Common questions

Most projects are completed within two weeks. Larger collections or work requiring more complex handling may take longer — we'll give you an accurate timeline when we discuss your project and before any work begins.

Mail-in services are convenient for simple jobs, but they require you to ship original, often irreplaceable media across the country with no visibility into who handles it or when. We work by appointment, in person, with direct communication at every step. Your originals never leave the region, and if anything needs your input before we proceed, we reach you directly.

We're appointment-based in Ithaca and the surrounding area. Fill out our contact form and we'll schedule a convenient drop-off time. We do not currently accept media sent by mail.

We return all original media and artwork when you pick up, or we drop off the completed job. We retain digital copies of each client project for up to 60 days should you need anything else — or we can delete your files after delivery if you prefer.

Yes. We assess all media before digitizing. Some tapes or reels may need special handling; others may have deteriorated beyond the point of recovery. We'll give you an honest assessment upfront — including when we believe a piece of media cannot be salvaged — and will not proceed without your agreement.

Video is delivered as high-quality MP4 files. Photos and slides are delivered as high-resolution JPEG or TIFF files. Audio is delivered as MP3 or WAV. If you have a specific format requirement, let us know when you get in touch.

For photos and slides, we make standard brightness, contrast, black level, and basic color corrections as part of every project at no extra charge. Detailed restoration work — removing scratches, repairing heavy fading, or complex color grading — is quoted separately per project.

DIGITAL ICE® is a hardware-based dust and scratch removal technology built into the Epson V600 scanner. It uses an infrared pass to detect surface defects — dust, hair, fine scratches — and removes them automatically during the scan itself, without altering image data. It produces cleaner results than software-based dust removal and is included on every scan at no extra charge.

All photo and film scanning is done at 6,400 dpi on the Epson V600. A 35mm slide or negative scanned at 6,400 dpi produces a file large enough to print at 20"×30" and beyond with no loss of quality. Files are delivered as high-resolution JPEG or TIFF — let us know your preference when you get in touch.

Yes. We can scan glass-mounted slides. Note that DIGITAL ICE® dust removal is not effective on glass mounts due to infrared reflection from the glass — we will flag this when we review your collection and discuss the best approach before any work begins.

Yes. We offer fine art printing on our Epson P800 wide-format printer at any size up to 17"×22". Just mention it when you get in touch and we'll include it in your quote.

Standard prints are produced on premium paper using our Epson P800 pigment inkjet printer — no image retouching is included. Archival prints include everything in Standard plus hand retouching before the file goes to print: color correction, exposure refinement, blemish removal, and general restoration work. Archival is the right choice when the source image needs work or when you want a truly exhibition-quality result.

Archival retouching covers color correction, exposure and contrast refinement, dust and scratch removal, and general cleanup. Major restoration — repairing significant tears, missing sections, severe fading, or heavy damage — is available as a flat-rate add-on at $45. We will assess your image and confirm the scope before any work begins.

Yes. You do not need to have media digitized by us to order a print. Bring or send us any high-resolution digital file and we will print it on your choice of paper at any size up to 17"×22". JPEG, TIFF, PNG, and RAW files are all accepted.

For best results, your file should be at least 300 dpi at the intended print size. For a 13"×19" print that means a file of roughly 3,900×5,700 pixels or larger. Files scanned on our Epson V600 at 6,400 dpi comfortably exceed this for all standard print sizes. We will review your file before printing and flag any resolution concerns upfront.

Prints produced on the Epson P800 with UltraChrome HD pigment inks are rated to last 200 or more years under glass with proper storage, based on independent testing by Wilhelm Imaging Research. On Hahnemühle and Canson Baryta papers the real-world longevity is comparable. These are not decorative prints — they are archival documents built to outlast the originals.

We offer two delivery options: cloud download (a private link to your files, included) or a USB thumb drive you keep ($20.00). You choose when booking.

Yes. Your cloud download link is unique to your project and not shared with anyone else.

We offer two pricing models depending on the service. Digitizing packages are available for mixed-media collections and are priced by item count, with additional items billed at $22 each. Photo and film scanning — slides, negatives, prints, medium format — can also be ordered individually at per-format rates. Fine art printing is priced by output size with Standard and Archival tiers. See our pricing page for full details, or contact us for a custom quote on your collection.

Yes. Photo and film scanning has a $25 minimum per order. Fine art printing has a $50 minimum per order. Digitizing packages start at $50 for the 2-item package — there is no separate minimum for those.

We accept PayPal, Zelle, and personal or business checks. Payment is due at pick-up unless otherwise agreed.

For very large collections, contact us directly for a custom quote. We're happy to work with you on pricing for significant volumes.