Estate Archiving

Have a collection of important family photos, albums, documents, and other items that need to be digitized but are unsure where to start? It can be daunting when faced with boxes of family history but Bay Photo can make the process of digitizing quick and easy.

Sometimes it's a mountain of shoeboxes full of old snapshots but could also include 19th century hand made albums, oversized family tree documents, letters, hand colored portraits mounted under curved glass, miniature tintypes, and much more. We have experience handling all types of printed, written, drawn, and framed artifacts and can produce digital image files of anything you bring to us.

Getting started is easy, just contact us via email, phone, or in person at either of our locations to talk about the scope of the project you have. We understand that not all people are familiar with the technical aspects of scanning and file size so we will be happy to guide you toward the right type of service once we know the end goal of your project.

Digitizing and archiving estates is often a combination of many different scanning services and options so the best way to get a quote is to come in with your project or count how many of the different materials you have (rough estimates are ok!) so you can tell us in your email or on the phone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q) How long will my order take?

A) Because every large digitizing project is unique, turnaround times will vary on a per-order basis. Once we have a good idea of the scope of your order we can provide a turnaround time. Generally speaking, most large orders are turned around in about a week or less.

Q) I don't see anything about scanning the type of material I have on your website. Can you still work with it?

A) In all likelihood, yes! Although most orders consist of a mixture of common photo and document formats, it isn't uncommon for customers to bring us something rare or new to us. Using our assortment of scanners and our copy studio we can digitize most flat imagery, books, framed material, and artifacts with limited depth. Please contact us if you have questions about your materials.

Q) My photos and documents are valuable, will they be safe?

A) Safety of your original materials is paramount and we do everything we can to avoid damage or loss. Most orders do not leave the store at which they are dropped off. Occasionally parts of your order may be transported by our driver between stores depending on what type of scanning needs to be done. All orders are tracked in our computer system and kept together throughout the scanning process.

Q) My materials are fragile, is that an issue?

A) We regularly work with prints stuck to broken glass, photos with flaking emulsion, worn out books, and other damaged material. Handling damage is very rare and we take all necessary precautions when working with fragile originals. If you have special handling requirements, please let us know and we will accommodate them.

Q) Do your provide bulk discounts for large orders?

A) Some of our services such as our auto scanning of small prints and slides exist as affordable ways to digitize large amounts of material and do not have additional quantity discounts . For large quantities of custom or oversize scans, contact us for a quote.

Q) Can I ship my order to you?

A) Absolutely, just contact us first so we can go over the details of your order and give you shipping instructions.

Q) I have more questions!

A) Go ahead and email, call, or visit us to start a conversation about your project!