2019
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3 Essential Things to Keep in Mind Before Choosing a Photo Scanning Service Written by: Brandon Harris, Smooth Photo Scanning Services
No matter how much you try to preserve old photographs, they will inevitably succumb to the effects of time sooner or later.
The only permanent way to ensure that your precious memories remain in good condition for future generations to enjoy is to have them scanned and digitized this way, you won’t have to worry about them getting wet, collecting dust, or fading away.
But How Can You Choose A Picture Scanning Service Provider?
Well, although the process may seem pretty straightforward, there are a few things that need to be considered made if you want to get the best results.
So, to help you find a scanning service that will deliver a quality service, here are a few questions you should keep in mind before choosing a provider.
Can They Scan Whole Albums?
A lot of people like to keep their physical copies of photos in albums. In fact, sometimes the albums themselves have sentimental value, or it can be difficult to remove the photographs without causing damage.
Thats why you should look for a photo scanning service provider that offers the possibility to scan the photos directly from the albums or scrapbooks.
They should have multiple scanners that they can use in various situations, including flatbed, straight path, and even sheet-fed scanners, all of which can be very helpful when dealing with different formats.
Is The Entire Process Hassle-Free?
When you’re choosing to get your photos scanned by a professional, you don’t want to have to micromanage the entire process, after all, you’re already paying a professional to handle everything, so he should be able to take your pictures and provide you with a perfect result without you needing to provide constant feedback.
What’s more, they should have a reliable photo restoration and editing process that makes the need for your involvement minimal with the right equipment, most of the qualified photo restoration services providers should be able to handle even complicated projects promptly and efficiently.
How is Their Customer Service and Support?
Although you want the photo scanning company to handle the work competently without you needing to micromanage everything, sometimes you will need assistance or guidance when sorting through your photos or deciding which format you should go with.
Thats why you should make sure that the company has a helpful and available support team thats able to offer you timely and comprehensive customer service, in case you needed any assistance.
There’s nothing worse than entrusting your photos to a scanning service and then being left in the dark about their progress, so you should check upfront to see that they have staff dedicated to providing support.
Do They Have a Good Reputation?
Finally, you should make sure that the company you choose can do the job correctly. Most agencies will make bold promises and claim that they are the best in the biz, but in reality, not all scanning services providers have the same equipment, experience, or even qualifications to handle your scanning project.
The best way to see if a company can be trusted is to look for social proof ideally, that would come in a personal recommendation from a friend or relative.
But even if you don’t have someone you trust to make a recommendation, there are still ways you can verify that a company is trustworthy. By simply going online and checking reviews, you can get a much better idea of whether a company knows what it’s doing and can be trusted.
My father has been in the document scanning industry for as long as I can remember. I worked for his company Smooth Solutions, Inc. during summer breaks growing up and for a couple years after college. Wanting to venture off on my own, I gained experience in several careers including wholesale seafood sales as well as owning and operating a bakery for several years. When my father approached me with the opportunity to expand upon his already successful business by providing high quality, professional scanning services to the general public, I jumped on board. From personal experience, I recognize how important it is for most people to have their family memorabilia preserved for future generations and I want to be a part of helping others do that.