1200 DPI, 2400 DPI, 4800 DPI… What should I do?

Remember, negatives are usually 1/5th the size of a photo print. Therefore, the DPI must be increased by 500% in order to get the same resolution as a photo scan. That is why the DPI for negatives is always higher than for the print.

For a quick review and to view on your computer, 1200DPI is plenty. For big screen viewing, enlargements and heirloom photos, consider 2400 or 4800 DPI scanning. Our experts will point you in the right direction and make sure you get the resolution that suits your needs.

Lifespan of a Negative

Negatives fade over time, occasionally disappearing completely. Although they tend to endure longer than a printed photograph, negatives fade in a similar way. Without investing in an archival vault, digitizing is the most intelligent decision when it comes to protecting and sharing your negative collection.

Remember, the warmer the climate and the closer to the ocean that you are, the faster your items will degrade.

FREE help organizing your negatives

We have professional organizers on staff to help you. We provide in-home organizing services throughout the states of California, Nevada and Utah. We also travel throughout North America to help organize larger collections. This personalized process includes labeling, dating and physically preparing your negatives for digitizing and long-term storage. Our regular fee is $125 per hour, plus travel expenses. If you are located in our three state region, we provide up to three hours of organizing service at no charge with orders of $1000 or more.

What do I get back?

That’s a great question. First, we will return your original negatives in archival packaging, ready for long-term storage. The digital copies will be organized in the order given to us and foldered as instructed. We recommend using index cards and/or ziplock bags to separate different groups of negatives. You can write the name of the group on the index card and we will name the folder what you have written on the card. This makes the collection easy to navigate and sensible to the people you share it with. We will make you one set of archival quality DVDs and you can also ask us to make you USB flash drives, hard drives and a cloud upload. We suggest getting clear on your end goal and talking this out with us before you start organizing.

Why Now?

These negatives are not getting any younger and the kids can’t enjoy them rotting away in your closet. Take action and scan them now. You will clear up a “must do” in your life while preserving your family history to pass on to your future generations.