How to order

Placing an order with us

We have set out below details on how to order with us and the processes involved.


The basics

All sizes of printed photographs under A4 in size are charged at the same price. A4 - A3 sized photos are charged at a higher cost.
All film negatives and transparencies are priced according to their size. We scan loose photos, photo wallets, photo albums, panoramic prints and framed photos, all sizes of film negatives / transparencies and mounted slides. Bulk discounts apply depending on the quantity of items you are sending us. All film negatives must be developed before we can scan them and are priced per frame, not per strip or roll.


Get an instant online quotation

From the quotation page simply enter the number of each item types you have to scan then a quotation will be displayed. You can then amend the quantities and add any optional extras.

When you are ready to order, click the Order now button at the bottom of the quotation page. Once you have registered your details, the order will be placed into your online account. Confirmation will be displayed on the screen and a confirmation email summary will also be sent to you.

If you don't want to order online you can simply print out the quotation and include it in your shipped order to us, or you can download a paper order form to complete and include in your package.

If you find any of this too difficult, simply write a note with your contact details and send everything to us. Our address is at the bottom of every page.

When do I pay ?

No deposit is required, payments are only due after the items have been scanned. This ensures that you are only paying for what we have actually scanned. After the scanning is completed your order will be updated to reflect the actual number of items scanned.

When your order is completed, our booking system will email you requesting payment. Once payment is made we then despatch your original items and the digital images back to you.

We use PayPal for Business as our payment provider, which allows you to pay using any credit / debit card or your PayPal account if you have one. Direct bank transfers are also available as are telephone payments. Cheques are also accepted but they will delay despatch of the order until the cheque has cleared.

Sending the items to us

Carefully pack everything into a padded envelope or suitable box, making sure any voids are filled with suitable packing material to avoid the items moving around during transit. Loose lidded containers may open during transit spilling their contents in the box or bag, always try to ensure everything is secure and won't move around during transit.

Slides can be packaged loose or in their current containers, carousels or boxes, it doesn't matter to us. If you have a large number of slide carousels it might be easier and cheaper to remove the slides from the carousel for shipping. Simply take them out in the order you want them scanned and secure them together with a double wrapped elastic band to maintain the order while shipping. Any name or event you wish us to group the slides with can be attached the bundle.

Large or heavy orders should be sent in double walled cardboard boxes, plastic storage boxes tend to crack and break during transit, potentially spilling the contents.

Include your order number, (or full contact details if you haven't placed an online order) in the package. A handy Adobe PDF address label can also be found and printed from the contact page. Attach the shipping label and also your return address in case of any problems.

If your order qualifies for free collection, or you have selected a courier collection service, simply let us know when and from where the package can be collected along with a rough estimate of the dimensions and weight of the box. Once the courier is booked we will send you a prepaid label to attach to the box.

If you are sending items by Royal Mail, we recommend using their Special Delivery or Tracked 24/48 service.

What happens next ?

Once we receive your order we let you know it has safely arrived, normally by email. Your order is then checked and placed into the scanning queue.

Once your order is completed we check the number of items scanned against the quantity ordered, adjusting the quantities of your order where necessary.

Any additonal inspection service you ordered is also carried out at this time.

We then notify you of the order completion and request payment. Payment can be made through your online account. An invoice for your records can also be printed when viewing your online order.

You have the option to change the return shipping method from within your online account. A list of shipping methods and costs will be displayed when you view your order. You can make any change to the shipping method prior to making payment.


How long does it take ?

Timescales are dependent on the quantity of items in your order and how busy we are when your order arrives. Normally it takes around 10 working days, though we offer a next day service if you are in a rush. The estimated date can move, if prior orders are delayed for some reason or we receive a number of urgent orders.


Tracking your order

You can track the status of your order at any time by logging into your online account, the current status of your order is always shown along with an estimated date of completion.


What you get back

We offer different ways of returning the images to you, you can read more information on these here.

The original items are returned on the media you requested. If you selected the Internet Cloud option, you can download them instantly to your device.

Once you receive your items, either via Royal Mail or a courier service all you have to do is insert the media into your PC / Mac or TV to see the images.

Most digital TV's allow you to connect a USB memory stick and view the images directly from there.

What do we scan ?


Photographs / Prints

We scan all sizes of photographs, colour or black and white, provided they are at least 2" in size. Albums and mounted photographs are scanned using our large flatbed scanning service. All scans are made at 600dpi, meaning you get a larger, clearer image that will look great on your mobile device, PC screen, or TV. They can also be reprinted at least twice the size of the original.


Slides

All sizes of mounted slides are scanned, from regular 35mm projector slides to 60mm medium-format slides. Half-frame slides, 126 slides, 110 slides, and 127 "Super slides" are also scanned. All 40mm frames are scanned at 4000 dpi, giving a large image suitable for all uses. Due to their larger original size, 60mm frames are scanned at 3200 dpi, which helps to maintain a reasonable final file size.


Film negatives / Transparencies

negatives up to 8 x 10-inch Large Format film. Colour, monochromatic (black and white) and transparency film are commonplace. The most common is the easily recognisable twin sprocket 35mm film, but we can also scan 110 / 126 instamatic, varying medium format film sizes from 6 x 4.5cm up to 6 x 12cm and 4 x 5 inch; Large format film, though we don't process any form of cine or VHS film.




Why convert your images to digital?


Having your film negatives, slides or photos scanned and converted to digital images preserves them before they deteriorate and fade away. This allows you to view and share them using today's digital equipment, such as computers, TVs, Digital photo frames and mobile devices.
You can upload them to social networking sites like Facebook, X (Twitter), Snapchat, WhatsApp, or Instagram or share them with anyone you wish using our Online access system. The images can also be used for presentational use with high-resolution projection systems and are suitable for publishing, either as a personal photograph album or for commercial use.

Having your images scanned to digital allows you to distribute copies of the images to friends and family. It can make an excellent birthday, anniversary or Christmas gift for a family member or friend.


The scanning process

All films are cleaned before scanning. We use an Infrared system for colour films to detect and remove most of the remaining dust and scratch defects, resulting in a clearer image. The infrared system is not available for black-and-white film scans. All items are scanned using high-quality scanners at 4000 dpi for 35 mm-based film/slides, 3200 dpi for medium format films, and 600 dpi for photographs. We use scanners designed solely for scanning the type of film or photograph, not a general-purpose flatbed scanner. We then automatically adjust the colours, brightness and contrast levels in Adobe Photoshop®.


What you get back

The images are scanned and processed as 16-bit TIFF files, then converted to standard JPG files for return. You are free to use the images for any purpose. Professional users can also select to have the images returned in the original TIFF format.

All images are available to view or download online for 30 days and can also be returned on either a disc, USB memory stick or SD card.

After we return your images to you we keep a copy of them on our secure servers for up to 2 years. So should you lose your images, we can replace it for you without having to rescan your images.


Who uses our services?

We work with a wide variety of customers, including private individuals, businesses, professional and amateur photographers, publishing houses, local government, the NHS, commercial printers, museums and archives, charities, and organisations.

Some recent customers include British Museum, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Haynes Manuals, Harewood House Trust, Cumbrian Railway Association, Watts & Co Ltd, University of Edinburgh, University of Central Lancashire, University of Oxford, Seymour Powell Ltd, Henry Poole & Co

No job is too big or too small for us. We regularly handle small orders of a handful of images to complete archives of many thousands of images from high-profile publishing houses, museum archives, universities, various private organisations, charities, and individuals.



Common Questions


How long does it take?

We normally try to complete each order within 10 working days, but this may be longer at peak times or if we have received a number of large orders. You can check our current estimated times here. If you are in a hurry you can select our Next day service.


Do you return the originals?

Yes, all original images are returned unless you specifically request us not to return them.


Do I need to register and place on order online?

No, you can simply send everything to us without registering.


Some of the images are faded, can you fix them?

Yes, all scans include Photoshop colour restoration, though extremely faded or colour cast images may require extra processing should you wish to restore them fully.


Do you lock the images or can I do what I want with them?

They are standard digital JPG or Tiff files which you can view and edit as you would any digital image. We place no restriction on editing, copying or sharing of the images, they are yours to use however you wish.