How to Safely Ship Photos and Film for Scanning

The Most Important Rule: Never Use a Standard Envelope

A regular letter envelope — even a large one — offers almost no protection for photographs or film. It bends, it gets crushed by other mail in the postal stream, and it provides no resistance to moisture. A photo that was fine when you mailed it can arrive creased, bent, or water-damaged if it was only in an envelope.

Always use either a rigid photo mailer or a small corrugated cardboard box. Both are inexpensive and widely available. This is the single most important step you can take.

Packing Prints

Individual prints: Place each print in a clear archival sleeve or between two pieces of acid-free paper. This protects the surface from scratching against other prints or against cardboard. Never let prints touch each other directly — they can stick together, especially in heat or humidity, and separating stuck prints often causes damage.

Stacks of prints: Once sleeved or interleaved with acid-free paper, place the stack between two pieces of rigid cardboard cut to size. The cardboard should be slightly larger than the prints on all sides. Secure the cardboard around the stack with rubber bands or tape, then place the whole thing inside a rigid photo mailer or a small box.

Very old or fragile prints: If the print is already cracked, torn, or brittle, do not stack it with other prints even with protection between them. Pack it flat in its own rigid mailer with padding around it. Contact us first and we will give you specific guidance based on what you have.

Packing Negatives and Slides

Negatives: Keep negatives in their archival sleeves if you have them. If not, clear plastic sleeves made for negative storage are inexpensive and available at camera stores or online. Never put unsleeved negatives loose in a package — they pick up fingerprints easily and fingerprint oils can permanently damage the emulsion over time.

35mm slides: If slides are in a carousel or slide box, the box itself provides reasonable protection — just make sure it is secured inside a larger box with padding around it so it cannot shift or be crushed. Loose slides should be placed in archival slide pages or grouped and wrapped carefully.

Film strips: Uncut film strips are delicate and prone to curling. Keep them flat in archival sleeves and pack them between rigid cardboard, similar to prints.

Labeling and Documentation

Mark the outside of your package clearly: "Photographs — Do Not Bend" and "Handle With Care." These instructions will not guarantee careful handling, but they help, especially at sorting facilities.

Inside the package, include a slip of paper with:

• Your full name
• Phone number
• Email address
• A brief description of what you are sending and what you need done
• Any special instructions or notes about specific items

This is important because packages and paperwork can get separated. Having your contact information inside the package means we can reach you even if something gets lost in transit.

Choosing a Carrier

Use a carrier that offers tracking and delivery confirmation. USPS Priority Mail, UPS, and FedEx all provide tracking and are reliable for this type of shipment. We recommend against USPS First Class for irreplaceable items — it is slower and does not include the same level of handling priority.

For particularly valuable collections or large quantities of originals, consider adding insurance to your shipment. The cost is minimal and provides peace of mind that the value of your materials is covered if something goes wrong in transit.

Before You Ship: Contact Us First

We want to hear from you before your originals are on their way. A quick conversation lets us confirm your order details, give you our current mailing address, and flag anything specific about how to pack your particular items. It also means we are expecting your package when it arrives.

To get started, Visit our scanning services page for full details, contact us here to get started, or call 913.217.7202. We scan prints, negatives, and slides for clients across the country and ship digitized files back to you securely.