Help and guides
Guides to Saving Your Photos, Slides and Negatives
Plain-English guides, handy tips and answers to common questions about our tape and scanning services.
Popular Guides
Your scansGetting your photos onto your phoneDownload your scans, add them to Google Photos or Apple Photos, find them again, and keep them safe.Step-by-step helpYour scansOrganising and naming your photosHow to sort photos before you send them, what we name for you as part of the price, and a simple system for afterwards.Getting startedHow to digitise old family photos: a simple UK guideScanning your own photos, using a phone app, or sending them to a service. What each option really involves, and which suits you.7 minute readTechnical300dpi vs 600dpi: which should you choose for photo scanning?SilverFrame scans printed photos at 600dpi as standard. This guide explains what dpi means and how 600dpi compares with 300dpi.4 minute readCareHow to store old photos, negatives and slides so they lastThe simple rules for keeping prints, film and albums safe, and the common mistakes that damage them.4 minute readTechnicalJPEG, TIFF or RAW (DNG)? Choosing a file format for your scansA plain-English look at the three formats, what you gain and lose with each, and why most families only need JPEG.7 minute readTechnical8-bit, 24-bit, 48-bit, 64-bit: bit depth explained for scansWhat the bit numbers on scanners and files really mean, why they are confusing, and when more bits make a visible difference.6 minute readTechnicalCan automatic dust removal work on Kodachrome slides?Why Kodachrome confuses infrared dust removal, what can still work, and why every slide needs checking.5 minute readGetting startedHow many photos are in a shoebox? Estimating your collectionSimple rules of thumb for counting prints, albums, slides and negatives without counting a single one.4 minute readCareWhy do old photos turn pink or orange?What happens to the colours in old prints, why the 1970s were so bad, and how much can be brought back.5 minute readSpecial occasionsPreparing photos for a funeral or memorialChoosing photos, getting them scanned quickly, and making a slideshow for the service, with gentle practical advice.5 minute read