What is Capture Australia?

Capture Australia is a photo digitisation service that scans printed photos and albums using proprietary glare-removal technology. We work with a network of partner shops in Sydney, Canberra and Brisbane. Customers drop off their albums or loose prints at a local partner shop, and the shop handles the scanning before returning the originals safely.

Where do I get my photos scanned?

Capture Australia operates through partner shops in Sydney, Canberra and Brisbane. You bring your albums or loose prints to the nearest partner location, leave them for scanning, and collect them once the job is done. Visit captureaus.com/where-to-scan to find your closest shop and its opening hours.

What technology does Capture Australia use to remove glare?

Capture Australia uses a proprietary 8-layer glare-removal process. The scanner captures multiple exposures of each photo through the album plastic sleeve, then processes those layers to strip out glare and reflections. The output is a clear, detailed digital copy, produced without ever removing the photo from the album.

Do my photos need to come out of the album?

No. The scanning technology works through album plastic sleeves and pages, so your photos stay exactly where they are throughout the process. There is no risk of tearing, bending or damaging the originals at any point.

What sizes of photos does Capture Australia scan?

Capture Australia scans printed photos across a wide range of sizes. Small wallet prints, standard 4x6 inch and 5x7 inch photographs, 8x10 portraits and larger prints up to and including large format scanning of framed portraits and artworks, with a capture area of up to 45cm x 70cm. The proprietary scanning equipment is physically installed at each partner shop, built specifically to handle this full size range without removing photos from their sleeves, albums or frames. The same 8-layer glare-removal technology applies at every scale, so the digital output is sharp and consistent whether the print is a pocket-sized snap or a large framed portrait or artwork. Slides, negatives and film require different equipment and some partner shops like Photoland, Camera House and Retromedia offer these services. The wider Capture group covers those formats outside of Australia at capture.com and capture.hk.

How are my digitised photos delivered?

Once scanning is complete, your photos are delivered as high-resolution digital files on a USB drive or via a secure online downloadable link. Confirm the delivery method with your partner shop when you drop off your photos.

Is Capture Australia listed in Google Photos?

Yes. You can find Capture Australia in the Google Photos app import function. In the Google Photos app or website, tap the '+' button, select 'From other places', then choose 'Digitise physical photos' to find us. After we deliver your files via USB or downloadable link, you upload them to your Google Photos account yourself through the app on your own device.

Is the scan quality consistent across all partner shops?

Yes. Every partner shop uses the same Capture Australia proprietary scanning workflow and glare-removal technology, so the output quality is consistent regardless of which location handles the job. Each photo goes through the same multi-layer processing at every shop.

How much does photo scanning cost in Australia?

The cost depends on your situation: the partner shop you use, the size of your collection, whether you need express turnaround, and whether any additional manual steps are involved, such as archival full-page captures or handling unusually fragile prints. Our semi-automated scanning workflow keeps the baseline cost low, because the technology does the heavy lifting on each photo rather than requiring hour-by-hour manual labour. Different partner shops run their own promotions from time to time, and larger collections can qualify for better rates. The best way to get an accurate figure is to contact your nearest partner shop with a rough count of your photos and albums.

Digitise Old Photos Safely | Capture Australia Tips

How You Can Digitise Old Photos Without Damaging ThemLearn how to digitise old photos without damage. Preserve memories with Capture Australia using expert tips and best practices.

There's something charming about looking at old print photos, family photo albums, and shoeboxes full of memories, but physical photos are also susceptible to discolouration, water damage, and other problems.

By digitising them, you not only ensure the memories are preserved as high-quality digital images but also make it easier to share them with family members using social media and email. However, digitising photos typically requires you to handle them more than you have done in years. This can increase the likelihood of damage caused by oils in your skin, scratches, dust, and more.

That's why Capture archival and memory preservation experts decided to show you the best ways to digitise old photos without damaging them. Keep reading to learn about different methods for preserving printed photos as digital copies as well as the best practices to avoid scratches, creases, fingerprints, and other damage.

1. Use a Flatbed Scanner

You can use a typical flatbed scanner to scan old photos into digital copies. While time-consuming because you will have to scan each photo separately, the results can be pretty high-quality for DIY digitisation. Most options will also produce a different file for every photo easily, which means easier organisation, sharing, and storage on a Microsoft or Mac computer, Apple iOS or Android smartphone, or another device.

Cheap flatbed scanners aren't designed for high-quality photos, so the result may end up grainy, discoloured, or otherwise poor quality. However, if you choose a professional style scanner, like the Epson Perfection V850 Pro photo scanner on Amazon, JB Hi-Fi etc, you can produce 6400 x 9600 dpi resolution with one-touch colour restoration, fade reduction, and dust removal to create sharp, vivid digital images.

Still, with a flatbed scanner, you need to be careful with your old photos because it requires you to place each one in the machine by hand, scan, and then touch them again for removal. While typically safe for your memories, it does require more handling than some other options.

Pros

Good-quality results are possible

Easy DIY digitization for storing on an external hard drive or cloud storage

Some options offer higher-quality results with special restoration features

Cons

Time-consuming because you will have to place each photo in the flatbed scanner one at a time

More photo handling is required than other options

Some low-quality options will produce poor-quality digital images

2. Use a Smartphone App

If you are looking for how to digitise old photos quickly, there are photo scanning apps that can take advantage of the smartphone camera to digitise a lot of photos fast. This is an affordable and convenient way to digitise old photographs and may not require as much handling as a flatbed scanner. However, it depends on the quality of your smartphone camera to produce good results, and may also show more glare than other options.

One of the most popular apps for scanning photos is Google PhotoScan because it automatically integrates with your Google Drive account. This makes it as convenient and easy as possible to organise your digital photo collection. If you have an Apple iOS device, like an iPhone, then you can check out Photomyne that can also help you enhance, animate, and give your old photo collection new life.

To use a smartphone app without damaging your photos, we recommend placing each photo flat on an even, neutral-coloured surface. It's also best to reduce shadows and glares by keeping the light source above the old photographs. You may have to play with it for a while to get it right, but once you figure it out it can be a fast way to quickly digitise photos.

Pros

Affordable (if you already have a decent smartphone camera)

Easy and convenient

Many photo-scanning apps offer additional features to improve the quality of digital files

Cons

Relies on the quality of your smartphone camera to digitise your old photos, so the quality may suffer

May show more reflections, dust, glare, and background

Can be difficult to get lighting and quality right

3. Use a Professional Photo Scanning Service

For the highest possible quality and safety of your precious photos, choose a reputable digitizing service that will take good care of your family history. Many of these professional services like Photossorted, Capture, and Scanned and Secure, also offer additional features like increased functionality, USB or cloud storage slideshow, and security for your original photos to make sure they never get lost or damaged.

We may be biased, but we believe Capture offers the best protections and value for your precious memories. Our on site tracking and security system monitors your photos every step of the way and through every hand to guarantee they are safe. Plus, our prices are affordable and the quality is outstanding. Not only that, but we offer the world’s first touch-less photo album scanning service, which means we can digitise all the photos in your albums without anyone ever having to remove or touch the photos themselves.

Whatever digitising service you choose, we want to make sure you know how to best digitise photos, so make sure you check pricing, reviews, specialty services, as well as the type and size of photos that the service will digitise. This will help you narrow down your selection and decide on the best option for your memories.

Pros

Professional quality results with any reputable photo digitising service

Security for your old photos with companies like Capture who spend a fortune to protect your photos

Extra features like smart chapters and slideshows, scratch reduction, color correction, cropping, and, if you choose Capture, touchless photo album scanning

Cons

Pricing structure varies from one service to the next, but can be expensive with some options

Some services may only accept certain photo sizes (Capture accepts photos from 2” x 2” up to 8” x 12” and photo albums up to 14” x 14”)

4. Use a Digital Camera

If you want to quickly preserve your old photos to protect them against theft, flood, fire, and normal wear and tear, then a digital camera can be a fast, easy, and convenient way to do so. Typically, digital cameras will be higher quality than the camera on your smartphone, which means higher quality digital images. However, unlike apps, you will have to use additional photo editing software like Photoshop to restore or enhance the quality.

Still, with practice, you can quickly take photos, restore them with additional software, and save photos as digital files onto an SD card, hard drive, cloud storage apps like Dropbox, or any other device. Plus, since digital cameras typically have plenty of storage, you can quickly take multiple photos and find the one with the best quality, which makes it easy to get the lighting right.

We recommend learning how to digitise old photos at home with a digital camera by starting with a dimly lit room for the best results. Most modern cameras have lighting adjustments to brighten the image, but external lighting can contribute to glares. We also suggest using the highest quality digital camera you can get within your budget for the best possible results. Finally, removing photos from photo albums can reduce the chance of glare.

Pros

Fast, easy, and convenient

Higher quality images than you can get with smartphone cameras

Most modern cameras have lighting adjustments, auto-focus, and other settings that can make it easier

Cons

May have to practice and use trial and error for good results

May risk damaging photos by removing them from photo albums to reduce glare

Will require additional photo editing software for color correction, scratch removal, photo enhancement, etc.

Tips for How to Digitise Old Photos without Damaging Them

Tips-for-How-to-Digitize-Old-Photos-without-Damaging-Them

We know how important your family photos are, which is why we want to give you some tips to help you with digitising your photos without damaging them. Keep reading to learn all the best photo-handling practices and tips.

Preserve Them ASAP

The most important thing is to preserve your old photos as soon as possible because photos will naturally degrade and fade with age. Once they are preserved as digital files, you won’t have to worry about losing them forever and can enjoy the digital images without risking the original photos.

Choose the Method with the Least Handling

Even when handling photos with care, it can still be risky. Try using the digitising method that requires the least amount of handling possible. This may differ depending on your goals, but a flatbed scanner will generally require more handling than a professional photo scanning service or digital camera. The only way to digitise photo albums without anyone touching them, however, is to use Capture’s touch-less photo album scanning service.

Hold Photos by Edges

The oils in your skin can damage photos, especially old photographs. That’s why you should do your best to hold the photos by the edges when possible. We also recommend thoroughly washing your hands before handling photos. If you want to be extra careful, you can also wear nitrile gloves.

Keep Area Clean

The place where you are digitising your photos, if you are doing it yourself, should be kept clean and free from debris, dust, food, drinks, and anything else that can damage your photos. In addition, do not use paper clips, rubber bands, tape, sticky notes, or other fasteners to organise print photos.

Remove Dust with Microfiber

Print photos can collect dust that shows up during digitisation, so you probably want to clean them first. Do so slowly using microfiber or an air bulb blower to clean the dust away without touching the image. If you use a tissue, paper towel, or even a soft brush, you risk scratching the surface.

Conclusion

Now that you know how to digitise old photos without damaging them, you can preserve your memories forever. Just make sure you weigh the pros and cons of the different methods like using a flatbed scanner, smartphone camera, or a professional service.

If you want to learn more about Capture’s digitisation services, reflection-free, glare-free, or touchless photo album scanning that can preserve your old family photos in high-quality digital format for an affordable price, capture-aus.com has it all.

For Australians in Sydney, Canberra or Brisbane, in-person scanning through a local partner is one of the safest ways to digitise your photo albums without handling them excessively. Capture Australia's partner shops in Sydney, Canberra and Brisbane use proprietary glare-removal technology to scan photos through the album sleeve, with no removal and no risk of tearing or bending.