Photo, Slide and Negative Scanning & Videotape Conversion Questions & Answers

Copyright?

2010-03-22T17:49:49.095+00:00

Copyright remains with you at all times. We accept your photos on the basis that you own the copyright of any prints, photos, negatives, slides or videotapes submitted to 1Scan.

Can you scan card mounted photos?

2010-03-03T21:17:56.184+00:00

Yes we can, up to A4 size; in colour and monochrome. However these cannot be scanned by our Kodak scanners, they need to be scanned by hand on our Epson flattbed scanner. As this takes much longer we charge more to scan these photos.

How much dpi is enough?

2010-03-03T21:13:51.345+00:00

Generally the higher the dpi, the longer it takes to scan a photo, the longer it takes to burn a CD / DVD, and more computer power is needed to process data image files. We could make our lives easier by dropping to 300 dpi. This would look OK on screen and in most cases reprints would be acceptable. Certainly less than 300 dpi is not acceptable.

We opted for 600 dpi, because we didn't want to offer 'just enough' when it comes to the quality of our scans. At 600 dpi you have an image that looks great on screen, that can be printed with a significant degree of enlargement. More importantly it contains enough data for you to be able to edit / crop so that you have the final image you want without ending up with a poor quality image. So while 300 dpi is enough for some services, we deliver at 600 dpi as standard because we know it's so much better.

Photobook production

2010-02-25T21:22:51.798+00:00

Our photobooks are made by a specialist firm of printers and binders based in West London. They are mailed directly from the printer to you.

What size photobooks?

2010-02-25T21:21:02.547+00:00

Each type of book is supplied from less than A5 up to A3. As standard books have 24 pages, with extra pages costing just 30p per page.

What type of photobooks are available?

2010-02-25T21:19:16.512+00:00

Photobooks can be printed in paperback, hardback, cloth bound or in hand crafted bonded leather. All books are bound to the highest standards to ensure many years of enjoyment.

Photobooks

2010-02-23T07:58:47.310+00:00

We now have a facility that enables you to create high quality photobooks using images we scan for you along with any other digital images. We can offer a wide variety of styles and sizes, all printed by top class photo printers then put into books that will last. You can have paperbacks, hard backs with a range of colours plus hard backs printed with your own photos.

The process is simple - you download software from our photobooks section, this lets you compose you books at your own pace, on your own computer. You can add text to your photos, even use your own images as background pages. Then when you're happy with your book, just send it up the line to our printing facility in west London. A few days later your books arrive in the mail.

Click here to learn more about photobooks.

Photobooks

2010-02-23T07:57:12.651+00:00

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Can you scan APS films?

2010-01-31T13:03:30.955+00:00

Yes, we can now scan APS films.

The images are scanned into high resolution jpg files. Here is APS scanning pricing.

APS Film Scanning

2010-01-31T13:02:25.793+00:00

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Crinkles, Borders, Wobbles and other issues

2010-01-25T19:55:39.764+00:00

Our scanner works best on flat, square prints where the image covers the entire surface. These constitute the vast majority of the images we are sent and feedback from our clients is very positive.

Some prints give our scanner more of a challenge. Typically these are older prints, often going back to the 1950s and beyond, where printing technology was different. Normally these images have a white border, these prints are scanned and will appear with a white border. At various times photo processors have used paper with a crinkly, shaped border (normally also with a white border too). Our machine will scan the entire area and then try to crop the scan as best it can. In these cases there will be a small black area outside the irregular edges as the scanner makes a square as best it can.

Today's modern prints are cut with high quality guillotines and are square. Older prints are often very slightly off square; sometimes people trim their photos - it's very difficult to create a perfect square. If one or two edges aren't square the resulting scanned image can have a slight black border.

As prints age they can start to curl. When curled prints, particularly small prints, go through the scanner an otherwise square print can appear to have edges that are slightly out of true. This can result in a small area of black around the scan.

Can I edit my photos?

2010-01-25T19:55:10.897+00:00

Yes, you can. There are no copy controls or image locks placed on any of our scans. This means you can easily open our digital image files in any image editing program, you can correct the small points mentioned above, or make any other changes you wish. Equally you can open our scanned photos on Windows and Apple Mac computers.

Can I print large images from your scans?

2009-11-07T16:47:43.975+00:00

Yes. There's an explanation of how you can resize our scans using Photoshop commands here.

Scanning resolution - must it be 600 dpi? Can I have 300 dpi?

2009-11-05T20:48:09.374+00:00

If you would like your photos scanned at 300 dpi just let us know. This is sometimes a requirement of online printing services, we are happy to oblige.

Do I get my slides back?

2009-09-22T07:36:26.803+01:00

Yes, we'll return your slides along with your scanned images on CD or DVD.

Do I get my photos back?

2009-09-22T07:35:29.954+01:00

Yes, your originals photos will be mailed back to you along with the CD or DVD with your digital photos.

What negative scanning equipment do you use?

2009-09-19T13:56:30.822+01:00

We scan 35mm negatives on Nikon Coolscan 5000 scanners, larger negatives such as medium format are scanned on Epson.

How can I convert slides to photos?

2009-09-19T13:56:12.831+01:00

Simple - just us your slides (35mm or medium format). We'll scan them and send you a CD (or DVD) with your photos on it in digital form. Just take this into Boots, Currys or any photo shop and they'll be able to produce photo prints for you. In Boots the cost can be as low as 10p per print. Alternatively use one of the many online services - upload our scans, they print your photos and mail the results to you. You start with slides and end up with prints.

Can my scanned photos be used to make photobooks?

2009-08-31T17:43:07.352+01:00

Yes. There are no copy controls or other restrictions placed on the scans we create for you from your photos. You can therefore use them to create photobooks just as you would your own digital photos or if you scanned the photos yourself.

Why should I have my photos scanned?

2009-08-31T17:28:38.521+01:00

We can think of many reasons, five reasons to scan your photos are here.

Are there sample scans I can look at?

2009-08-27T11:37:23.167+01:00

Yes, we have some sample scans here.

Projector Data

2009-08-10T17:21:05.764+01:00

LCD projectors are becoming increasingly popular, and of course they can be used to show slides and negatives scanned by 1Scan. Our advice is to buy the best unit you can afford, but go in particular for the unit with the highest resolution because (all other factors being equal) that will give the most detailed image. Several terms are used to describe projector resolutions:
SVGA - 800 x 600 pixels
XGA - 1024 x 768 pixels
SXGA - 1280 x 1024 pixels
If you set your PC monitor to the lower resolutions you'll get a comparative idea of the quality each can display.
The other key term is lumen. This is a measure of the brightness of light, and therefore the relative darkness you'll need to view the image.

DVD copying?

2009-07-19T11:50:46.720+01:00

We can convert your original videotapes into DVDs and make additional copy DVDs. We also work for many solicitors, accountants and private enquiry agents to make copies of DVDs. More details here.

What video tapes can be converted to computer files?

2009-06-11T22:36:13.806+01:00

We can convert all Hi8, Video 8, Digital 8, VHS, VHS-C and MiniDV tapes into editable computer files.

Which computer file formats do you offer?

2009-06-11T22:35:50.694+01:00

We can convert video tapes into most digital file formats including AVI, DivX, MPEG 2, MPEG4, AVI, QuickTime, MOV plus others. If there is a particular file format you need please let us know.

General

2009-06-09T17:54:33.514+01:00

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Technical

2009-06-09T17:49:54.861+01:00

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Camcorder to DVD

2009-06-09T17:48:43.682+01:00

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Invoicing & Payment

2009-06-09T17:47:52.842+01:00

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Slide & Negative Scanning

2009-06-09T17:47:22.097+01:00

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Photo Scanning

2009-06-09T17:46:32.479+01:00

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European & Overseas Clients

2009-06-07T20:13:49.507+01:00

We have done work for clients in USA, Canada, France, Germany, New Zealand, Holland and Finnland. If you can mail your photos, slides, negatives or video tapes to us in the UK then we'll do the work and mail it back to you.
Payment is handled by PayPal, we;ll invoice you in Sterling and you can pay in your local currency.
If you want to know how much return postage is likely to cost you'll find detailed price guides on the Royal Mail's web site - royalmail.com.

How can I identify my camcorder tapes?

2009-05-20T19:50:30.712+01:00

We have put some pictures of VHS-C, Hi8, Digital8 , Video8 and MiniDV tapes here.

How can I pay?

2009-05-16T20:24:38.308+01:00

When your work is complete we will send you an invoice, you can pay by cheque, bank transfer or PayPal.

Keeping photos in order

2009-05-16T20:22:34.869+01:00

We can scan your photos in a particular order. Just make sure they're safely batched up and mailed to us with a note explaining the order you want them kept in.

Digital ICE?

2009-05-05T19:54:40.642+01:00

This is a feature built in to our slide and negative scanners which automatically removes dust and scratches from images. It's a hardware device which dramatically cleans your scans, and saves you hours of post-processing. Unfortunately Digital ICE doesn't always work with Kodachrome slides, or black & white negatives that contain silver.

I want scanning done to my own criteria, can you do this?

2009-05-05T19:40:55.962+01:00

We'll do everything we can to meet special requirements, just ring us on 01277 222 398 and tell us what you need.

Can I have an extra copy of the CD / DVD? Or make my own?

2009-05-05T19:39:32.006+01:00

Yes, we can make more copies of your image disc but there is a charge for this. If you have disc copying software on your PC (or Mac) you can do this yourself.

I might want some images done later at higher resolution?

2009-05-05T19:37:03.275+01:00

If we scan at Home level and you would later like that image re-scanned at Professional level, we will just charge you the difference in cost (rather than the full amount).

Contact sheets

2009-05-05T19:34:39.799+01:00

We can create digital equivalents of the old contact sheets you used to get. Our clients have told us these can be very useful when planning slideshows or organising photoalbums. You can use these to see all your images with file names underneath. If you'd like these please ask, at moment we don't make a charge for these.

Prints? Negatives? Slides? Cost?

2009-05-05T19:31:31.686+01:00

We charge on a "per image" basis, so your final charge will be calculated on the number of chargeable images we have created for you.

File formats?

2009-05-05T19:29:21.020+01:00

We typically offer jpg or tiff files.

The Home Service for slide or negative scanning provides scans to jpg files. The Professional Service delivers tiff images.

Our Print Scanning service creates jpg files.

If you have a particular file type requirement please contact us.

Colour restoration? My images are over 30 years old.

2009-05-05T19:25:34.498+01:00

It is inevitable that slides, negatives and prints fade with age. Our scanners have built in hardware features which will boost fading colours and help turn back the clock. Feedback from clients has been very positive and we're very pleased with what we can do. We don't turn every image into the sunniest of days, with the harshest of colours, but we will surprise you with how good the scans are.

Can you handle short negative strips?

2009-05-05T19:16:11.265+01:00

Yes, down to a single frame.

Do I need to mail my photos in order?

2009-05-05T18:18:27.037+01:00

No, just pack them securely. We'll turn them the right way round, scan them, then get them on their way back to you.

Can I edit / print your image files at home?

2009-05-05T18:17:04.024+01:00

Yes, you can. Our digital image files are in standard jpg or tiff so you can open and edit them in any image editing program (Kodak Easyshare, Photoshop, Aperture, Picassa, ACDSee etc). You can also print at home from our files.

Can I put my scans on the internet?

2009-05-05T18:10:56.409+01:00

Yes you can.

Can I get prints made from your scans?

2009-05-05T18:10:25.568+01:00

Yes, you can. We don't use any type of copy protection so prints can be made directly from the CD or DVD we supply at High Street stores such as Boots or Currys. You can also use one of the many online print services such as Kodak's.

How should I mail work to you?

2009-05-05T18:07:30.035+01:00

We'd recommend sending your images and tapes in a padded envelope. Please make sure you enclose return address details, and a contact number or email can be useful.
Send your photos by Royal Mail Recorded Delivery or Special Delivery; or by courier.

How long does it take? Rush jobs?

2009-05-05T18:02:52.592+01:00

We try to get every job back as quickly as we can, but please allow up to two weeks for longer projects (typically converting multiple videotape conversions). If you need your work completed by a particular deadline please let us know, we'll do our best to get the work done quickly.

Do I get my originals back?

2009-05-05T17:58:56.206+01:00

Yes, we will return your original prints, slides, negatives or videotapes. If you wish we can send originals and scans / DVDs in separate parcels.

Collection / Delivery?

2009-05-05T17:56:55.824+01:00

If you live nearby, or would like to make the journey, you're welcome to drop your photos, slides, negatives or video tapes into us in person. The address is on the contact page. We get many visitors from Brentwood, Hutton, Shenfield, Billericay, and Ongar - we've even had people from Kent, Oxford, Colchester and London make the journey to Brentwood.

Video formats.

2009-05-05T17:46:43.783+01:00

All videos must be European PAL format; we can't handle NTSC. More on video formats.

What video tapes can you convert?

2009-05-05T17:45:03.891+01:00

Hi8, Video8, Digital 8, VHS, VHS-C and Mini-DV.

Optical density

2009-05-05T17:43:20.247+01:00

4.0 DMax

Optical resolution?

2009-05-05T17:42:40.430+01:00

Technically we can offer up to 4800 dpi x 9600 dpi, in practice the maximum we'd offer for 35mm slides and negatives is 4,000 dpi.

What slide scanning equipment do you use?

2009-05-05T17:38:06.303+01:00

35mm slides are scanned on Nikon Coolscan 5000. We use Epson for medium format or larger.

What print scanning equipment do you use?

2009-05-05T17:36:58.828+01:00

Our print scanning is done on Kodak scanners, which we believe are the best print scanners available; along with Epson for larger images.