Did you know that 80% of family photo and video collections experience loss, damage, or serious wear and tear over time? Your family photos are the key to some of your most precious moments, holding decades of birthdays, weddings, summer vacations, and more. But have you considered preserving these special moments with a photo digitizing service?
A photo-to-digital service allows you to convert your old physical prints into digital images. By investing in this kind of service, you can make sure that your family memories will be enjoyed far into the future. Physical photos can not only get lost but can also be damaged over time by humidity and temperature changes. By digitizing your photos, you’re preserving the sounds, stories, and images of the past for the benefit of generations to come.
So now you know the benefits of digitizing your photos, how do you go about choosing a business that can do this for you?
HOW TO CHOOSE A PHOTO DIGITIZATION SERVICE
Let’s dive into everything you should consider when choosing a professional photo digitizing service:
UNDERSTAND YOUR REQUIREMENTS
The first step to preserving your photos is understanding exactly what your requirements are.
Do you have a handful of photos that you’d like to scan or a much bigger collection that spans over several decades? What condition are your images in? Would you like the color touched up? Are any of the prints damaged and in need of restoration before they are scanned?
Once you have an idea of exactly what you’re looking for, you’ll be in a better position to choose the best photo digitizing service for your needs.
EXPERTISE
You’re planning to digitize some of your most precious memories, so it’s really important that you can put all of your trust in the company who will be handling your photos.
To find a photo digitizing service that will treat your images with the same care and attention as they would their own, be sure to read plenty of reviews from past customers online and any professional reviews in trustworthy publications. A reliable company will have a proven track record in offering this service and glowing reviews for their excellent customer experience.
QUALITY
It’s a good idea to watch out for companies who offer low quality scans of your images in an effort to save themselves time and money. The best photo digitizing services will scan your photos at 600dpi resolution — and will be transparent about this when you communicate with them. By scanning at this size, they’ll make sure that your digital photos look brilliantly sharp and will easily blow up into bigger prints without losing any quality.
On the other hand, some photo digitization companies will scan as low as 150dpi. While they do this to save time — and may offer you a more competitive price — you will almost certainly be disappointed with the final results.
EDITING AND RESTORATION
There’s a good chance that some of your photos have been sitting around in boxes for years if not decades. And that means they’ve likely also had their fair share of wear and tear.
If your images are scratched, dusty, curled at the edges, discolored, or have any other kind of visible damage, you’ll likely also want a service that can offer editing and restoration of your prints. While this might come with an additional cost, it’s certainly worth the extra investment to make sure your digital scans look the very best they can.
EASE AND SPEED
If you’d like your photo collections digitized in a specific time frame, it’s important to think about the turnaround times of the service you’re using.
This will of course depend on things like the size of your photo collection, as well as whether your prints need extra attention and restoration. It’s always worth having a conversation about turnaround times with the photo digitizing service before you commit to using them, to make sure they can meet your needs.
SAFE HANDLING
You’re preserving your most precious moments, so finding a business that will take the safety of your prints seriously is key. When choosing a photo digitization service, always go for a company that will look after your photo collection with the same care and attention as they would their own family memories.
At EverPresent, we offer a door-to-door pickup service from your home or office, and our high-tech lab is alarmed, sprinklered, and camera-monitored — so you can rest assured that your photos are safe from the moment they leave you until you have them back in your hands.
CUSTOMER SERVICE
A great photo-to-digital service will keep you updated every step of the way. When you’re trusting a business with your most sentimental images, you deserve to be kept in the loop at all times.
Make sure to check how they communicate with customers, as well as how responsive they are to any inquiries you send their way. This will give you a good insight into the level of their customer support and communication.
COSTS AND DISCOUNTS
The cheapest service isn’t always necessarily the best option. Think of digitizing your photos as an investment for you and future generations to come. It’s not worth choosing a cheap — and unreliable — service, at the risk that they might scan your images incorrectly. This could actually end up being much more expensive in the long run!
Choose a service that will offer you not only an affordable quote but also an exceptional experience.
EVERPRESENT OFFERS PHOTO DIGITIZATION SERVICES
Here at EverPresent, our photo scanning team digitizes over four million images every year. Whether you have 100 prints or 100,000, our family-run business will look after your photos as if they were our own.
What’s more, you don’t need to worry about organizing, or even counting, your photos before you get in touch with us. You can send your photos to us however you’d like — in bags, envelopes, or even shoeboxes — and we’ll return them in exactly the same way.
We have over 30 years of experience in preserving family photo and video collections, and we understand it can be a big decision to trust someone else with your most treasured memories. We’ll never force you into upfront payments or rushed decisions, and we’re always more than happy to help — even if you’re just looking for some advice.
Get in touch with our team today for a free, no-obligation estimate.
