Frequently Asked Questions?
General questions
Should I have a CD or DVD?
You should only have a CD if you don’t have a DVD player on your computer, a DVD will hold far more images and allow playback on your television. You’ll be able to copy all images from the DVD or CD onto your computer. We would generally recommend having a DVD.
Do I get my original images back?
Yes, you’ll receive back your originals, along with the CD or DVD and a little surprise to help you with your next order! You do need to pay the £10 return courier fee to have originals sent back unless you have a voucher with inclusive post, otherwise we will post / email digital files to you and recycle your originals after three months of holding them in storage.
What size file do your scans produce?
The jpeg image from a 35mm slide scan or negative scan is about 4.5Mb. As a TIFF image a 35mm slide scan or negative scan is about 65Mb. For an Xpan scan these sizes are doubled. For other size transparencies or negatives it is dificult to give an exact size as it depends on the original.
What is DPI?
Dots per Inch - this is the amount of detail that will be scanned. Slides and negatives are scanned at 4000 Dots Per Inch - one of the highest in the industry! This resolution is the equivalent of a 20 Mega pixel digital camera. Photos will be scanned at 600dpi.
If we were to scan any higher than these resolutions then the picture starts to show the ‘grain’ from the original film therefore making a poorer quality picture.
Must you scan in my photos at 600dpi?
We can scan your photos at 300dpi as this is sometimes a requirement for online printing services. Please just let us know on the order form.
What is .jpg or jpeg?
This is a good quality picture, which will suffice for most people; the space this type of picture takes up is very little. You can typically fit 140 images onto a CD or 940 onto a DVD. Of course there is a downside to having such a small image size, even though it has been scanned at 4000dpi as it is compressed or squashed into this smaller size some quality is lost. Having said that most people notice no loss in quality - we recommend this type of image for most people. These images open quickly on your computer, and will work in your digital photo frame.
What is a .tiff or TIFF?
This is a high quality image type, it will save all the information from your scanned slide, negative or photo, it does not compress the image so you lose no data. The downside is that it is a large image size, fitting only about 14 images onto a CD and 60 onto a DVD. The images will take longer to load onto your computer and won't work on your digital photo frame. However when you opt for tiff we will also send you a jpeg of that image at no extra cost.
My slides are very dusty, do you clean them first?
We clean all slides received before scanning, Digital ICE does the rest.
Do you lock the DVDs or CDs with my images on them so I can't copy them off?
No we don't, once you've received your CD or DVD its up to you what you do with it! This includes making photo books, emailing friends and family and printing to hard copies.
What is your turn around time?
Generally please allow one working week, for larger orders or busy times of year this may be longer. If your order is urgent please give us a call to discuss.
Will I be able to watch my images on a telvision DVD player?
Most television DVD players will play the disk that we produce, your DVD player needs to be compatable with a computer disk. Now if its not we can produce a DVD slide show, this is £14.99 and turns your images into a movie which is compatable with all DVD players.
What type of equipment do you use?
Typically the scanners we use for negatives and slides are Nikon Super CoolScan 5000 & 8000 scanners.
We also have a Fuji A3 Flat scanner which cost £23,000 this produces very good large format scans
We use professional HP flat bed scanners for transparencies, other format negatives and large photos, and Cannon professional document scanners for our document scanning and photographs.
What is the optical density of your scanners?
4.0 DMax
How can I convert slides to photos?
Send us your images, we'll scan them and send you a DVD or CD with your photos on it in digital form. Just take this into Boots, or any photo shop and they'll be able to produce photo prints for you. In Boots the cost can be as low as 10p per print. Alternatively use one of the many online services - upload our scans, they print your photos and mail the results to you. You start with slides and end up with prints.
Can you make additional copies of my CD’s or DVD’s?
Yes we can, you'll need to purchase additional backup CD's DVD's or Blu-ray disks from our shop.
Do you have a minimum order?
We don't have a minimum order value, however if your scanning order is less than £25 we will charge an admin fee of £25.
What do you charge for postage?
UK Mainland £10.00 for non voucher deals.
Highlands & Islands £20 - unless the parcel is over 10Kg in which case contact us for pricing.
Why is my order not showing in my account history, I've just ordered.
Don't worry, if you've checked out via paypal then it takes a while for your order to show. Please send it along with your details and paypal receipt to
Mawson Systems Ltd
Leatherhead Enterprise Centre
Sute H18 & H12
Randalls Way
Leatherhead
Surrey
KT22 7RY
Slide, Negative or Photo specific questions
Can you scan my slides, negatives or photos in a given order?
Yes we can, please indicate you'd like them scanned in order when you fill in the order form. You can do this in the ‘Add comments about your order’ Section during the checkout process. Send the items to us in the order you'd like them scanned and we'll do the rest.
Once you've scanned my slides, negatives, pictures - who owns the digital image?
You do!
Can you scan short negative strips?
Yes we can, even down to a single frame. However on single frame scans we charge at 55p each as each frame will need to be mounted.
Must you scan in my photos at 600dpi?
We can scan your photos at 300dpi as this is sometimes a requirement for online printing services. Please just let us know on the order form.
Some of my slides are faded, what can you do?
It is inevitable that slides, negatives and prints fade with age. Our scanners have built in hardware features, which will boost fading colours and help turn back, the clock. Feedback from clients has been very positive and we're very pleased with what we can do. We don't turn every image into the sunniest of days, with the harshest of colours, but we will surprise you with how good the scans are.
Digital ICE?
This is a feature built in to our slide and negative scanners, which automatically removes dust and scratches from images. It's a hardware device, which dramatically cleans your scans, and saves you hours of post-processing. Unfortunately Digital ICE doesn't always work with Kodachrome slides, or black & white negatives that contain silver; therefore we turn it off for this type of slide.
Digital photo frame specific questions
Can you put my newly scanned items onto a memory card for a digital photo frame?
Yes we can, if you purchase a card or frame from us then we would do this anyway. If you have a memory card for a photo frame not purchased from us please send it with your order and we will transfer the images to it in addition to the DVD or CD we make for you, there is no extra charge for this service.
I don’t have a computer, but would like my slides on a digital photo frame, can you do this?
Yes we can, however we would also send you a copy of the images on a DVD that you could watch on the television or give to a family member for storage on their computer.
Video & Film Specific questions
Can I send you NTSC VHS Tapes?
Yes we can copy PAL & NTSC VHS tapes.
What type of Camcorder / film tapes can you convert?
We can convert most types of tape; these include Hi8, Digital8, MiniDV, VHS-C, VHS and Cine film. If you think you have something different please call us to discuss.
Postage, packaging and delivery questions
What happens if my package gets lost in the post?
If you've sent your items via Royal Mail Special delivery then you'll be able to track it on line. It will also be covered for £500 if it should get lost - however we have never had his happen in all our years of business. We send all your items back to you via a tracked, secure next day service.
How do I know you've got my items?
We email you when we have opened your package in our office.
However if you've sent your items via Royal Mail Recorded or Special delivery or courier you'll have been given a tracking number you can then search online at the Royal mails web site or courier companies web site to see if we've received the items.
How should I pack the items I send you?
We recommend sending everything in a padded envelope or box. Please make sure you enclose a copy of the order form. If your slides are still in their original packaging leave them in these before placing them into a padded envelope or box as they protect them very well. If you’ve got slides in a carousel it is better to leave them in these as they again protect the slides very well.
Can I drop off and pick up the images myself?
Yes you’re more than welcome to; we’re based in Leatherhead, Surrey about 3 minutes from Jct. 9 on the M25.
Our address is;
Mawson Systems Ltd.
DigiScan
Leatherhead Enterprise Centre
Randalls Way
Leatherhead
SUrrey KT22 7RY
Our office hours are 0830 until 1600 Monday – Friday
Checkout process and payment
What is the order process?
- Select the appropriate page for the item type you need scanning.
- Click on the ‘Click here to buy online’ link.
- Select the type of disk you need to have the images transferred to.
- Select the type of image you’d like.
- Select the number of items you want to have scanned. You’ll receive an automatic discount for larger quantities.
- Click the ‘Add to cart’ button
If you wish to have other items transferred or wish to purchase a digital frame or packing material please click ‘Continue Shopping’
When you have finished shopping click ‘Check out’ This will take you through the checkout process.
How can I pay you?
We can accept credit cards or PayPal payments through the web site. You can also send a cheque (Made payable to ‘Mawson Systems Ltd.’) or if you are dropping the slides off by hand you can pay by cash or cheque.
What if I don’t know the exact number of images I’m sending?
Please order the number of scans that you think you have, then when you check out select 'cheque' as your payment type, we’ll contact you for payment once we’ve scanned and counted the images for you.
Do you operate other web site / business's?
digiScanLtd.com is owned by Mawson Systems Ltd. Mawson Systems Ltd run several diferent sites, these include, but are not limited to
www.digiDVD.co.uk
www.digiscans.co.uk
www.easyslidescanning.co.uk
www.easyphotoscanning.co.uk
www.digidvd.co.uk
www.mawsonsystems.co.uk
www.slide-scanning-service.co.uk
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