It’s Thursday, y’all. This means only one thing: #TBT. “TBT” is Internet slang for “Throwback Thursday,” a term founded at some point after the dying out of “WTF” but before the resurgent and actual use of “fetch” in American vernacular (“fetch” is going to happen, guys). Started by some brilliant mind (or collective of minds) on Instagram to reference a throwback pic from a past event, #TBT has made its move from the digital world to the physical, with people casually exclaiming “TBT!” on the street when recollecting stories or events.
In honor of #TBT and to parallel its now-dual nature, we’ve compiled several services that will take all of your physical pictures and convert them into digital format (so you can retouch them on Photoshop, store them in the Cloud, or whatever else). Here are 6 services that digitize photos:
1. DigMyPics
DigMyPics offers typical photo-scanning, as well as slide-, negative-, and APS negative-scanning. Price ranges from $0.39 to $1.19 per frame/picture depending on the resolution in which you’d like to receive and on the the format in which you send your pictures. Resolution options include: 2500 dpi, 3200 dpi, and 4000 dpi for slide- and negative-scanning; 4000 dpi for APS negative-scanning; and 300 dpi or 600 dpi for regular print photos. Professional photo correction is included in the price.
2. FotoBridge
FotoBridge has fewer options than DigMyPics and some limiting size constrictions on prints that you send in (must be between 2 in. x 2.5 in. and 8.5 in. x 12 in.), but it’s significantly cheaper than DigMyPics. For instance a package of 250 prints at 300 dpi will cost you $54.95 (roughly $0.22 per print). Pricing is based on these packages, which all include your photos on a DVD, stored in the Cloud, and enhanced through their “Intelligent Digital Finishing.” Slide- and negative-scanning comes in 2000 dpi, but you can upgrade to 3000 dpi or 4000 dpi. Print-scanning is 300 dpi or 600 with an upgrade.
3. GoPhoto
Prints are scanned at 600 dpi resolution and 2000 dpi for slides and negatives. Unlike others, there’s no option to upgrade to a higher resolution. The price for the 600 dpi prints ($0.44 per print), however, is cheaper than DigMyPics’s ($0.49). Whereas other photo digitizing services require you organize your photos in a particular way, GoPhoto is more user-friendly and you can ship them in whatever way works for you.
4. ScanMyPhotos
The site is pretty confusing to navigate, so it can be difficult to find out the actual service/price that works for you. It offers print-, slide- and negative-scanning (including APS and 35mm negatives). Negative-scanning starts at $0.39. For print-scanning, you can either pay $0.16 per print or purchase a prepaid box for $159 (for a limited time, they’re offering it at $99) in which you can stuff as many pictures as you can (approximated at 1,800 or more). Similarly, slide-scanning pricing starts at $0.27 per frame, or you can buy a prepaid box for $245. Prints are scanned at either 300 dpi or 600 dpi, slides at 2,000 dpi or 4,000 dpi, and negatives at 1,000 dpi, 2,000 dpi, or 4,000 dpi.
5. ScanCafe
By far the cheapest service to digitize photos – even cheaper than FotoBridge. It’s a flat rate of $0.29 per frame/print for negative-, slide-, and print-scanning. If your total goes above $125, that rate drops to $0.22 per frame/print. Prints are scanned at 600 dpi resolution and 3000 dpi for slides and negatives.
6. ScanDigital
The pricing is average for digitizing services, with print scans at $0.48 for 300 dpi resolution and $0.68 for 600 dpi. They also offer slide- and negative-scanning at 2000 dpi or 4000 dpi. Unlike other services, ScanDigital also offers scanning for photos in albums (possibly for more fragile photos or if you’re simply too lazy to take out the photos) – it’s an additional $0.20 per print, though, if you decide to take this route.
