Frequently Asked Questions

Think of us as the opposite of one-size-fits-all. While many large-volume digitizing companies prioritize speed and automation—often shipping your materials across the country or even overseas—we take a more personal, hands-on approach.

At Memory Forward, your memories are handled with museum-quality care. Whether you walk them into our Austin office or mail them to us from across the country, our team treats every item with intention and attention to detail. We don’t just scan—we sort, organize, date, and label your collection using our proprietary method (EISW), trusted by professionals worldwide.

Our pricing reflects the depth and quality of the work we do, including realistic timelines and thoughtful communication—so you know when to expect your memories back, and in what form. Unlike services that ask you to “stuff as much as you can into a box” for a flat price, we tailor each project to your unique collection—no shortcuts, no guesswork, and no assembly-line “garbage in, garbage out” results.

We don’t just organize—we invented the method. Our proprietary system, the Easy Index Scanning Workflow (EISW), was developed here at Memory Forward and is now used by hundreds of professionals across the world. It is designed specifically for physical media like photo prints, scrapbooks, albums, slides, negatives, and videotapes. The system is proven and repeatable, allowing us to work faster and more accurately than the competition – often finishing in half the time, with better results.

Even better? You don’t have to be there for the sorting process. We handle it all behind the scenes, so you can skip the overwhelming and emotional process and still end up with a beautifully organized archive.

Because scrolling through a sea of files named “IMG_4032” is no way to relive your memories. When your photos and videos are all in one central place, organized by date, event, and name (like 1999-05-12 Bob Vegas Birthday.jpg), you can actually search and find what you’re looking for—fast and frustration-free. Whether you are sharing a birthday slideshow today or building an archive for the grandkids, a well-organized collection turns chaos into a legacy you can enjoy for years to come.

If any of these sound familiar, you are more than ready:

• You can’t find the photo your kid needs for a school project—or for the family tree they’re supposed to fill out.

• Your children don’t recognize faces in old photos—or don’t even know those photos exist.

• You’ve downloaded the same set of images to multiple places, but still can’t find what you’re looking for.

• Your photos are scattered across hard drives, phones, cloud accounts—or worse, you have no idea where they are.

• Some images are stranded on old memory cards, CDs, or phones you haven’t turned on in years.

• You worry about losing everything if your phone is lost or your cloud storage fails.

• You have boxes of prints, slides, or home movies tucked away, and the people who know who—or what—they show are aging.

• You feel a growing sense of responsibility to preserve your family’s story, but you don’t know where to start.

• You want your children (and their children) to feel connected to their heritage—not just through stories, but through the images and videos that bring them to life.

In today’s digital world, it is easy to feel buried by too many photos—and disconnected from the ones that matter most. Whether you're looking to rescue fading memories or bring order to an overwhelming digital collection, we can help you make sense of it all.

Our address is 12401 Hymeadow Dr., Suite 1C in Northwest Austin, Texas. If you are coming from the south-bound 183 service road, turn right onto Hymeadow, then turn left at the first School Zone sign and we are the first unit on the left, in a 1-story building surrounded by large trees. There is a sign next to the sidewalk as well as one in our window. Give us a call at (512) 766-5393 if you get lost!

We believe the best experience – for both you and us – starts here. Our office is set up specifically for photo intake, with the tools, materials, and focused time needed to get your project off on the right foot.

To make sure we’re fully prepared for you (and your collection), we ask that you schedule a drop-off appointment in advance. This allows us to give you our full attention, walk you through next steps, and answer any questions you may have.

If transportation is a concern, we may be able to recommend a trusted local courier service.

Before you come in, we request that you:

• Pack your materials in sturdy containers with lids

• Group like items together when possible (albums, loose prints, tapes, etc.)

• Remove anything you do not want scanned—we have seen it all: melted Valentine’s chocolate, macaroni art, even the occasional baby tooth. If it’s not meant to be digitized, kindly leave it out.

Not sure what to include or how to pack it all? Just ask—we’re happy to guide you ahead of time!

Yes—they are in good hands. We treat your memories with the same care we’d give our own: every box, bin, and album are carefully tracked, stored, and processed. Our Austin office is secured with cameras, alarm systems, and restricted access in a low-traffic, 1-story office park building. If you're local, you can drop off your materials in person, or ship them from anywhere—we regularly work with clients from all over the country.

Every project is different, but we are great at giving you a detailed estimate and scope of work before the project begins. During your intake appointment, we’ll take a quick look at your materials and give you a paper-and-pencil estimate on the spot. If the general range sounds good, we can move forward right then with a contract and 50% deposit.

If you prefer a more detailed, line-by-line estimate before committing, we're happy to dig into your materials and provide one at our hourly service rate. Most detailed estimates take 1–2 hours to prepare, depending on the complexity of your collection.

We also offer phased work options and clear communication throughout—so there are no surprises.

Total project costs depend on:

• How many photos, videos, and keepsakes you have

• Your current level of chaos

• Extra digital storage (thumb drives, hard drives, or extended digital downloads)

• Online Access (uploading your memories to a private cloud account for easy viewing, searching, and sharing)

• Additional items like slideshows, photo books, archival storage, or other special circumstances

For more information, check out our pricing page.

For most projects, we begin with an estimate and request a 50% deposit to get started. The remaining balance is typically due upon completion.

For larger or more complex projects, we may invoice every 2–4 weeks or at major project milestones. These invoices are always accompanied by a brief project update, so you know exactly where things stand and what’s been completed.

Smaller projects may not require a deposit—just full payment at the end.

Final deliverables—such as digital files, photo books, or prints—are typically released before final payment. However, payment is due upon delivery, and we ask that clients be prepared to settle their final invoice promptly.

Invoices are sent via our secure online payment platform, which offers multiple convenient ways to pay. Credit card payments are welcome but include a small processing fee.

We will always outline the payment structure before work begins and are happy to discuss a custom plan if needed.

Anywhere and everywhere—photo collections have a way of spreading out over time. We recommend checking:

Physical locations

• Photo boxes, scrapbooks, albums, and frames

• Closets, attics, and basements

• Other family members’ houses

• Garages, storage units, and guest rooms

• Wallets, keepsake boxes, junk drawers

Digital locations

• Old laptops, hard drives, and USB sticks

• Camcorders and cameras with tapes or media cards still inside

• Phones, tablets, and old memory cards

• Photo Libraries on Macs or external drives

• Your family’s cloud services

The more thorough your search, the more complete your legacy will be. But don’t worry if you find more after your project has started. This is very common, and because of the way we organize it is straightforward to incorporate the newly found items into your physical and digital collections.

You do not need to count every single item—just grab a measuring tape! Here's a simple rule of thumb:

• 1 inch of stacked photo prints = about 100 prints

• 1 inch of slides = about 21 slides

• 1 typical 10x12 photo album = about 300 photos

Measure the height of your stacks, the length of your rows, or the number of albums you have and multiply using the estimates above. It is a great way to get a rough sense of scale before your intake appointment. Keep in mind that many collections include duplicates, so the actual number of unique images may be slightly lower—often by 10–30%, depending on the source.

Then head over to our Pricing Page to see what different types of media typically cost and how much to factor in for organization and scanning preparation.

Still have questions? We are happy to help—just contact us!

We understand the impulse—but it often ends up costing more in the long run. Many well-meaning attempts to pre-organize (like sorting by person, removing things from envelopes, or putting things in baggies) can actually slow us down, remove valuable context, and make it harder to apply our proven system efficiently.

We organize chronologically using a method we developed—and now teach across the industry—which allows us to tag people, themes, and events in smart, searchable ways after scanning. This process helps us provide *all* of the context you could possibly need to enjoy your photos in the way that *you* envision.

If you’d like to do some prep work yourself, we offer a package that includes empty boxes and pre-printed batch cards so you can organize “our way” and save time without compromising the process.

We hear this question all the time—and the good news is, you don’t need to decide up front or separate anything for us.

Most collections include a mix of prints and negatives, and we’re used to seeing them jumbled together. By default, we scan the prints first, since they are typically easier to view and often good enough quality for most purposes. If we find loose negatives, we may review them to see whether they offer images not already represented in the prints—or better versions worth capturing.

While negatives can produce higher-quality scans in terms of sharpness and tonal range, scanning them in volume is more time-intensive and usually reserved for cases where quality is critical or prints are missing.

We are happy to help you figure out what should be scanned from each format. Just send us the whole mix—we’ll do the sorting, so you don’t have to.

Yes—with a little help to start. Before using our space to cull, we will first sort your collection into labeled boxes using our proven organizing method. This ensures that everything is in a manageable order so you can make thoughtful decisions. The sorting service is billed separately and estimated up front, based on the size and condition of your collection.

Once that’s complete, you are welcome to book time in our quiet office space for $75/hour to go through your photos at your own pace. We’ll provide the workspace, basic supplies, and a quick orientation—then step back so you can focus without the distractions of home.

Even if you choose not to move forward with scanning, you will leave with your printed materials neatly organized, labeled, and contained in one place—a huge value, and an accomplishment on its own.