QUESTIONS

QUESTIONS ABOUT DIGITIZING

1. What is digitizing and scanning?
2. Why should I digitize my photos?
3. What can I do with my original and digitized photos?
4. Why not buy scanners and digitize my pictures myself?

QUESTIONS ABOUT LEGACYSCAN

5. Why choose LegacyScan to digitize my photos?
6. Are my photos safe?
7. How do I order?
8. What is the LegacyScan Advantage Process?
9. Can I have my order rushed?
10. When will I get my original photos and digitized photos back?
11. How does LegacyScan's online photo gallery work?
12. How do I prepare my photos to be sent to the lab?
13. What is LegacyScan's Return Policy?

TECHNICAL QUESTIONS

14. What is DPI and resolution?
15. Why does LegacyScan only offer 600 DPI for prints, albums and documents and 3000 DPI for slides, negatives and film?
16. What is a DataDVD Disc?

ANSWERS

1.  What is digitizing and scanning?

Digitizing and scanning is the process in which old photos (paper prints, slides, and negatives) are professionally converted to digital format.  With the LegacyScan Advantage Process^TM photos are:

• Cleaned - Dust and particles are removed with compressed air.
• Scanned - Photos are scanned with the highest quality professional scanning equipment.  A digital image is captured in this process.
• Revived - Digital images are enhanced.  Unsightly borders are cropped (removed) so only the image is seen.  Color and brightness are restored.
• Created - Once digitized photo are completed and pass inspection, they are placed onto Premium Grade Archival DataDVD Disc.  With this disc, you can view, share and download your photos onto your computer.

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2.  Why should I digitize my photos?

1. Protect your photos from fading and yellowing over time.
2. Protect your photos from Fire, Flooding and unexpected catastrophes.
3. Protect your photos from Dust, Dirt, Rodents and Pests.
4. Consolidate your photo memories onto disc to save space.
5. Eliminate the hassle of slide projectors and large dusty boxes of photos.

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3.  What can I do with my original and digitized photos?

• View, share and enjoy your photos with your friends and family
• Cut, paste and scrapbook with your original photos
• Access your photos through your online photo gallery
• Store an extra copy in a secure place.
• Pass on your old photos for generations.
• Create photo gifts, such as blankets, mugs calendars and more

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4.  Why not buy scanners and digitize my photos myself?

• Price - High quality scanners are extremely expensive. It would cost several thousand dollars to purchase the equipment and software. Photo (print) scanners and slide/negative/film scanners are different, therefore it would take two different scanners to be able to digitize.
• Time - Digitizing is an extremely tedious and slow process. It could take months to properly digitize a collection of photos.
• Quality - To properly enhance and revive photos, it takes a well trained technician to be able to use the software and to recognize the enhancements needed.

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5.  Why choose LegacyScan to digitize my photos?

We understand that your photo legacy is priceless to you; therefore, we have developed a simple, safe and secure process to digitize your photos.

• Simple - We have created the “Legacy Starter Kit” to help you digitize your photos.  Our kit comes complete with a step by step guide to help you prepare your photos to be sent to our lab. We have also included all the necessary supplies to handle and pack your photos including: cotton photography gloves, pen, rubber bands, batch cards, zip top baggies, bubble wrap and a shipping carton. Your photos are priceless; therefore, we help you get them packaged right.
• Safe - Our secure state of the art lab is located in Grove City, Ohio. Rest assured that when you send your photos to us, they are securely stored until they are processed. We never send your photos thousands of miles away to foreign countries like India or Costa Rica. We have nothing against those countries; however, there is a risk in sending your irreplaceable photos to foreign soil.
• Secure - Once your photos are processed, we keep a backup copy of your photos until we have confirmed that you have received your original and digitized photos. You may choose to purchase the backup copy, keep it stored in our secure location or we can destroy it for you.

Value added with no additional cost:

• Included are Two (2) copies of your photos on disc. Store an extra copy in a safe place, maybe at a relative’s house, or a safety deposit box.
• Online photo gallery- If you choose, we can upload your photos to your free online photo gallery. You can view, share, organize and do many neat things with your photos in this gallery.

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6.  Are my photos safe?

Yes.   From the time that you ship your photos to us, you can track the process through our website. Once your order is received in our lab, we contact you to let you know that we have received it. Once the order is completed and shipped, we contact you to confirm that you have received it and completely satisfied with the results.

• Safe - Our secure state of the art lab is located in Grove City, Ohio. Rest assured that when you send your photos to us, they are securely stored until they are processed. We never send your photos thousands of miles away to foreign countries like India or Costa Rica. We have nothing against those countries; however, there is a risk in sending your irreplaceable photos to foreign soil.
• Secure - Once your photos are processed, we keep a backup copy of your photos until we have confirmed that you have received your original and digitized photos. You may choose to purchase the backup copy, keep it stored in our secure location or we can destroy it for you.

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7.  How do I order?

1. Click on "Get Started >" or click here.
2. Let us know what you need scanned, estimates are fine.
3. Choose the viewing and storage options that best fits your needs.
4. We will collect a $10 deposit towards your package. You will not be charged the total package amount until your order is processed.
5. You will receive an email with a prepaid shipping label and an order planning guide.
6. Follow instructions in the order planning guide to prepare, pack and ship your order.

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8.  What is the LegacyScan Advantage Process?

The LegacyScan Advantage Process is our superior and professional process in which we help you digitize your photos:

• Start - It starts when you place your order and receive your order planning guide.
  Our order planning guide will show you how to prepare, package and ship your photos.
• Received - Once in our lab, your photos are cleaned, scanned, revived, and saved to a DataDVD.
• Cleaned - Dust and particles are removed with compressed air.
• Scanned - Photos are scanned with the highest quality professional scanning equipment. A digital image is captured in this process.
• Revived - Digital images are enhanced. Unsightly borders are cropped (removed) so only the image is seen. Color and brightness are restored.
• Created - Once digitized photos are completed and pass inspection, they are placed in JPEG format and burned onto a Premium Grade Archival DataDVD Disc. With this disc, you can view, share and download your photos onto your computer. We also can place your photos onto other viewing options. See “Options and Pricing” page
• Returned - When your order is completed, original and digitized photos are returned to you.
• Confirmed - We will contact you once you have received your order to make sure that you are completely satisfied.

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9.  Can I have my order rushed?

Yes.  If you would like to have your order rushed, please contact us or call 877-737-4686. We can provide exact rush pricing as well as completion times. Rush charges range from $25 and up depending on the size of the order and the urgency.

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10.  When will I get my original photos and digitized photos back?

Typical processing time is about 3-4 weeks depending on work load. We will communicate to you once we receive your order and give you an estimated completion date.

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11.  How does Legacyscan's Online Photo Gallery work?

We will create a free online photo gallery account when you order a package. When we digitize your photos, we can upload them at no cost to this site. Once uploaded, you can login and begin viewing your photos. Your free account will stay active as long as you login to it once every six (6) months. In this gallery, you can view and email your photos. Organize into albums, rename, and ad captions. You may also order prints and create photo gifts to be delivered to your door.

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12.  How do I prepare my photos to be sent to the lab?

For best results we recommend you follow the simple instructions included with your Starter Kit.

General Preparation Instructions:

1. Use white cotton photography gloves when handling slides, prints and film. (included in complete kit only)
2. There are two (2) ways to organize your photos.

1. Before Processing: Number the slides, prints and film in the order you would like them. Group your slides, prints and film separately and label the group with a name, (example: Christmas 1974). We will place that group in its own directory (folder). You can have as many directories as you like. Helpful Tip: Try to put 40-50 slides in a group. Note: We cannot group slides, prints and negatives together. Please keep them separated.
2. After Processing: If you do not want to take the time to organize and number your photos before shipping them, no problem. Our online gallery allows you to organize and label your photos into virtual albums once they are processed.  Note: photos will be placed onto disc in the order in which we process them.

3. Use only a ball point pen when numbering slides or back of prints.  Never use marker or felt tip pen, these will damage photos.
4. Please do not mix slides, prints and negatives in the same stack.
5. If you have copyrighted material, you must fill out a release form.

Preparing Loose Prints:

1. Place photos in zip top bags to prevent from shuffling order.  Caution, do not overfill bags or use rubber bands, this may damage photos.
2. Include batch card with date, event, bag number or any instructions.
3. You may send loose photos arranged in no certain order.

Preparing Albums:

1. Please secure albums so loose pictures do not fall out.
2. In order to prevent damaging photos, we do not remove individual photos from albums. We simply scan the whole album page.
3. If you would like to have individual photos scanned, please take the time to remove them from the albums.

Preparing 35mm Slides:

1. Please remove slides from sheets or carousels. This will cut down on
   shipping cost and bulkiness. If you do not wish to remove them, please see the pricing chart for carousel handling cost.
2. Place slides in stacks of around 50.
3. Place batch card around bundle and secure with rubber bands around all sides.
4. Place secure bundles in a zip top bag.

Preparing Film Strips & Negatives:

1. Place film strips in pages, zip top bags or envelopes.
2. Please specify what order you would like them scanned.
3. For best results, place strips in pages.

Preparing Film Rolls & APS:

1. Number the rolls in the order you desire
2. Place in a zip top bag.

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13.  What is Legacyscan's Return Policy?

Our Return Policy
If for any reason you are not 100% satisfied with our work we will refund the full cost of your order. Refunds will be issued in the form they were paid to LegacyScan. All ordered materials, prints, CDs, or DVDs must be returned within thirty days of purchase. Please contact us to receive a confirmation number before shipping materials back to us.

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14.  What is DPI and resolution?

Resolution and DPI (Dots Per Inch) are often used interchangeably, but they are quite different.

Any digital image is composed of pixels. The pixels are the small colored square dots that can sometimes be seen when images are enlarged too much, or if you look at your screen close enough. Resolution is the number of pixels in the horizontal direction by the number of pixels in the vertical direction. For example, a picture with 1200 pixels at the horizontal direction and 2100 pixels at the vertical direction would have a resolution of 1200 x 2100 pixels.

As you've probably noticed, nowhere in the above definition it is said what size the pixels are. This is where the DPI comes in. DPI is simply Dots Per Inch. A picture with 100 x 100 resolution would be 1 x 1 inch when printed at 100 DPI, and 100 x 100 inch when printed at 1 DPI!

There's a tradeoff. The bigger the resolution, the bigger the image is. It will take more disk space, occupy more memory when loaded, and will take longer to load or email. On the other hand, the bigger the resolution, the better the image looks when printed.

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15.  Why does LegacyScan only offer 600 DPI for prints, albums and documents and 3000 DPI for Slides, negatives and film?

Our goal is to keep the ordering process simple as well as provide our customers with a superior quality service. By offering only 600 DPI and 3000 DPI, we can guarantee that we can provide our customers the highest quality service with the most competitive pricing. Sure, we could speed up the processing time or cut operating cost by lowering our DPI quality, but we feel that it would be an injustice to you and your precious photos. We know that you want to digitize your photos once, why not do it right the first time? If you are a professional photographer and would like pricing on 4000 DPI, please email or call us.

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16.  What is a DataDVD disc?

A DataDVD disc contains image files that you will be able to view, download and share on your PC or Mac’s DVD drive. A Data DVD is not a DVD Video; it will not play in a set top DVD player. Data DVDs work just like a CD-Rom. A Data DVD is storage medium for storing files just like a CD. Since a Data DVD can hold up to 4700 MB of storage, it would take 7 CD’s to store what 1 Data DVD can hold. Data DVDs work with computers like CD-ROMs do. However your computer needs to have a DVD-ROM disk drive to read our Data DVDs. If your computer does not have a DVD drive, you may choose to have your photos sent to you on CDs. Note: See pricing chart for additional cost.

This chart shows how many prints fit on a disk.

This chart shows how many Slide and Negatives fit on a disk.

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Still have questions?  Contact us.