Document and Archive Digitization Services

Standard flatbed and sheet-fed scanning for loose paper documents such as letters, forms and invoices. Files are delivered as searchable PDF or TIFF, named by batch order. Suitable for office archives that need a straightforward digital copy without complex indexing. Minimum order applies for small batches, quoted separately at intake.

Books, ledgers and bound registers are scanned using a cradle scanner that protects the spine. Pages are captured flat without full disassembly. This service suits parish registers, minute books and old ledgers held by local societies or family archives around Manchester and the surrounding boroughs.

High-resolution scanning of prints from wallet size up to A4, including faded or curled photographs. Colour correction is applied where the original has shifted with age. Output formats include JPEG and TIFF. Family photo collections and staff archives are handled with gloves and clean surfaces throughout.

Architectural drawings, maps and posters up to A0 are scanned flat on a wide-format unit. This avoids the folding and creasing that photocopying causes. Common clients include property firms with old building plans and local historical groups holding maps of Greater Manchester districts.

A reduced per-page rate for orders above 5,000 sheets, aimed at organisations clearing storage rooms or basement archives. Documents are prepped, de-stapled, scanned and re-boxed on request. This tier is the one most solicitor firms and schools in the area choose when digitizing full filing rooms.

Reels and fiche sheets are digitized on a dedicated microform scanner that reads both positive and negative film. Output is delivered as individual image files or combined PDF per reel. Older council and press archives stored on microfilm are a typical source for this service.

Each scanned page is tagged with a filename, date and folder reference so files can be located without opening every document. This add-on works alongside standard scanning and is priced per page on top of the base scan rate. Recommended for archives with more than a few hundred files.

Optical character recognition turns scanned images into searchable and copyable text layers within the PDF. Accuracy depends on print quality and typeface; typed documents from the last 40 years generally perform best. This service is billed per 100 pages processed, regardless of document type.

HR files, medical records and legal case files are scanned in a locked room with restricted staff access and logged chain of custody. Paper is shredded on-site after client sign-off if requested. This rate applies where handling procedures go beyond our standard scanning workflow.

Beyond basic indexing, this service builds a full folder tree matching a client's existing filing system, including cross-references between related documents. Useful for law firms that need scanned case files to mirror their physical filing structure exactly, down to sub-folder names and numbering.

Existing digital scans in outdated or inconsistent formats are converted to a uniform PDF/A or TIFF standard for long-term storage. This suits archives that were previously scanned in-house with mixed settings and now need a single consistent format for a document management system.

For records that cannot leave the building, such as active registry files or fragile bound volumes, our team brings portable scanning equipment to the client's premises anywhere within our 8 service areas around Manchester. Billed hourly, with a minimum two-hour call-out.

A one-off project fee to configure a client's cloud or on-premise storage structure for the finished digital archive, including access permissions and a naming convention guide. This is set up once per client and does not recur unless the storage system is later rebuilt.

Torn, brittle or water-damaged pages are scanned using low-pressure glass overlays and gentle handling techniques rather than automatic feeders. This surcharge rate applies on top of the base scanning fee for pages flagged as fragile during the initial condition check.