As one of the largest drugstore and photo processing chains in America, Walgreens makes digitizing your old family photos quick and convenient. With over 9,000 neighborhood locations nationwide, they have on-site photo specialists and tech to scan everything from new smartphone pics to old, faded film negatives.
But how exactly does the Walgreens scanning process work? As an avid shopper and bargain hunter, I decided to investigate firsthand. Read on for my complete guide to scanning photos yourself at Walgreens photo kiosks!
Overview: Walgreens Photo Services Landscape
With its roots tracing back to 1901, Walgreens has grown into a retail giant:
- 9,021 Walgreens locations across all 50 U.S. states as of 2020
- 76% of the U.S. population lives within 5 miles of a Walgreens
- 3+ million customers visit Walgreens daily
And today, Walgreens offers so much more than prescriptions and drugstore staples.
Modern Walgreens locations have entire sections dedicated to photo printing services:
| Photo Products Available | Pricing |
|---|---|
| Standard photo prints | Starts at $0.35 for 4×6 |
| Photo books | Starts at $19.99 for 20 pages |
| Canvas, metal, acrylic and wood prints | Starts at $29.99 for 8×10 |
| Photo mugs, blankets, puzzles + more | Wide price range based on product |
I‘ve used Walgreens for years to print my phone camera pics for scrapbooking. But I‘d heard they scan old photos too – including delicate film negatives.
This piqued my interest even more as I‘ve got piles of old family slides and albums I‘ve been meaning to digitize for ages!
Step 1: Locate the Photo Kiosk
The first step is finding the photo center kiosk, which is easy to spot in every Walgreens store. Just look for:
- Specialized photo printers
- Card samples showcasing print products
- Some stores even have demo photo books on display
There will also be a small kiosk machine with a screen titled "Photo" – this is where you‘ll scan!
Pro Tip: Don‘t be shy to ask a store employee for directions – Walgreens photo specialists are there to help!
Step 2: Preparing Your Photos
Get your photos ready before heading into scan. Some best practices:
- Gather together all the photos you wish to scan in one trip. Just keep in mind there‘s a 24 photo per session limit when scanning directly at the kiosk.
- Handle fragile or aged originals gently to avoid further damage or tears. You can scan in bad condition photos, but digitizing will not restore quality.
- Remove photos from frames, plastic sleeves or glass. The scanner needs direct access to scan properly.
Step 3: Scan Your Photos
Ready to start the scanning process? Simply follow these steps:
- Lift up the scanner drawer built into the kiosk and place your photo directly on the glass facedown. Align it appropriately.
- Tap the preview button on screen to get a test scan. Adjust alignment if needed.
- Select scan settings like photo size, touch up etc. More details on customizations in Step 4.
- Tap scan again to finalize. This will save the image file to the kiosk‘s memory.
- Repeat Steps 1-4 to digitize up to 24 photos per session.
And you‘re done! Overall the process is quick and intuitive after scanning just a couple test photos.
Step 4: Edit Your Scanned Photos
One major scanning advantage Walgreens offers is built-in image editing tools. Once your photos are scanned, simply:
- Select the image thumbnail on screen that you wish to edit.
- Tap the edit button to open advanced settings like:
- Brightness: Lightens or darkens scanned photo.
- Contrast: Increases difference between dark and light areas.
- Color Saturation: Intensifies or mutes colors.
- Cropping: Removes unwanted edges from scan.
Play around with the touchup settings until your digitized photo looks its best!
Pro Tip: Use the automatic "Touch Up" function as a shortcut for basic fixes. The kiosk tech will optimize brightness, contrast etc. in one click.
Step 5: Print or Save Scanned Photos
You did it! With your photos digitally preserved, the final step is retrieving them from the Walgreens kiosk. You have two options:
Print Photo Copies
Walgreens prints scanned photos directly onto premium photo paper. You can select print sizes like wallet, 4×6, 5×7 and more.
Pricing:
| Print Size | Price per Print |
|---|---|
| 3.5×5 | $0.39 |
| 4×6 | $0.35 |
| 5×7 | $1.99 |
| 8×10 | $3.99 |
Burn Photos to CD
Alternatively, you can transfer your scans to a CD. Each disc holds up to 999 images and costs a flat rate of $3.99.
Unfortunately, Walgreens does not allow transferring scans directly to USB drives, SD cards, external hard drives or DVDs per company policy. This is a bit limiting compared to standalone photo scanners.
However, some Walgreens locations might make exceptions if equipment allows. Doesn‘t hurt to ask politely!
Scanning Old Family Photos vs. Documents
Walgreens kiosks work great for scanning photos up to 8.5×11" in size. But what about important documents like old records, recipes etc?
You can technically scan papers at the photo counter. Just be aware of limitations:
- Max document size is 8.5×11" – ledgers, posters etc. won‘t fit.
- Scanner glass exposure risks document tearing or curling, especially delicate antique papers.
- You only save scans to CD or prints. No direct file transfer to bring home.
For archiving old documents properly without potential damage, I invest in a specialty document scanner optimized for scanning at home. Well worth it for preserving family records long-term!
Tips for the Best Quality Photo Scans
Scanning technology has improved tremendously over the past decade. However, Walgreens kiosks – like any hardware – have technical limits.
Follow these pro tips maximize image quality:
- Clean Scanner Glass: Smudges or dust on the glass transfer directly onto your digitized image! Politely ask to borrow a cloth.
- Adjust Settings: Boost brightness, contrast etc. to compensate for any original photo fading or glare.
- Stick to Smaller Sizes: Scale up too much and you risk magnifying flaws. A 4×6 scan should suffice for typical use cases like social media, scrapbooks etc.
- Gently Handle Originals: Any imperfections to valuable original prints will still show up on the scan if not carefully protected in transport.
Accept quality limitations gracefully on damaged heirloom photos even with adjustments. Focus instead on the nostalgia these images evoke!
Common Scan Uses Cases
Scanning old shoeboxes stuffed with fading film prints and Polaroids is my #1 use case. But what else can you digitize at Walgreens photo kiosks?
Photo Scan Ideas:
- Preserve aging family photo albums passed down for generations. Gift scanned digital copies to the entire extended family!
- Back up smartphone camera rolls and your best social media pics to CD for safekeeping.
- Digitize wallet-sized school portrait photos to reprint and display large versions at a reunion.
- Create a memorial photo book, calendar or slideshow with scans from a relative‘s collection.
Document Scans
As noted, handle important paper scans with care using specialty equipment. But Walgreens works fine for more casual needs like:
- Archiving your kids‘ art by scanning favorite drawings to print on custom coffee mugs, puzzles etc. as keepsakes.
- Digitizing inspiring magazine clippings to assemble vision boards and mindfulness albums.
Price Summary for Walgreens Photo Scanning Services
Good news: Scanning your photos at a Walgreens kiosk is always free.
You only pay if printing physical copies of your scans or burning images to a CD. Handy if you just want to preview dust-gathering images as-is before deciding what to restore.
Here‘s a pricing refresher:
| Photo Scan Services | Cost |
|---|---|
| Scanning per image | $0.00 |
| Print fees per photo copy | $0.35+ depending on size |
| CD burn per disc | Flat rate: $3.99 per CD, no matter how many photos |
Overall I find Walgreens offers very affordable digitization compared to independent scanning shops. Well worth it for the convenience!
Complementary Walgreens Services
While getting your photos scanned, explore Walgreens‘ full suite of imaging services like:
- Photo Printing: Print professionally processed copies of your scans onto premium photo paper, canvas gallery wraps, photo books, mugs – you name it!
- Passport Photos: Many locations have self-service kiosks to snap passport compliant photos backed with a guarantee of government approval on your documents.
- Film Developing: Alongside scans, Walgreens still processes rolls from old-school film cameras! Develop photos from 35mm, APS and other film formats.
- Photo Gifts: Print your digital scans onto custom keepsakes! Top gift ideas include blankets, playing cards, bags, phone cases and more.
Browse the friendly photo counter next time you‘re in any Walgreens location for dealing with all your archiving needs in one convenient trip!
Conclusion
I‘m thrilled to confirm firsthand that yes – Walgreens does scan photos with surprisingly robust quality for casual digitizing. Modern kiosks make preserving aging photo collections simple for average consumers vs. specialty PC scanners.
Through my guide, you now know what to expect when scanning at Walgreens yourself – from locating the photo counter, editable settings to retrieve print or CD copies.
Just remember limitations like max images per session and inability to transfer scan files directly to external drives. Within reasonable expectations however, Walgreens photo services offer immense nostalgic value.
What memories will you digitize during your next Walgreens visit? Do you have any keepsake images that need rescue from the depths of shoeboxes?
As a consummate bargain shopper, I‘m already planning scanning parties with my scrapbooking friends over sweet nostalgia…and maybe some printed photo mugs just for fun!
