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Frequently Asked Questions |
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| FAQ Categories: |
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| ScanDigital Process |
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- Why choose ScanDigital?
ScanDigital is the world's premier, photo digitization service. We provide high quality scans and provide them to you both on DVD or CD and through our online gallery. Using our fully interactive online gallery, you can share your photos with friends and family, upload additional digital images to complete your digital gallery and order reprints; as well as numerous other print products (i.e. mugs, key chains, t-shirts) through our print partner Qoop. Simply put, ScanDigital provides the most user-friendly experience available. We place the customer at the center of everything we do throughout the entire order process.
- I am worried about shipping my photos, is the process safe?
Our fully integrated and centralized process ensures that your photos will be safe throughout the entire process. Through our website you can automatically generate a shipping label with UPS which will allow us to track your package. If you live within the Los Angeles area, we offer a highly secure pick-up and delivery service or you can drop your photos off at our location in El Segundo. For more information please see our Pick Up and Delivery Page. While being scanned, your photos stay in our centralized headquarters and are returned to you via the shipping option you choose with an easy to use tracking number.
- Why not scan my pictures myself?
Scanning photos can be an intensely laborious process. Scanning a few photos can be accomplished relatively easily by an individual; however, the digitization of mass quantities of photographs becomes difficult. Our highly trained, professional technicians combine their expertise with the best scanning equipment to provide the highest quality product. We believe that converting your photos to a digital format is something that should be done right one time. In addition, our fully interactive website allows you to begin enjoying your photos immediately after they have been digitized, saving you the additional time of uploading to other photo sharing sites.
- Why scan/digitize my photos? Why convert to digital?
Your memories are irreplaceable. Your family probably has thousands of photos in multiple formats. The benefit of conversion to digital is twofold: first, by keeping a copy of your photos both on DVD/CD and online you preserve these memories forever. Secondly, modern technologies allow you to enjoy your digital photographs in many more ways than traditional printed photographs. With your photos in a digital format, you will be able to effortlessly organize, share, reprint and compile your photo library. In addition, simple software applications allow you to easily create customized slideshows or photo books for special occasions.
- How does your online gallery work?
Every order you place with ScanDigital will be placed in an online gallery in your account. Within this gallery we will organize your photos based on the album titles you designated prior to shipping us your media. If you do not want to do this before shipping, don't worry, our online gallery allows you to easily organize, label, comment and share your photos. Through a partnership with Qoop, a world renowned digital photography reprint specialist, you and your loved ones can order reprints as well as a number of other print products directly through our website.
- How soon will I be able to start viewing and sharing my digital images online?
ScanDigital strives to have the fastest possible turnaround time for all of our orders. We are constantly expanding our capacity to meet increasing demand. As soon as we receive your order, photos are placed in the queue for scanning. Our fully integrated process will inform you via automated emails each step of the way to ensure that you are aware of where your photos are at all times. For each order placed, you will receive four emails: when we receive your media at our office, when your photos have been scanned and uploaded for access online, when you have been billed and when the media has been shipped back to you. It is our goal to turn an order around in 7 days from the time we receive the materials at our office.
- How much time does this process take?
We understand that your photos are valuable and important to you and believe in keeping our turnaround time to a minimum. Our goal is for your digital photos to be available to you within days, not weeks, after receiving them. Currently we are experiencing a turnaround time of approximately one week.
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| Services |
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- What format of originals do you scan?
We provide scanning for 35 mm negatives, 35 mm slides and printed paper photos up to 8.5" by 11". Our professional quality scanning equipment allows us to scan both black and white photos and color photos.
- My photos are in albums, will ScanDigital accept these albums?
Yes, ScanDigital will accept your photo albums. Please provide albums that do not include photos that are permanently glued down. ScanDigital will remove your photos, scan them and replace them. ScanDigital charges $0.68 per image when scanning using a resolution of 300 dpi and $0.88 per image when scanning using a resolution of 600 dpi.
- My slides are housed in carousels, magazines or protective slide display pages, what should I send?
We accept carousels, magazines and protective slides. As part of our scanning process we will remove the slides from their packaging and do not gurantee that they will be returned in the same order as they were received. Regardless of how you ship them, please secure them tight using rubber bands and wrap them in plastic. Slides, negatives and prints are very durable and do not need excessive protection, but they should be well packaged.
- How will my images be organized online? How long will my photos be stored online?
All of your photos will be organized online according to whatever labels your proved when you send us your photos. If you do not wish to spend your time organizing your photos prior to sending them to us, that is totally fine. Our online gallery gives you the ability to rearrange photos within galleries, albums and sub-albums, label and comment on photos, share photos with friends and family and order reprints. Your photos will be stored online indefinitely. Should that policy change, you will be informed via email and be given at least 30 days notice.
- Can I email my digital photos to friends and family?
Absolutely. Within your online galleries you have the ability to share individual photos, albums and sub-albums via email with your friends and family. Once they have been given access to your photos, they will also be able to purchase reprints for their enjoyment through our print partner, Qoop.
- Where do you process the photos and digital images?
All of our orders are processed in our centralized headquarters located within Los Angeles County in the City of El Segundo, California. Given the high level of importance and value we place on your photos and memories, it was essential for us to locate our business in the largest MSA (metropolitan statistical area) in the United States. Our location within the greater Los Angeles basin provides us access to the best and mostly highly trained technological workforce in the world. This allows us to provide the world's premier digitization service. Your photos remain in one location throughout the entire process until we return them to you via a trackable shipping option. This ensures that our service provides an unparalleled level of security.
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| Technical |
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- What is DPI? What resolution do I need?
DPI stands for dots per inch or pixels per inch. DPI represents the resolution, accuracy, sharpness and clarity of your digital picture. A higher DPI is generally associated with a higher quality image; however, if the DPI exceeds the resolution of the original media, a higher DPI can actual diminish the quality of the image. Our default scanning is performed at 300 DPI for paper photos which is more than sufficient for using your digital photos electronically and also provides the ability to reprint any photo in the same size as its original. We provide an option to scan your paper photos with 600 DPI and with this higher resolution you can enlarge your image to a size twice as large as the original. Based on hundreds of thousands of scans, we find that the optimal DPI levels are: 300 - 600 DPI for paper photos depending on your expected use and 2000 DPI for slides and negatives. ScanDigital's service includes the following: high resolution scanning, Kodak Digital ICE (to remove dust and blemishes) and manual processing to crop, rotate and color correct your photos.
- I have negatives and paper photos. Which is best for scanning?
In most cases, scanning from negatives produces a higher quality result. Furthermore, organizing your photos based on a roll of negatives tends to be much easier. If possible please send in your negatives.
- Should I use CDs or DVDs for storing my digital images? How many pictures fit on a DVD or CD?
If your computer has a DVD drive, DVDs are the preferred method as they hold approximately seven times the number of images that a CD holds. If you do not have access to a DVD drive, CDs will work fine. ScanDigital includes one set of discs with every order free of charge. Additional copies can be included at the rate of $10 per copy.
- How will the images be stored and organized? Will I be able to view my images and play them on a DVD player?
Your photos will be stored as jpeg images on DVD/CD. Additionally, your photos will be stored in a personalized online gallery. From this gallery, you can share your photos with friends and family and order reprints. These DVDs or CDs can be viewed on your DVD/View CD player or computer. Your pictures will be organized in folders if you have provided labels. For example, if you have an envelope of photos labeled "Mary's Birthday", we will create a folder on your disc titled "Mary's Birthday" and an album within your online gallery with a corresponding label.
- What is Digital ICE?
Digital ICE is a technology that allows scanners to automatically identify and remove dust marks and minor scratches. Digital ICE performs a scan of the film with Infra-red (IR) light. Using the IR scan, the machine visualizes surface defects in the film, like dust or scratches, and then scans the film normally. Once both scans are completed, special software uses the IR defect map to replace the defective areas. The results can be a dramatic improvement from the original.
- Once the photos are scanned do you do any additional work with the photos?
We will manually rotate your photos and crop any black border left after the scanning process. In addition, we will color correct, remove dust, minor blemishes and digitally optimize the photos to provide you the best digital images possible. ScanDigital was founded to provide the premier, highest quality services available; all of which are included with our standard pricing.
- What type of equipment do you use?
We have implemented a highly refined, professional process which utilizes the Epson 4490 and 4990 scanners for prints and the Nikon Super Coolscan 5000 ED for slides and negatives. Our process relies on Digital ICE during the initial processing phase, but every image is manually processed to remove any remaining blemishes, ensuring the highest quality available and providing unsurpassed customer care.
- How big can I enlarge/reprint my photos?
Using our 300 dpi service for prints, you can reprint a photo to be the same size as the original. With our 600 dpi service, you can reprint a photo up to at least twice the size of the original. With 2000 dpi scans for slides and negatives these can be printed at size of at a least 8" by 10".
- Do you clean the photos before scanning?
Yes. When necessary, we use compressed air to remove dust from slides and negatives. We use special professional grade photo cleaner on printed photos in need of dust removal. In addition, our scanners use Digital ICE technology for slides and negatives to automatically remove dust and minor scratches.
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| Shipping / Pickup & Delivery |
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- How should I package my photos for shipping?
We will accept your photos in whatever format you currently store them in. You can ship your photos to us in boxes, slide carousels or zip lock bags. When you package your photos, please do the following:
- Make sure they are secured and won't shift during shipment. If they are in a box, stuff the box with paper to fill the empty voids.
- We also recommend you wrap them in plastic to protect them against moisture and dust during the shipment process.
- Avoid using packing materials that generate dust or debris.
- Use a sturdy box that will be able to withstand shipping and won't be easily crushed.
- Explain your shipping process. Where should I ship my photos?
As part of ScanDigital's industry leading service, we offer several integrated shipping options via UPS. ScanDigital has an extremely secure UPS shipping process integrated into our website. When you place an order, a shipping label with our correct shipping address and a tracking code will be generated. We strongly recommend that you use one of the shipping options integrated into our site. All of our options are tracked from the minute your package is picked up to the minute we receive it at our centralized facility. If you are unable to use UPS for some reason, we highly recommend that you use a trackable shipping option. Call our customer service line at 888-333-2808 with any questions.
- Where do you offer pick up and delivery services?
Currently our pick up and delivery service is limited to the Los Angeles area. If you are in the Los Angeles area and would like a more detailed summary of our pick up and delivery please use the following link: Pick-Up and Delivery Service |
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| Terms |
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- How does ScanDigital ensure my images are kept private?
ScanDigital takes the responsibility of handling your photos properly very seriously. Within the gallery area of our site, the user is able to control the privacy aspects of their photos. For additional information regarding privacy, please see our privacy policy .
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| Prices/Billing |
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- How much does it cost? When will you bill me?
For more details on pricing, please see our pricing page. When you place your order, we simply charge you a $5 refundable deposit. We will then bill you for the processing cost once we have processed and uploaded your scans to our website. We have adopted a very simple pricing method that does not include extra costs for DVDs or other hidden costs. We offer shipping through UPS using their fully trackable ground service. If you are located within the Los Angeles area, please use this link to view more details on our pick up and delivery option. For customers that wish to simplify the cost even further, ScanDigital offers a number of pre-paid, all-inclusive packages.
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| Gift Card |
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- Why purchase a ScanDigital gift card?
The ScanDigital gift card makes a great gift for any occasion. Your ScanDigital gift card allows the recipient to digitize and preserve their memories forever. Recipients of the ScanDigital gift card enjoy all the benefits of the ScanDigital service including: Free & Unlimited Online Gallery, Free Digital Optimization, their photos on a CD/DVD, the ability to order reprints, their work performed in the USA, the fastest turnaround time available and ScanDigital's 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Give your loved ones the gift of memories today!
- How can the ScanDigital gift card be redeemed?
Once you have given the gift card to someone, they can use the coupon code provided to redeem the amount of the gift card. The recipient should input the gift card code in the coupon code box when placing their order. The gift cards are a declining balance, meaning that if the entire credit is not used for one order the remaining balance can be applied to a future order.
- What is the difference between email delivery, normal delivery and the gift wrap option?
When placing a gift card order, you will be asked to select a delivery option. You can have the gift card code and custom message emailed to you or to a recipient free of charge. The normal delivery includes the gift card, your customized note and a brochure informing the recipient of our various services. For the gift-wrap option, the recipient will receive a gift wrapped package, which includes the gift card, your customized note and materials on the ScanDigital process to assist them in redeeming the gift card. Any of these options can be sent to the purchaser or directly to the gift card recipient.
- What if I have a gift card, how do I use it?
To redeem your gift card just click on the "Get Started" button from the ScanDigital website. You will need to create an account and place your order. Be sure to input your gift card code in the coupon box on ScanDigital's user-friendly order form . This will associate the code with your order and we will apply the gift card balance to your order when it is completed. If your order total is less than the amount of your gift card the remaining balance can be applied to a subsequent order.
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| FAQs for Video |
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- How do you transfer video and film. What is the process for transferring video and film?
We use propreihetary equipment and the most secure process possible when transferring your film and video. Thousands of hours and dollars have gone into developing a process that returns the highest quality possible, in a reasonable turnaround time for a fair price.
- What is your pricing? How much should I expect this to cost?
Pricing varies based on the type of material you are sending us. Pricing for video and film conversions can be found here: www.scandigital.com/scandigital-film-video-transfer.php
- Will your DVD play on my DVD player?
We use the highest compatibility standards when processing your order. Our brand name DVD-R has been proven the most compatible general use media. DVDs are printed directly during our process, eliminating stickers or labels that some times cause issues with DVD players.
- I have very specific needs for my menu, chapters, editing, etc. Can you help?
Most customers find our standard removal of blank film and chapter insertion sufficient, but we are always happy to work with you to meet your needs. During the transfer, we use barcode scanners to ensure that each reel of film will be a separate chapter on your DVD. For customers wishing to edit their movies post conversion, we recommend our hard drive option.
Customer Tip: Please provide as much information as possible either in your package or via email. This will ensure we are able to meet your needs.
- What is your turnaround time for film and video orders?
Our average video turnaround time is 7-10 days. On top of this time you should add 1-5 days for shipping within the continental U.S. Expedited shipping options are always available to reduce this turnaround time.
- What types of film do you convert?
We specialize in 8mm film, Super8 film, and 16mm film. Optical and magnetic sound will transfer with the footage.
- How can I be sure my order is secure?
We receive hundreds of orders from around the world on a daily basis. We have gone to great lengths to ensure that your materials are safe throughout our entire process. Movies and film are not damaged during our transfer process. Everything you provide, we return including: film, boxes, reels and cans. A trained operator is with your movie during every step of the process.
- Do you guarantee your work, what if I'm not satisfied?
ScanDigital offers a 100% customer satisfaction guarantee on all orders.
- What is the best way to preserve my home movies?
We recommend that you transfer your film to a DVD plus a hard drive. The hard drive will serve as a back up and archive for your videos.
- How many DVDs or hard drives will I receive? How many DVDs will it take to complete my order?
We will provide as many DVDs or hard drives as necessary. We have removed the need for you to count, presort or organize your film and videos. There is no guesswork involved in our process. For example, if your order takes 20 DVDs to create a complete copy, that is what we deliver.
- How many feet of film will fit on one DVD?
We can put roughly 1500 feet of film on one DVD. This can vary due to the sizes of your reels and other factors.
- I want to edit my new DVD on my own computer. What is the best option for me to do this?
Hard drives are the easiest option for customers wishing to edit their movies. With our hard drive you will receive the following:
- External, 2.0 USB Hard Drive, NTFS formatted
- Editable Files: View the sample file types here.
- Still Image Capture Software through VLC Player
What you'll need:
- Computer with USB port
- Editing software or other software capable of editing
- Can I order more copies once my order has been processed?
We can provide copies of film and video orders up to 30 days after your order is completed.
- How much footage are on my film reels?
The running time for 8mm film, Super8 film are approximately:
3" reel (50 feet) 2-3 minutes
4" reel (100 feet) 5-6 minutes
5" reel (200 feet) 12-14 minutes
6" reel (300 feet) 19-22 minutes
7" reel (400 feet) 26-29 minutes
16mm film running time will be approximately half of 8mm film or super8 film.
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