Old photographs are tangible records of a bygone era, and a valuable historic record. Sometimes, however, older photos, particularly old negatives, can become damaged and dirty, making it hard to identify just who the subjects of the picture really are.
Fortunately, there are many companies devoted to the practice of digital photo restoration and slide scanning, and these companies can be an invaluable resource to those who have boxes of old negatives in their basement, and/or antique photographs that they would like to see digitally restored and enhanced. When you decide to send your photos to one of these companies, you should make sure that they offer the services that you need, and that they are reliable and trustworthy. Here are some tips to keep in mind:
A quality slide scanning service should offer:
*3000 dpi slide scanning services for 35mm slides, as well as 110,120,126,127, and 200 format slides
State of the art slide scanners and scanning equipment
Industry standard automated dust and scratch removal, utilizing programs such as Kodak Digital ICE.
*The slide scanning services that you choose should include a manual color rotation, cropping, red eye removal, rotation, and additional dust and scratch removal as points of service.
*Quality slide scanning image processing performed by qualified technicians who employ a trusted photo restoration program, such as Adobe Photoshop
*Additional photo scanning services, preferably 600 dpi photo scanning services for both priceless, antique photos, as well as newspaper clippings, postcards, and other medium. An experienced photo scanning and slide scanning, photo restoration service should also be able to offer its customers black and white slide and black and white negative scanning.
* The option to view and choose prints online, preferably with the understanding that you will pay for only the prints that you select.
*Competitively priced services. Some companies outsource work to other countries in order to save their customers money and time, while others choose instead to do work in house, and are usually more expensive.
When preparing to send your slides and/or photos for scanning, be sure to pack them securely in a padded mailing container, and ensure that you have included the proper address labels and postage.
While the prospect of sending your precious memories out into the world may seem a little unsettling, proper research and selection of a quality slide and photo restoration service, particularly one that meets the above recommendations, will help you feel confident that your photos, slides, and negatives are in good hands when it comes time to mail them.
If you are unsure as to where to turn for slide scanning and photo restoration services, a good place to start is with an online based company called Scan Cafe, and their website offers a wealth of detailed information about what a photo restoration service should, and should not include.
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