Top Questions About Our 35mm Slide, Negative, and Photo Scanning Transfer Services

Placing and Order

1. How much does it cost?
2. What do the different status' mean?
3. Is it safe, will you return my originals?
4. Do you guarantee your work, what if I'm not satisfied?
5. How many discs will it take to complete my order?
6. How many pictures will fit on one DVD? What size are the files?
7. How do I order more copies?
8. Do you have any restrictions regarding the content of the film?

Editing and Media

9. Can I edit my new DVD on my home computer?
10. Will my new DVD play on my DVD player?

Shipping

11. How do I order and how should I send my 35mm slides, negatives, and photos?
12. I'm trying to create a shipping label, but the Post Office's website (www.usps.com) says that your address is invalid. What do I do?

General

13. At what resolution do you scan the slides and negatives?
14. At what resolution do you scan photos?
15. If I have printed photos and the corresponding negatives/slides, which should I send?
16. What slides and negatives do you convert?
17. What size photos do you scan?
18. What is the best way to preserve my 35mm slides, negatives, and photos?

Placing and Order

1. How much does it cost?

Pricing varies depending on what dpi conversion you choose. Our pricing calculator can be found here

Please note that shipping quotes are given as good faith estimates. Orders requiring multiple boxes or orders with increased weight may be subject to additional shipping charges.

2. What do the different status' mean?

You can track the progress of your order at anytime! Just login to your account and look at the status next to your order. Here is the route through the status your digital images will follow:

1. Not Received- This status means that you've placed an order with us, but we have not verified its arrival at our facility.
2. Received- This status alerts you that we've received, opened, and verified the contents of your order. It is ready to go into production.
3. Transferring- This status encompasses all the "hands on" interaction that a technician has with your slides and negatives- inspection, digitization, editing, and uploading. This status will take the longest, as it is the bulk of your transfer!
4. Transferred- This status means that our software is building the files that we will put onto your DVD or hard drive.
5. Burned- This status means that your DVD or hard drive has been produced and your order is ready for packaging and shipping.
6. Shipped- This status displays that we've boxed up your order and it is on the shipping shelf, waiting for our daily FedEx driver to pick it up! The shipping department will send you an e-mail to let you know that your order is done. At this time, we will also make any billing adjustments to your original estimate that we've uncovered along the last five steps.

3. Is it safe, will you return my originals?

We receive orders from around the world on a daily basis. The images are not destroyed or damaged in the process. A technician is with your 35mm slides, negatives, and photos during every step. We return everything that you send to us- photos, albums, slides, negatives, boxes, and carousels. You can read about some of our efforts to ensure the safety of your photos.

4. Do you guarantee your work, what if I'm not satisfied?

Customer satisfaction is very important to us. We are committed to fixing any problem that is not inherent to the original image in a timely manner. Our guarantee policy is posted here.

5. How many discs will it take to complete my order?

As many as it takes! You do not have to calculate how many DVDs will be needed to complete your order. We only need to know how many complete copies you want to receive. If your order takes 10 discs to create a complete copy that is what we deliver. The cost of your media is calculated when you place an order - so the number of discs needed will not further affect your price.

6. How images will fit on one disc? What size are the files?

Scanned Slide and Negative Transfer Specs

7. How do I order more copies?

To ensure that we can accommodate your copy order, please place your copy order within 30 days after receiving your shipment.
Please contact us at 1-866-DV-MOVIE or Service@HomeMovieDepot.com to order more copies of your digital images transfer.

8. Do you have any restrictions regarding the content of the images?

There are several instances where your 35mm slides, negatives, or photos will be returned without being converted to DVD. If we do not transfer the 35mm slide, negative, or photo for any of the following reasons, the associated transfer costs will be refunded to your card:

• Blank or undeveloped film
• Non-supported Format
• Objectionable Material
• Copy Protection
• Copyright*
• Excessive physical damage

*If you do have items under copyright protection, and you are, or have permission from, the original copyright holder, please include this copyright waiver and we will be happy to transfer your images.

Editing and Media

9. Can I edit my new DVD on my home computer? Can I simply drag and drop my DVD files onto my computer?

Yes! If you would like to edit your DVDs, Home Movie Depot provides every slide, negative, and photo scanning customer with a Data DVD. Each data DVD will contain a JPEG file of each 35mm slide or negative image, which can be used in any home edit projects.

If you have a large order- 400 images or more- we strongly suggest that you order the external hard drive. This is the only way to guarantee that all of your photos will be in one location.

It is possible to edit your new Slide Show DVD footage on your home computer. However, like a commercial DVD, it requires a good deal more than just dragging and dropping the files to your hard drive. Although our DVDs are not encrypted, editing your new Slideshow DVD would require DVD authoring software which we do not provide and cannot support.

10. Will my new DVD play on my DVD player?

No. A data DVD is a DVD-ROM disc for your computer for your DVD-ROM drive only. It is not intended for viewing purposes in any DVD player or in a CD-ROM drive.

However, slide (35mm slides and others), negative (35mm negative and others), or photo scanning customers who order the additional Slide Show DVD will be able to play their new DVD on a home DVD player. We use brand name DVD-R which has been shown to be the most compatible general use media. Our discs have been found to be compatible with over 95% of home DVD players made in the past three years.

Shipping

11. How do I order and how should I ship my 35mm slides, negatives, and photos?

Let us know what you are sending and what you want as your finished product. Calculate your image transfer estimate with our Pricing Calculator. The calculator will walk you through everything- pricing, payment, sequencing, and shipping instructions. We will email you and confirm your quote once we have received your order.

12. I'm trying to create a shipping label, but the Post Office's website (www.usps.com) says that your address is invalid. What do I do?

First, we highly recommend that when shipping your precious memories, you use a shipping provider such as FedEx, UPS, or DHL that will provide you with a tracking number. You're certainly welcome to use the Post Office, but we do not recommend it at all.

If you do decide to use the Post Office, you will need to address your order to our P.O. Box. Our large transfer facility sits approximately one block from the Post Office and city regulations do not provide for personal delivery within the downtown area.
Our P.O. Box address is:
P.O. Box 669
Ashland, Missouri
65010

General

13. At what resolution do you scan the 35mm slides?

We can scan your slides (35mm slides and others) and negatives (35mm negatives and others) at 4000 dpi or 2000 dpi.

14. At what resolution do you scan photos?

We scan your photos at 600 dpi or 300 dpi.

15. If I have printed photos and the corresponding negatives/slides, which should I send?

Scanning negatives or slides will produce a cleaner image, except in the case of damaged negatives or slides. Negatives and slides are also typically easier to ship than print photos. However, we are more than happy to scan prints, negatives, or slides to DVD.

16. What types of images do you convert?

If your images are cut and can fit in an 8" x 10" area, we can scan them.

We accept the following types of images: Negatives (e.g. 35 mm and others); Slides (35 mm and others); and Photos. All images may be up to 8 X 10 in size.

We specialize in 35mm slide film encased in 2" x 2" cardboard or plastic holders, but we can transfer slides in the following formats: 110, 126, 127, 135.

We also transfer 35mm negatives, and negatives that are the following formats: 110, 120/220, 126, 127, 135, medium format, and large format.

17. What size photos do you scan?

Currently we accept photos 8"x10" and smaller.

18. What is the best way to preserve my 35mm slides, negatives, and photos?

We recommend that you transfer your images to a DVD plus a hard drive. These media formats allow you to easily make duplicate copies of your transfer. The best way to preserve your home movies it to make multiple copies and give them to as many people as possible!

We strongly recommend visiting The Association of Moving Image Archivists for expert advice on how to preserve the original media.