Preserve Your Memories for Generations
Photos, Tapes, and Films Digitized by Experts You Can Trust.
Why Digitize Your Memories Now?
Over time, tapes, photos, and films naturally degrade due to exposure to light, heat, and humidity.
Tapes become brittle and lose sound and video quality. Photos fade and discolor. Films develop scratches and color shifts, making it harder to view these cherished moments.
The sooner you digitize, the more detail and clarity you can preserve before it is lost forever.
The Only Illinois Company with Lasergraphics Technology
We use the same Lasergraphics high-resolution, high-speed motion picture film scanning systems trusted by Hollywood Studios.
As the only company in Illinois using a Lasergraphics scanner, we ensure your films are digitized with unparalleled clarity and precision.
Hollywood-Grade Technology
The same state-of-the-art Lasergraphics scanner used by Hollywood studios for their archival projects is the very tool we use to digitize your films. This ensures you receive studio-level quality for your most cherished memories.
Frame-by-Frame Precision
Our Lasergraphics scanner captures each frame of your film individually, preserving every moment with exact precision. This method ensures that no detail is lost in the digitization process.
High-Resolution Scanning
Capable of scanning at resolutions up to 5K, the Lasergraphics scanner produces stunning, high-quality digital files. Whether it's an 8mm home movie or a 16mm film reel, your memories will be preserved with industry-leading sharpness and color fidelity.
Safe for Fragile Films
Many older films can be brittle and damaged. The Lasergraphics scanner is specifically designed to handle fragile and deteriorating materials, ensuring even delicate films are digitized safely without further degradation.
Superior to Consumer-Grade Scanners
While consumer-grade digitization tools compress and reduce file quality, the Lasergraphics scanner retains every nuance of your film, ensuring each frame is preserved in high-definition for generations to come.
Trusted by Institutions and Families Alike
Our Lasergraphics scanner is trusted by universities, museums, and families for its ability to handle both large-scale archival projects and personal film collections. Whether you're preserving family home movies or historical footage, we provide the same level of care and expertise used for Hollywood productions, ensuring that every frame is treated with world-class precision.
Our Most Popular Services
Tapes
VHS, Hi8, Mini DV, Betacam, Digital8, U-Matic, VHS-C, Video8
Films
8mm, Super 8mm, 16mm, Sound Transfer
Photos
Prints, Slides, Negatives, Albums
We’ve helped our customers with:
A Team You Can Trust
With years of experience and countless memories preserved, Scan5's team members are trusted by families, universities, and organizations to help safeguard their history.
Decades of Combined Experience
Our team has been preserving memories for many years.
Trusted by Thousands of Families
We’ve helped thousands of families safeguard their history with care and precision.
Millions of Memories Preserved
Our team has digitized millions of photos, tapes, and films over the course of their careers.
Your Privacy, Guaranteed
We understand how personal your memories are, and we treat them with the utmost care. Your photos, tapes, and videos are always secure with us, and we never share them with third parties. Your physical items are kept safe in our climate controlled storage room in our office building with 24/7 monitoring.
Simple Pricing and Quick Turnaround
Starting Price:
per photo
Bulk Discounts:
for larger collections
Turnaround Time:
with rush services available
Choose Your Method
Drop-off, schedule a pickup, or ship via UPS.
We Handle with Care
Our experts carefully label and digitize your memories using the latest technology.
Regular Updates
We send automatic updates every step of the way so you can always feel connected to your scanning project.
Enjoy Your Digital Files
We will return your original items and you can receive your digital files via cloud download, on a USB drive or on DVDs.
Preserve Your Memories, Your Way
Choose the option that's easiest for you
Drop Off
Visit us at our Chicago office, by appointment.
Courier Pickup
Our secure local courier can pick up your items and deliver them directly to us the same day, right from your door.
Shipping via UPS
Send us your items with prepaid UPS shipping, and we’ll notify you when they arrive.
No matter which option you choose, your memories are in safe hands.
Have a Large or Archival Project?
From universities and museums to Fortune 500 companies, we handle large collections with precision. Our team specializes in large-scale projects for institutions, ensuring your history is properly preserved.
Choose the Best Way to Preserve Your Memories
Once your physical items are digitized, you have a few options for how to store them. While all methods are secure, cloud hosting offers the ultimate flexibility and peace of mind.
Cloud Hosting
(30 DAYS FREE!)
USB or HDD
FAQs
Most projects range from a few days to a few weeks, depending on the size and complexity. Turnaround times for large or archival projects are quoted on a per-project basis. We also offer RUSH service, when possible.
You can choose from three convenient options:
- Drop Off: Visit our Chicago office to personally drop off your items.
- Pickup: Schedule our secure courier to collect your items from your home and bring them directly to us..
- Ship: Use our prepaid UPS shipping to send us your items
Absolutely. We treat your memories with the utmost care. Your files are never shared with third parties, and we offer multiple storage solutions to keep them safe, including encrypted cloud hosting.
Yes, we specialize in large-scale digitization projects for schools, museums, companies and more. Whether it's hundreds of films, thousands of video tapes, or a large collection of photos, we offer custom solutions to meet institutional needs.
All of your original items are returned to you after digitization is complete, in the same condition they were received.
Yes, we offer custom editing services for both video and audio recordings, including trimming footage, organizing files, and other adjustments tailored to your preferences.
We recommend keeping at least three backups, with one stored offsite for added security. Our cloud storage option is ideal for this, offering secure, accessible backups without the need for physical devices. You can also opt for a USB drive or external hard drive for local storage.
Our professional-grade equipment far surpasses consumer-level scanners or conversion tools. We offer high-resolution scans on professional, archival level equipment for photos and films, high-fidelity audio for tapes, and lossless video quality for video tape transfers. Consumer-grade scanners often sacrifice quality, while our advanced technology captures every detail with precision.
Our cloud storage is protected by industry-standard encryption to ensure your files remain private and secure. You'll have access to your files anytime, anywhere, with the option to extend the initial 30-day free storage for a small monthly fee.
Yes, we offer bulk discounts for large collections. Contact us for a custom quote based on the size and scope of your project.
Yes, we offer ongoing support after digitization, including help with organizing your digital files, creating additional copies, and setting up your cloud storage for easy access and sharing.
Ready to Get Started?
Don’t wait until your memories fade with time. Contact us today for a free consultation or schedule your service.
