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Tips for Using and Archiving Your Slides and Negatives

As the digital age takes over, you are probably worried and wondering what to do about all the slides and negatives you may still have lying around in boxes.  The truth is if you don’t take the steps to get them digitized now, they will probably never be looked at again, as few in the younger generations have the patience to sift through boxes and deal with slide carousels.

One client we worked with, Norman, had over a thousand 3D slides of his youth, early marriage, and children when they were young.  These were the only images that existed for those periods of his life and while it was a massive process to get them transferred (because 3D slides require a special transfer process), it was well worth the time and expense.  Norman’s grandchildren were able for the first time to see what their parents looked like as babies and little kids and the family was able to enjoy seeing the vivid images of those times in his life as he described them in his life story movie.

If you have slides and negatives that you would like to transfer to create digital slide shows, include in your family’s movie, print, and preserve safely, here are some tips for how to successfully complete the transfer. Any references to slides in the instructions below can be used for negatives as well.

1. Clean up time

Whether you will be digitally scanning your own slides or sending them to a professional service you will get better results if you clean the slides. You can use compressed air—the same kind that you use for clearing dust from computer equipment, available at office supply stores. You can also use an antistatic brush or whisk (available online and at camera stores). Hold the slides at the edges and spray each side of the slide. If you are concerned about creating more smudges on the slides you can wear lintless cotton gloves (usually $5, available online and at camera stores) while you are working with the slides. You will not be able to remove every speck of dust and scratch, but it will give you a good base to begin.

2. Decide on your budget

Next, you will need to count your slides and determine the time and expense you want to invest in digitally transferring your slides.

On average, if you scan them yourself, plan on spending 10-15 minutes per slide between the scanning, minor retouching, and color correcting. Unless you already have scanning equipment, you will need to purchase a slide scanner.  Technology being what it is, we hesitate to recommend a specific scanner but do some research on your own to decide whether the cost of purchasing your own high quality scanner outweighs the ease of having it done professionally.

If you send your slides to a professional service, on average you will spend $.50-$.85 per corrected slide. Here is a link to a comparison of all the professional slide scanning services: http://tinyurl.com/8847mf. Usually, you will mail your slides to the service and they will transfer your slides and returned them and the digital files on CD in 6 weeks.  You maybe also want to purchase an external hard drive to store your slides.

3. Doing it yourself

If you decide to scan your slides yourself, familiarize yourself with the scanner and software you will be using. Especially important is the resolution you scan the slides at. We recommend scanning your slides at a resolution of at least 3000dpi to get the most information from your slides. And make sure you know the location you are scanning the slides to on your computer so you will be able to find them easily.

4. Set reasonable goals

If you have hundreds or thousands of slides,set reasonable goals–perhaps 20-50 slides per week. Since it is a tedious task, find a podcast, audio book or music you want to listen to while you’re scanning to make the process more enjoyable and increase the likelihood that you will finish the entire project.

5. Properly preserve the originals

Whether you send your slides to a professional service or scan them yourself you should save the physical slides. It is always a good idea to have a hard copy. The best way to house your slides is in archival quality polypropylene sheets in binders. You can find them Archival Products (http://tinyurl.com/yaz5o4nf)and at many scrapbooking and photo stores. This will protect the slides from dust and environmental damage. It is also a good idea to store the slide binders in a different location from the computer, external hard drive, CD or other digital storage location in case of fire, flood, or theft so that you will have a back-up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

Arielle Nóbile founder of Family Legacy Productions is passionately committed to helping people tell their stories in a way that enriches their life and inspires others.  She has directed and produced over 50 private films and interviewed over two hundred people on three continents.

Arielle Nóbile is available to speak in 30, 60 and 90-minute time slots free of charge for organizations on the Front Range.  Some of the places she has spoken include Northwestern University and the Association of Personal Historians Annual Conference.  More references available upon request.  For more information about Arielle and to see a video clip of her speaking go to http://familylegacypro.com/meetus/ and click on the second video link which says “watch to learn more about founder Arielle Nóbile.”

 

 

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