Capture Australia scans photos and prints using a camera positioned above a controlled light frame. The system handles a wide range of formats in a single session: bound albums, loose prints, framed portraits, prints under glass, and large format artworks. Photos stay in their sleeves and frames throughout, with no removal required.
The scanning frame accepts prints from small wallet-size through to large format portraits up to 45 cm x 70 cm. That range covers most of what customers bring in, from tiny school photos to oversized family portraits. Framed photos and prints under glass are included. You do not need to remove the print from its frame. The camera captures the image through the glass and the glare-removal process handles the reflection. Smaller prints like wallet photos scan faithfully, though the final result depends on the condition and original quality of the print. Very faded or physically damaged photos will show that damage in the scan. Some partners offer restoration work for photos that need additional attention.
Traditional flatbed scanners and document feeders handle one size at a time. You adjust settings per size, rescan misfeeds, and manually crop each group. The Capture system works differently. A camera above a controlled light frame lets you lay out prints of any size together. A wallet print next to a large portrait is not a problem. The camera sees both, and the software handles the rest. This matters most for collections that were never sorted to begin with. Many families have albums with a mix of formats across different decades. Bring everything as it is. The scanning technology is available at all Capture Australia partner shops, covering Sydney and NSW, Canberra and the ACT, and Brisbane and Queensland.
There is no minimum or maximum collection size. Customers bring in a single album or a box of forty years of loose prints. Both are handled the same way. For large collections, the partner shop assesses the volume with you at drop-off and gives you a realistic turnaround estimate. Bulk photo scanning is a normal part of what every partner shop handles. You can bring albums and loose prints together. The partner will sort and prepare the material before scanning starts.
The technology is designed for flat photo material: loose prints, album pages, framed photos, prints under glass. Documents with bindings, staples, folds, or book and periodical spines are harder to scan well, because the physical format works against flat scanning. For some documents, a partner can lay museum-grade clear glass over the pages to hold them flat. That requires careful handling and whether it is the right approach depends on the material. The partner shop is the right place to have that conversation. Customers with mixed family history projects, letters, certificates and family records alongside photo albums, have brought collections in before and talked through the options with their partner. Capture Australia does not scan slides, film negatives, VHS tapes or other video formats.
Largest size accepted: up to 45 cm x 70 cm, covering large portrait prints, oversized family photos and framed artwork. Mixed sizes: you can lay prints of any size together in one session, no sorting beforehand required. Bulk collections: bring your full collection and the partner shop will assess volume and turnaround at drop-off. Documents: the technology works best with flat photo material; for bound or folded documents, talk to your partner shop about whether museum-grade glass can help hold pages flat.