We help families choose a scanning path before they ship memories away.

Why this site exists

Most families start with a simple question: "Who should scan these old photos?" The real decision is more complicated. A shoebox of sturdy 4x6 prints, a carousel of 35mm slides, a sleeve of negatives, a stack of fragile portraits, and a box of VHS tapes all need different handling.

This site is built to make those trade-offs easier to see. We focus on the practical questions people ask before ordering: what media type is in the box, how pricing works, what resolution is enough, how originals are shipped and returned, and when a home scanner is safer than a mail-in service.

Editorial method

Every service and workflow on this site is evaluated against a consistent checklist: pricing transparency, supported media, resolution options, turnaround expectations, file delivery, review control, customer-facing policies, and shipping safety. We also look at whether a provider clearly explains limitations, add-ons, and return handling.

Pages are written to separate public facts from editorial judgment. When provider information changes, readers should verify current pricing, coupons, turnaround, media acceptance, and affiliate terms directly with the provider before placing an order.

When a page includes a price, DPI, capacity, turnaround, or product-model claim, the goal is to attach it to a public source and a visible checked date. That does not make the number permanent. It makes the claim inspectable, so a reader can tell whether the page is using a current provider fact, a dated snapshot, or a general buying principle.

We prefer cautious language when a provider page does not publish a detail clearly. For example, if a service sells a mixed-media kit but does not present a simple photo-only DPI table on the public page, we do not invent one to make the comparison table look complete. The gap itself is useful buyer information.

What we do not claim

Photo Scanning Guide is not a photo scanning lab. We do not currently claim hands-on paid testing, sample-scan comparisons, or order-level proof unless a page explicitly says that evidence exists. If a future review includes paid testing, that review should disclose the order date, media sent, delivery timeline, output files, and any affiliate relationship.

We also do not present a fictional personal author, family archive, or lab credential to manufacture trust. The site is published as an editorial organization. That is less romantic than a named expert persona, but it is cleaner: readers can judge the page by its sources, method, and disclosures instead of a biography that does not exist.

Provider review pages on this site are public-information reviews unless they explicitly disclose a paid test order. That means a review can compare prices, rules, media support, and buyer fit, but it should not say that we shipped a box, inspected output files, timed delivery, or contacted support unless that evidence is documented on the page.

Independence and updates

Some outbound links may become affiliate links. Affiliate relationships do not decide the order of recommendations, and paid placement should be disclosed where it appears. The goal is to help readers avoid mismatched services, not to push every visitor toward the same provider.

Revenue may come from affiliate links, display advertising, or sponsorships in the future. A paid relationship should not silently change an editorial verdict. If a link is monetized, the disclosure page should explain that relationship, and the comparison should still name meaningful drawbacks, missing details, or situations where a different provider is the better fit.

Updates are prioritized by search demand, reader risk, and factual volatility. Pricing pages, scanner model recommendations, promotions, and provider turnaround claims need more frequent checks than evergreen pages about organizing files or choosing between JPG and TIFF. When a page has not been recently checked, treat it as a decision framework and verify current provider terms before ordering.