Frequently Asked Questions for Photo Scanning

ScanCafe answers your questions

ScanCafe receives a number of photo scanning questions, and we have posted a list of TOP FAQs here for photo scanning. These frequently asked questions will be helpful, but feel free to send us a message if you have additional negative scanning questions.

1. What is resolution or dpi?

Resolution is the amount of information that you want to collect from your original photograph; also referred to as the quality of the scan. DPI (dots per inch) is a measure of resolution. Quality also includes color depth, but most scanners have the same color depth scale so the best resolution measurment tool is dpi.

2. Which dpi should I choose for photo scanning?

The short answer is that higher dpi leads to higher quality, and our belief is do it right the first time and you'll never have to worry about it again. You can scan photos at a lower dpi and pay less, but the photo scan quality will not be as good and there usually are zero post scan services such as color correction and cropping – so be wary. At ScanCafe, we want you to have the highest quality so we scan at 600 dpi. You can see some specific examples on our quality comparison page.

Is 300 dpi just as good? Unfortunately, it is not. You can take a look at our side to side quality comparisons of 150dpi, 300dpi, and 600dpi. 600dpi simply picks up more information from the print. Furthermore, you can scan and print a 4x6 photo at 300 dpi, but you will never be able to enlarge the print at a later time to a 5x7, for example. As technology gets better, you'll find more value in the 600 dpi. Again, when it comes to photo scanning, do it right the first time, and you'll never have to do it again.

Furthermore, if you want to get the most out of post-scan services like photo restoration, you will definitely want to scan your photo at 600dpi.

3. Should I scan photos or scan negatives?

We recommend scanning negatives first because negatives provide the best resolution and quality. Negatives contain the maximum information about your image since they are fundamentally analog – and we scan negatives at 3000 dpi. When we speak of "information" we mean: clarity, sharpness, color depth, etc.

The other advantage of scanning negatives versus photos is that is a better deal for you. You get higher quality negative scans, and it actually costs less than scanning photos. Similarly, we suggest scanning slides over photos if the image is the same. Again, like negative scanning, you scan at a higher resolution with slides than with photos.

4. What kind of photo scanners do you use?

We use top-rated Epson 4490 flatbed scanners. You can check out our photo scanner buying tips for more information.

5. Why are my scanned photo files so large after scanning? Is TIFF bad?

The more information that you capture in a scan, the larger the file size will be. Information is defined as clarity, sharpness, color depth etc. A high resolution scan at 600dpi would give you a file of 5-7MB in jpeg and 30MB in TIFF format. Therefore, we do not recommend TIFF for the average customer. At the lower jpeg file size, you will be able to share images online and take up less space on your computer hard drive.

6. How do I resize my images after I get them from ScanCafe if I want to do so?

You can resize your images from your computer using any photo editing software like Google's Picasa (for the hobbyist) or Adobe Photoshop (for the professional). Picasa has a simple tool under "Tools" > "Options" > "Email." This allows you to resize images that you want to email. If you want to send many images at one time from your computer, you can download free software such as Imagemagick.

7. My photos do not show well on my TV screen when I load my CD/DVD?

Great question, but this requires a complicated answer. First, not all DVD players are capable of reading jpegs. For DVD players that can read jpegs, there is a different problem. The DVDs transmit a video signal to the television, not a "still" image/picture. When you insert a DVD or CD with jpeg pictures on it, the DVD player will read the jpeg image and send a "video" signal. This conversion of a still image to a video signal is sub-optimal and delivers poor results. The best solution is to create a slideshow using software such as MyPhotoStory (free download with Windows XP and Vista) and then burning it to a DVD. This creates an actual video file for the DVD to read and project.

8. How should I pack my photos?

See our recommendations page for packing and shipping page for shipping tips.

9. How can I track my images?

The safety and security of your images is paramount to us. We have door-to-door package tracking through both UPS and our website, and our entire logistics chain process is the most advanced in this industry.

10. Can you tell me more about your India Operations?

Absolutely! See pictures and highlights on our India operations.

If you have more questions, feel free to contact our customer support team, and we would be happy to answer your questions.