- What is the typical size of each image after being scanned?
Typically each image at full lossless resolution ends up being many megabytes in size (We also include much smaller jpeg formats to make emailing your pictures easy.) But that is only an average, individual pictures could be as small as 9mb or as large as 110mb. Typically a DVD holds about 50 pictures at full resolution.
In terms of pixel size they usually come out to about 5600 x 3600. In terms of print size, that is up to you. The scans are of high enough quality that printing them up to poster size is not a problem as long as the original photo is of high enough resolution/low grain to look good at that size.
- What size slides, besides 35mm do you scan?
- Super 35mm, 110, 126, 127, and 120. But with 120 and 127 please be aware that the tops and bottoms will be cut off. All sizes must be in a standard 2x2 mount.
- How much are the DVD-R’s?
Each DVD-R is $5. If you would like additional copies, each additional DVD-R costs $5. A DVD-R can hold about 50 images at the full 16 bit color and 4000 dpi. If you want smaller images please contact us to discuss your needs.
- Can you save to a different storage device?
Yes, if you have many images, over 350, we recommend that you consider letting us put your images on a 500 gigabyte USB external drive for $99.95. This saves the hassle of trying to sort through a large number of DVDs and trying to find that one picture. In most cases it also provides additional room for you to add your digital pictures too in the future. Unlike DVD-R that cannot have pictures added to them. If you choose to upgrade to the hard drive option we will put the images onto the hard drive for you. These drives are easy to use. All you need is to have an available USB port on your computer and you are set to go.
- If the hard drive fails, do you have a warranty period in which you keep backups so you can re-send the pictures to us?
The manufactures warranty is for 6 months on the drive. So, if a warranty issue comes up with your drive in the 6 months, send it back to us. We will send you a new drive and deal with the manufacturer concerning the warranty.
- Do you keep back-ups of all my images for the future?
- We do for a little while just to make sure that your images arrive safely. Ultimately you are responsible for backing up your images (along with everything else of value on your computer.) If you don't already have a reliable automated off site backup system we recommend http://www.backblaze.com . They have a completely automated system that backs up everything of value for only $5 per month. Backblaze works on both PC and Mac. You get as much personal storage as you need. We investigated all of the back-up services available on the planet and this one came out on top. We use it on our personal computers and it works great.
- Can you scan without using the ICE technology?
Yes of course we can turn digital ICE off. Make sure you write that in the notes section of the order form that you do not want this option.
- Does adobe Photoshop use PNG? Does Mac OS X, Windows XP or Vista use .png?
Yes Photoshop uses PNG. Both Mac, Windows XP and Vista also use PNG.
- What color bit depth (8 or 16 bit per channel) files will I get back?
As for bits per channel, we normally send 16 bit, but if you want 8 bit just write it on the order form in the notes section. There is no extra charge for that.
- Can you scan black and white slides/negatives?
Yes. But the hardware technology that we use to remove dust and fingerprints does not work as reliable on B&W. Due to the way the hardware technology works that we (and everyone else in the industry) use it is not reliable on black and white film. Sometimes the scratch removal works, sometimes not so well. We can scan a few for you, send you a preview by email, if you are happy we will continue with the order.
- Can you save in a format other than .png and .jpeg? Like .tif or .whtvr?
Yes we can. Just be sure to write in the notes section on your order form if you would like you pictures saved in a format other than .png.
- Can you burn to Blu-Ray?
No, we cannot at this time.
- Can you scan other sizes of film? Movie clips?
As for other sizes, we have to get them in the normal 2x2 mounts. The special scanner only takes that size of mounts. The size of the image does not matter as much, we can just crop the mounts out afterwords. So if your 110 or 120 film is not already on 2x2 mounts you can order them from a place like this
And have them remounted before sending them over to us.
(This is just an example, there are tons of online places and a few local ones that carry them.)
No we do not scan movies.
- Cropping of each image to give a nice edge? Does this mean that the white slide holder (mount) is eliminated from the finished image?
Yes cropping eliminates the white slide holder. (it looks black once scanned). Some older slides have rounded corners, normally we preserve the rounding to capture as much of the slide image as possible. If you want a different crop setting please let us know.
- Can I see my pictures before you burn them to DVD-R?
We post thumbnails to a website for you to review the work before we burn the images to DVD.
- How do I get to see my pictures before you burn them to DVD-R?
We set up a preview area for you to look at your pictures on the web. We set up a log in and password for you and there you can view thumbnails of all your scans. Once satisfied, we will burn the remaining full resolution ones onto a DVD-R or hard drive for you and send it to you with your originals after we received payment in full for the bill.
- I can see my images but they look weird or they are too dark, what can I do?
Depending on what browser you are using you may need to check if the color display (of the browser) is managed or non-managed. Go here and find the color bar about a 1/4 of the way down on the right hand side of the page. If the color names do not match up with the color, your browser color is non-managed (which may be the result of why your pictures appear off-color or too dark. - How do I make my browser "color managed"?
The simplest way for Mac users is to download Mozilla Firefox 3 and then download this Color Management Ad-On. The easiest fix for PC users is to download the latest version of Safari here, which has color management built-in. With Firefox 3 for PC or MAC you may be able to turn color management on by typing about:config into the address bar. To turn it on you must find gfx.color.management.enabled change it to "true" and restart Firefox (I have not tried this method, but have read that this works). No current version of Internet Explorer has color management capabilities.
- What scanner are you using?
We will use the Nikon Coolscans on your slides.
- What is the turn around time?
The turn around time is updated daily on the website so that you know about how long it will be before your order is completed. We process customers requests in the order we get them, so the turn around time can change during the time that you ship your order in. Turn around time is mostly a function of how many orders end up being ahead of yours. The other thing that affects total turnaround time for you is mailing times both ways. If speed is an issue, you might want to think about using express mail. You can check the site daily to get updated information.
- Do you take orders from Canada?
Yes we take orders from Canada. You will pay via credit card and pay your bill in Canadian dollars, but the price will be in US dollars and your card company will handle the exchange conversion.
For shipping you will pay the postage both ways (as do all of our customers).
- Is there a way to check on the progress of my order?
You will receive an email when your order is started, another while the order is in process with some samples of what we are doing, and of course an email when your order is completed.
- Do you have a minimum number of slides that I have to send in to get the $.26 price?
No we do not have a minimum number. You can send in as many as you want. You can always send in a few images so that you can get a feel of our commitment to quality before you send in your entire collection for scanning. Please remember that you will have to pay for postage both ways plus as least 1 DVD-R even for just 1 slide.
- How do I package my slides to ship?
See our page on Packaging for Shipment
- How do you return the slides when you are done scanning them? Do you insure packages when you return them?
After we scan them, we carefully package them and then return them to you with delivery confirmation. We normally skip the insurance on return because we will keep a backup copy here until you confirm safe return of all materials. If you want insurance let us know and we can give you a quote.
- How do you calculate return shipping charges?
To figure out return postage we use a scale to weigh the package. Then input the weight and zip codes, the computer tells us what the postage is going to be for postage. That is exactly what we charge for shipping,
- I am not sure I want to just send my pictures to just anyone. How do I know I can trust you will do what you advertise? And why is Slide Scanning Pros not listed with the Chamber of Commerce or the Better Business Bureau?
We understand that your slides are important to you. We could have purchased proxies for trust by joining the chamber of commerce and other organizations and paying their dues. (But we would have to pass those cost onto our customers). One of the great things about Slide Scanning Pros is that we don't have a minimum order size. You can start with a few dozen slides. See how it goes. See our quality on your pictures. Feel your originals returned safely to you. Then send in the remaining slides once you feel comfortable and are satisfied with the quality of our work. Customer satisfaction is very important to us and we know that we are handling your precious memories.
- I am still not sure about dealing with an Internet company…it's too scary to send my slide to a nameless email address.
We are a small shop, but very real. We normally do things by email to keep distractions to a minimum, but you are welcome to contact us via email and we an arrange for a phone call session to go over any other questions or concerns that you may have.
- Which color space or profile do you use?
We normally use Adobe RGB (1998). If you have other needs please email us to discuss them.
- Do you calibrate your monitors?
Yes. We use a hardware colorimeter and set our monitors to a gamma of 2.2 and a temperature of 6500 K.
- What are some suggestions for organizing my slides?
For organizing usually the simpler the better. Also, a flat directory
structure works better than multiple hierarchical layers of folders
inside folders.
For example:
A group called "Mexico" with 3 trips to Mexico labeled in sub-folders
"1978," "1985" and "1991," does not work as well as just having 3
folders labeled "Mexico 1978" "Mexico 1985" and "Mexico 1991."
The other thing to consider is how alphabetizing on your computer will
make the groups come together. If you want them in chronological order
you should put the year first "1978 Mexico," "1988 France" "1989
Mary's Birthday" etc. On the other hand if you want all the same
subjects together in a list you should put that first "Mexico 1978"
"France 1988" and "Birthday - Mary - 1989" (or maybe "Mary - Birthday
-1989").
If you have any other questions call toll free 1-888-210-1591.
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