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Shipping Tips
Many of our customers have questions about the best way to pack and ship their
scanning projects. Here we have listed some of our best tips.
Packing Your Order
Basic rules for packing your order:
- Make sure you have a secure shipping box, and that your film and photos are
secure and won't shift during shipping.
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Always put your film and photos in some kind of container before putting it
in the box you are going to ship them in. If you have groups, make sure that
they are secure and will not shift if the box is shaken during shipping. You can
order archival storage boxes ahead of time to pack your order in, or you can use
a creative temporary solution (ideas below). If you do pack your film and photos
into one of these temporary solutions, we recommend that you also think about
purchasing archival storage to put them in as they are
being scanned. That way, your film and photos return to you protected and ready
to put away.
Use a sturdy box that won't crush easily. Your local post office provides
priority mail cardboard boxes free of charge and they work very well. FedEx also
provides boxes free of charge at any local Kinko's or FedEx shipping retailer.
Wrap them in plastic, even if it's a garbage bag, to protect them against
moisture and dust.
Try to avoid using packing materials that generate dust or debris. Some
padded envelopes use crushed newspaper and if they tear that dust gets on
everything.
Creative Packaging
- For Slides: Believe it or not, aluminum foil boxes make great temporary
slide boxes. You can also make the beginnings of groupings by using mini post
its to label where they start (make sure not to touch the sticky part of the pad
to the film). The slides do not fill up the entire box, cut a piece or cardboard
into the size of a slide and put it after the last slide to protect the film.
Then, wad up tissue paper or plastic bags to fill the space to the end of the
box. Make sure you rubber band the outside of the box really well, so that the
slides cannot fall out or get mixed up if the box is turned over in shipping.
- For Negatives: Negatives are a little easier because they usually come in
processing sleeves, which you can fold, stack together and put into a sealable
plastic bag (get all the air out before sealing). Then you can write the name of
the group on the front of the bag (you can do the same thing with loose
negatives). Put the bags into a padded envelope or box before putting them into
the box to be shipped in.
- For Prints: For prints up to 5x7" sealable plastic bags work well. For
larger prints cut 2 pieces of cardboard to place on either side the prints, then
place inside a manilla envelope. Put all your wrapped and sealed prints into a
box, or make sure there is a couple inches of padding between the sides of the
prints and the exterior of the shipping box (bubble wrap works well for this).
- For Movie Reels and Tapes: Reels and tapes are a little sturdier by
nature. Just make sure they are secure and the box is padded, to keep bumping
around in the box at a minimum.
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