Scanning

Scanning done here, by the people you talk to

Prints, slides, negatives, sheet film, artwork — and whole shoeboxes of family history. Every scan is made in our own shop in Tucson, by the people you talk to, and your originals stay in the building the whole time.

Four kinds of scanning

What are you trying to save?

“Scanning” means different things to different people. Most of what comes through our door falls into one of these four groups — and each one is handled a little differently.

Family heirloom prints

Old photographs, studio portraits, snapshots, album pages and the occasional tintype. We scan each one carefully at a resolution that lets you reprint, restore and share it — and we handle fragile, curled or torn prints by hand.

  • Delicate prints are scanned with our “lid lift” method, so nothing goes through rollers
  • Saved as both TIF (archive) and JPG (easy to share)
  • Pairs naturally with our photo restoration service

Slides & negatives

35mm slides and negatives, medium-format and sheet film, color and black-and-white. Film holds far more detail than most people expect, and a proper scan brings it back.

  • 35mm scanned at 4000 ppi
  • Color correction, density adjustment and general enhancement available per image
  • Quantity pricing — the more you bring, the less each one costs

Artwork, for extreme clarity

Paintings, drawings, watercolors and prints scanned for reproduction, where the scan has to be faithful enough to print from. An experienced technician adjusts color, density and contrast against the original and spots the dust by hand.

  • Reproduction scans up to 12 × 17 inches
  • For larger originals, see art captures
  • Color-matched proofs available before you print

Shoebox scanning

This is the one that turns into a project. People bring in boxes — plural, and sometimes three feet on a side — of loose photos going back generations. The scanning is the easy part; the real work is deciding what matters.

  • Automated scanning for loose prints up to 8 × 10 (minimum 200 images)
  • Front and back scanned on request, so the handwriting on the back isn’t lost
  • We help you organize the results around the people, years or events that matter to you
The shoebox conversation

The boxes come first. The scanning is easy.

Bring the boxes in as they are. Before anything goes on a scanner, we’ll go through them with you at the counter and figure out what you’ve actually got and what you’d like to end up with.

That’s all it takes to turn a box of loose photos into something your family will actually use. Once we know the answers, the scanning, sorting and naming are the easy part.

How it works

From a box of memories to files you can use

1

Bring it in

No need to sort or count first. Bring the box, the album or the slide carousel as it is, and we’ll look at it together.

2

We make a plan

We go through what you have, what you want to do with it, and which scanning method suits it. You get a clear price before we begin.

3

We scan it here

All scanning is done on the premises by our own staff. Your originals stay in the building and come back to you the way they arrived.

4

You get your files

Scans are delivered organized the way we planned, as archive-quality TIFs and easy-to-share JPGs — ready for printing, restoring or passing on.

Good to know

Questions people ask us

It depends on what you have and how many. Our scan pricing page lists the per-item prices for shoebox scans, lid-lift scans, slides, negatives, medium-format and sheet film, and reproduction scans. For a large or mixed project, call us and we’ll work it out with you.
Loose prints are scanned at 300 or 600 ppi. 35mm slides and negatives are scanned at 4000 ppi. Reproduction scans of artwork are adjusted individually by a technician.
Your originals, exactly as you brought them, plus your scans saved as TIF and JPG files. We’ll agree on how you’d like them organized and delivered before we start.
Yes. Basic color and density correction can be added per image, and for prints that need real work — tears, stains, missing pieces — our photo restoration team takes over.
Stop in during business hours and we’ll take a look. If you have a very large project, a quick call ahead means the right person will be free to talk with you.

Ready to start? Bring the box.

4001 E. Pima Street, Tucson · Monday – Friday, 9:00 am – 6:00 pm · (520) 325-0065