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Order FormsHow to Prepare Your Slides & Photos for Scanning
This page collects every preparation resource we have in one place. You do not need to read all of it — find the section that covers your specific situation and start there. The most important principle throughout: done imperfectly is far better than not done at all. We have been scanning slides since 2002 and we have seen every possible preparation state. A little organization goes a long way, but we can work with whatever arrives.
Questions? Email or call us before sending if you are unsure about anything. We would rather answer a question in advance than deal with a problem after your slides arrive. Contact us here.
The Three Things That Matter Most
Before getting into specific resources, here are the three preparation steps that make the biggest practical difference to your digital collection:
1. Stacking order. We scan slides from the top of the stack downward. The slide on top becomes the first image in that digital folder. Whatever order you establish in your physical stack is preserved exactly in the digital files. If the order of images matters to you — chronological, by event, by family branch — establish it before sending.
2. Labels on each stack. Each rubber-banded stack with a numbered label becomes one digital folder. Stack 1 becomes Folder 1, Stack 2 becomes Folder 2, and so on. A brief description on the label (“Stack 3 — Hawaii 1972”) is helpful but not required. The label just needs to stay attached through shipping — tape it down if in doubt.
3. Consistent face direction. All slides in a stack should face the same direction. The logo side (Kodak, Kodachrome, Fuji, etc.) faces the scanner. Mixed orientations in a stack produce alternating correct and reversed images in the digital files. The orientation guide and the stacking video both cover this in detail.
Complete Preparation Resources
📹 Video Tutorials — Slide Prep Made Easy
Our video library covers the most common preparation questions visually. If you are unsure how to stack slides, how to handle a carousel, or how to deal with Bell & Howell cubes, watching a two to four minute video is faster than reading any written guide. These tutorials show actual slides being handled, not just diagrams.
📦 Bell & Howell Slide Cube Preparation
Bell & Howell cubes hold 40 slides each and have specific preparation requirements. The hinged lids become brittle with age and need to be secured with a rubber band before shipping. Slides must be removed, organized in scanning order, and replaced. This page covers the full process including how to label multiple cubes for correct sequence scanning.
🎠 Carousel Tray Identification & Preparation
Carousel trays come in several varieties — Kodak Carousel, Sawyer, and others — with different slide capacities and loading directions. This page covers how to identify your carousel type, remove slides in order, and prepare them for scanning. Note that Sawyer carousel storage is one of the primary causes of warped slides due to the tight slot pressure over decades.
🖼 Paper Photo Preparation
Paper photographs are prepared differently from slides. They are organized into labeled stacks rather than individual mounts, and small photos (wallet size, school photos) need to be secured so they do not slip between larger prints. Mixed sizes in the same stack are fine. This page covers stacking order, labeling, and how to handle photos still mounted in albums.
🔍 3D Stereo Slide Preparation
3D stereo slides come in pairs — two frames mounted side by side in a single 2×2 mount. We scan one film of each pair. This page explains which side we scan, how to orient stereo slides in your stack, and how View-Master reels are handled differently from standard stereo mounts.
📋 Complete Slide Organization Guide
If you want to go beyond basic stacking and establish a meaningful organization for your entire collection, this guide covers strategies for sorting by date, event, family branch, or geography. It also covers how to handle slides you cannot identify and how to document what you know about your collection so that information is preserved alongside the images.
📦 Storage Containers & Slide Preparation Basics
Covers the most common slide storage containers — waxed paper boxes, plastic boxes, rubber-banded stacks, loose slides in shoeboxes — and how to prepare each for shipping. Also covers everyday household items that work well for keeping stacks organized and separated during preparation.
🔄 Slide Orientation Guide
Orientation is the most common preparation error. This guide covers how to identify the front (logo side) of a slide, how to handle portrait vs. landscape orientation, and how to use the bottom-up stacking method to ensure all slides face the same direction. Getting orientation right means your digital files display correctly without needing rotation.
📬 Shipping Information
Your slides need a sturdy rigid box, not an envelope. This page covers packing materials, carrier recommendations, whether to insure the package, and what to include inside the box with your slides. It also covers what to expect on the return shipment — your originals come back in the same order they were sent, in the same containers they arrived in.
Quick Start Checklist
If you want to get started immediately without reading the detailed guides, here is the minimum preparation that ensures a good result:
- Separate slides into groups by event, year, or box
- Stack each group with the first slide on top, all faces pointing the same direction: UP
- Secure each stack with at least two rubber bands and place a numbered label on top
- Pack stacks in a sturdy box with padding so nothing shifts in transit
- Include your completed order form inside the box along with your deposit check
That is genuinely all that is required. Everything else — detailed identification, chronological sorting, carousel removal — improves the end result but is not necessary to get started.