Photo Scanning Service: Prints and Albums to Digital
Your photos are fading in a box. Scan them before the color is gone.
Every photo is scanned at up to 1000 DPI by our own team in Orange, California, and fragile, stuck, and album photos are handled by hand. Send them exactly as they are. You only pay for the photos we can scan, and your originals always come home.
Trusted by nearly 20,000 families since 2001.
What it costs to digitize photos, at a glance
- Price from
- $0.49 per loose photo
- Resolution
- Up to 1000 DPI, about 4000 x 6000 pixels on a 4x6
- Albums
- Sticky and magnetic albums welcome, from $0.79 per photo
- Delivery
- JPEG files on a flash drive or your own drive
- Turnaround
- Call (888) 405-2685 for current processing times and priority ordering
- 1,000 photos
- About $490 for loose prints
Photo Scanning Prices, Per Photo
Every type gets the same high-resolution scan. Add the enhanced set for ten cents more and you keep both the faithful original and the enhanced copy.
Loose photos
- Up to 4000 x 6000 pixels on a 4x6
- Any size, wallet prints to portraits
- Fragile prints handled by hand
- Your groups kept in order
Photos in albums
- Sticky and magnetic albums welcome
- Removed and scanned one at a time when safe
- Scanned in place when removal risks damage
- Delicate and damaged photos handled by hand
Album pages and oversized
- Keeps your album's original layout
- No per-photo limit on a page
- Posters and panoramas, two feet tall and beyond
- Documents and certificates too
How Much Does It Cost to Digitize Photos?
Because you pay per photo, the price follows your collection, not a fixed box fee. Send them in for an exact, itemized quote.
| You have | Standard scan | With the enhanced set | About this much storage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 250 loose prints | $122.50 | $147.50 | 3 GB |
| 500 loose prints | $245 | $295 | 6 GB |
| 300 photos in albums | $237 | $267 | 3.6 GB |
| 1,000 loose prints | $490 | $590 | 12 GB |
| 80 full album pages | $80 | $88 | 1 GB |
Why Old Photos Fade, and Why to Scan Them Now
Color photos do not age evenly. Every year in a box takes a little more color and contrast with it.
Color drifts
Prints from the 1970s and 80s drift toward orange and red as their dyes break down.
Heat and humidity
Prints stored in garages, attics, or damp rooms yellow and lose contrast.
Often the only copy
Many family prints are the only copy there is. Once one fades or is lost, there is nothing to scan again.
Scan once, at full detail
Scanning at up to 1000 DPI means you never have to dig the box back out and do it again.
What Is the Best DPI for Scanning Photos?
DPI is how much real detail a scan captures. Most mail-in services scan at 300 to 600 DPI, and some as low as 72. We scan at up to 1000 DPI.
| Scan resolution | Pixels on a 4x6 print | What you can do with it |
|---|---|---|
| 72 DPI (some mail-in services) | About 288 x 432 | Screen viewing only; blurry if printed |
| 300 DPI (typical) | About 1200 x 1800 | Reprint at the original 4x6 size |
| 600 DPI | About 2400 x 3600 | Reprint up to roughly 8x10 |
| Up to 1000 DPI (Legacy Digital) | About 4000 x 6000 | Reprint large, crop in tight, keep the detail |
How to Choose the Best Photo Scanning Service
Every yes below is standard here, at no extra charge. Ask anyone else the same questions.
| Question to ask | Legacy Digital | Ask them |
|---|---|---|
| Do you scan at up to 1000 DPI, not 300 or 600? | Yes | Ask |
| Are fragile, stuck, and album photos handled by hand? | Yes | Ask |
| Do I keep both the faithful original and the enhanced version? | Yes | Ask |
| Is everything done in-house in the USA, never shipped overseas? | Yes, in Orange, CA | Ask |
| Do I pay only for the photos you can actually scan? | Yes | Ask |
What Kinds of Photos Can Be Scanned?
Not sure how to count something? Send it as it is and we sort and quote it for you.
Loose prints, album photos, and oversized prints all scan at up to 1000 DPI.
How Photo Scanning Works
Gather your photos
Drop them off in Orange, ship them with a prepaid kit, or ask about local pick-up. Send them however they are grouped.
We scan them in-house
Each photo is scanned at up to 1000 DPI by our own team, with fragile and album photos handled by hand, and the enhanced set if you choose it.
Share them together
JPEG files on a drive, or a DVD slideshow if you like. Your original prints come home with them.
Every box is logged in the day it arrives.
Your scans and your original photos ship home together.
Photo Scanning Reviews
“I had all of my family photos from the past 60 plus years scanned by Legacy Digital Productions. They were quick and efficient. Their communication was excellent. I highly recommend this company!!”
Helen Garner · Google review
“I have used legacy digital productions multiple times and they have exceed my expectations. From scanning thousands of photos to converting VHS tapes to a flash drive they have been top notch”
Daniel Greco · Google review
Our Satisfaction Guarantee
We stand behind every transfer we perform. If you're unhappy with the quality of our work, we'll make every reasonable effort to make it right, at no additional charge. And if another professional service can produce a visibly better transfer from the same originals, we'll match their quality or refund what you paid us for the affected transfer.
See Our Full Satisfaction Guarantee →Photo Scanning Questions
How much does it cost to digitize photos?
You pay per photo, so the total follows how many photos we scan, not a fixed box price. Loose prints are $0.49 each, photos in albums $0.79, and full album pages $1. The minimum order is $50. Use the online estimator for an exact quote, or send everything and pay only for what we can scan.
Do I need to sort my photos before scanning?
No. Send them exactly as they are, in shoeboxes, envelopes, bags, or albums. Whatever grouping you already have, we keep it in order.
Can you scan photos stuck in old albums?
Yes. If a photo can be safely removed, we remove it and scan it on its own. If removal risks damage, we scan it in place. Sticky and magnetic albums are welcome.
Is photo enhancement worth adding?
If your photos have faded, yellowed, or shifted color, the enhanced set is usually where the difference shows. It is ten cents more per photo and you receive both files, so you never lose the faithful original scan. If your photos still look great, the standard scan is all you need.
What is the best DPI for scanning photos?
It depends on what you want to do with them. 300 DPI is enough to reprint a photo at its original size, and 600 DPI lets you reprint up to roughly 8x10. We scan at up to 1000 DPI, about 4000 x 6000 pixels on a 4x6, so you can crop, enlarge, and reprint well beyond the original size. Files come as high-quality JPEGs on a flash drive or your own drive.
How much does it cost to scan 1,000 photos?
About $490 for 1,000 loose prints at $0.49 each, or $590 with the enhanced set. Photos in albums are $0.79 each. You pay only for the photos we can scan, and you get an exact, itemized quote before anything is charged.
How do I choose the best photo scanning service?
Ask who actually scans your photos and where, whether they are shipped out or stay in one studio, what resolution you get, whether you pay per photo or per box, and whether album and fragile photos are handled by hand. Here, every photo is scanned in-house in Orange, California, at up to 1000 DPI, you pay per photo, and your originals always come home.
What photo sizes can be scanned?
Any size, from wallet prints and 4x6s to large portraits, panoramas, and posters up to two feet tall and beyond. Whole album pages and oversized prints are scanned as a single image.
Can scanned photos be made into a DVD slideshow?
Yes. We can turn your scans into a slideshow that plays in a DVD player, kept in your groups, starting at $50 per 200 images. It is a favorite for anniversaries and gifts.
Am I charged for photos that cannot be scanned?
You are not charged for it. You pay only for the photos we can actually scan, and your originals come back either way.
Are my original photos safe during scanning?
Yes. Every photo is handled in-house in Orange, California, never subcontracted or shipped overseas. Across more than a million reels and millions of items, we have never lost one.
How long does photo scanning take?
Processing times depend on our current queue and the size of your order, so call us at (888) 405-2685 for current processing times. Working toward a date? Ask about priority ordering, and we will tell you honestly what we can finish by then.
Other questions? Call us at (888) 405-2685. A real person answers, 7AM to 7PM, 7 days a week.
Scanning More Than Photos?
Slides, negatives, film, tapes, and audio all go on one drive with your photos, in organized folders.
The prints in that box are not getting any younger.
Get a free, itemized quote. We count every photo, tell you the exact cost, and your originals always come home.
202 W. Lincoln Ave., Suite A, Orange, CA 92865
Walk-ins Mon to Fri, 8AM to 4PM
Evenings and weekends by appointment
Phones answered 7AM to 7PM, 7 days a week
