If you’ve been taking pictures for 20 years or more, you probably have boxes of photos, negatives and slides collecting dust in the back of your closet. You may also have piles of home movies on videotapes or reels. Although most of us have moved on to digital photography, many people still have hundreds, or even thousands, of traditional photographs. Those photos need to be cared for, organized and properly preserved so that they may still be enjoyed for years to come.

As more and more people realize the need to update their photo collections for our digital age, Color Services is seeing more and more customers hauling shoeboxes full of memories into the store to be scanned. “Shoebox Scans” is the industry term for such bulk scanning services. Shoebox Scans are available for 35mm negatives, 35mm slides and printed photographs. What you’ll get in return, besides your originals, is your images consolidated onto a DVD. This can be stored in a small space, duplicated to share copies with children, and easily retrieved in an emergency. In a fire-prone area like southern California, it’s a comfort to know you can grab your photo collection in a moment. I think it’s wise to keep an additional copy somewhere besides your house, such as a safety deposit box or at the home of a relative.

One day, your children and grandchildren will want to look at old family photographs and they will be grateful that you kept them current. Scanned images can be used in many new ways such as sharing online. Bring in your family memories and we’ll help you select an archiving service that will protect and preserve them for years to come. For the month of March 2014, our Shoebox Scanning and Video Transfer services are on sale at 20% off, so now is a great time to get started!