How Photo Scanning Works at ScanCafe

We've worked hard to make photo scanning both easy and safe for our customers and we're confident in our quality. With ScanCafe, you'll get to review our work before paying for the photo scans you want to keep, subject to a 80% minimum.

• Place your order using our online order form
• You'll be asked to estimate your order quantity. A rough guess is fine!
• Printer required. Our system is integrated with UPS, so we'll automatically generate a pre-paid UPS shipping label that you'll need to print out from your home or office.
• Partial payment. When you place your order, you will make a partial payment roughly equal to 75% of your order.
• USA Standard option: Your order will be scanned in our Indianapolis lab with a 3-4 week turnaround time.
• USA Express option: You can choose to get your photos scanned in our Indianapolis labs for a faster turnaround.

• Use a sturdy box. See our packing tips to ensure your photos don’t get damaged.
• Fill your box. You don't have to organize the contents, since you'll only be paying for the scans you keep (with a 80% minimum). But if you choose to organize the contents, follow our packing tips.
• Drop off your box at a UPS location. Your order is tracked from the minute you hand it to UPS.
• We'll send you an email when we receive your originals photos.
• We will handle the rest of the shipping for your order, which will include transporting it via air freight (the most secure form of shipping in the world), to and from our scanning facility in Indianapolis, IN. Read more packing safety tips here.
• ^* Turnaround time depends on the type of media sent in the order. Updated estimate turnaround time is provided when we receive your order.

• We scan your images in high resolution: 3000/4000 dpi for 35mm negatives, slides, APS, special media, and 600/1200 dpi for paper photos
• Equipment used: Epson 4490, Nikon 5000 ED, Nikon 9000 ED
• Each of your images will be reviewed and corrected as needed, one at a time, by an assigned technician. Learn more about our quality and photo preservation process.

• When your scans are done, we will send you an email
• You'll have the chance to review all your scans. If there are scans you don't want, simply delete them and you won't be charged for them. You may delete up to 20% of your order.
• You will be able to do some re-organizing of your images while you review your scans.
• When complete, you will check out, and pay the remaining balance on your order.

• After you complete the photo review, we make the scans you selected available for download.
• You may download the scanned images to your computer or request for a cloud upload .

• If you have opted for delivery media like USB. We save your scanned images on it and return it along with the originals.
• The return shipment is sent via UPS and is also trackable during the entire trip to your door. You have the option to request signature delivery at time of final checkout.

• Once your order is complete, you can have friends and family view your scans online as well.
• Your Digital download or USB will contain high-resolution files suitable for enlargements and hiqh-quality prints. Perfect for photo gifts, too.
• Read our FAQs for more questions.