent that our batch scanning equipment produces.
Custom Scans
Hand Corrected scans of slides to improve color on faded photos and spot for dust. Good for slides that need basic color correction and for getting highest detail out of scans.
Price: $9 per slide,
Standard Production Time: 2 - 5 days.
File Delivery: JPEG files delivered via web download upon order completion.
Resolution: 4800+ DPI
Details: Scan files are color corrected and major dust spots are removed by hand individually. For slides that have extreme fading, major dust/dirt, or need damage repair, additional retouching charges may apply. Custom scans may be scanned in order for an additional fee. In-order scanning requires each slide to be individually numbered by the customer so that we can keep them in correct order while scanning.
Auto Scan Samples
Hover over images for a download button where you can download full size samples.
Above: Magnified view of common amount of dust possible on old slides. from Auto Scans.
Slides that are well exposed and clean from dirt and dust result in great Auto Scans with minimal additional clean up necessary.
If your slides have dust or dirt, you may need to spend some time blowing and carefully wiping them to make sure you get best results. Before scanning, each batch of Auto Scans is blown with air to dislodge light dust but there may be some dust remaining. After you receive your scan files you can easily edit your files for dust yourself or contact us and have us spot your images for an additional fee.
Custom Scans are air-blown and wiped with scratch-free pads before scanning and then quality checked in Photoshop to spot out additional dust to give you cleaner files than Auto Scans.
2 Easy Ways To Order
Local Drop-off:
Local customers can drop off slide scan orders at either one of our locations. If you have any specific questions about your order or want to confirm current turnaround times feel free to call or email ahead.
Mail Order:
If you are not local or simply prefer the convenience of mail-ordering you can download our Slide Scanning order form, fill it out, securely pack your order, and ship it to us via a trackable shipping service.
Step 1: Fill Out An Order Form
(Click on the form below to download a PDF form)
Step 2: Securely Pack Your Order
Pack your slides securely so that they will not get bent or crushed. We recommend using a box and enough padding so that the contents doesn't rattle when shaken.
Always be sure to send your orders with a shipping service that provides a tracking number. On the incredibly rare chance that your order doesn't make it to the lab, the tracking number will be the only way to track it down!
More information about sending us your order can be found here.