Thank you for choosing Skye Breeze Solutions. (International clients please see our International Orders page.) Next you will need to determine the order & direction of your slides for us to scan. Please have your slides numbered and facing in the correct direction for scanning. This is your responsibility and If your slides are not numbered, we cannot guarantee that they will be in the correct order. If a stack of slides accidentally gets shuffled, we can only return them to the correct order and direction if they are marked & numbered. It is not as hard as you may think. Below are 4 steps to help ensure you get the best DVD Slide Show Movie.
STEP 1 - Order and Direction
ORDER: Put your slides in the order you want them scanned, number each slide & place them in stacks of 40 or less. Example: If you have 500 slides then number them 1-500 and separate them into the smaller groups/stacks of 40 or less. When the stacks are too large they are hard to control so keeping them in smaller groups/stacks help us keep the slides in order.
DIRECTION: Make sure the slides are in the same direction & that they are all positioned as if going to 'face the projection screen'. Some slides have "this side towards screen" typed along the bottom. The top slide should be slide number 1 and will be the first slide in your show. Which side faces the screen? The 3 easy methods below can help you tell the difference.
Method 1 - often the side with the manufacturer's name goes toward or faces the projection screen. This will get your slides all facing in the same direction.
Method 2 - you may be able to tell which side faces the screen by looking at the emulsion on the film. The emulsion side will be dull & faces towards the screen. The non-emulsion side will be shiny.
Method 3 - you can find the side that faces the screen this way too - if you have a slide with words or a sign, then read a sign in the picture, the words will read backwards.
1. Number each slide in every stack to make sure they are all put in the correct order. Slides occasionally slip out from a stack & when they are numbered we can return them to the correct position. Example: If you have 160 slides, they should be numbered 1-160 and divided into 4 stacks of 40 slides each.
2. Finally, the number one slide in each stack should be on top and have the side that goes "towards the screen" facing up.
3. Slides will be scanned with the numbered side facing in the same direction as if it had "this side towards screen" printed on it. If you cannot decide which side faces the screen, we will try to do this for you but understand that we cannot be positive a slide is not backward unless by chance we can read a sign or license plate number in the slide. (We will manually rotate & crop the slides for you so the pictures appear in the upright position with clean edges when being viewed. )
STEP 2 - Organizing your slides
1. Use index cards or Post-it notes to number each stack/group in the order you want it scanned. If you want the slides in each stack to be scanned in the exact order stacked, then number each slide in the stack (write numbers along the cardboard edges of the slides). If they slip out of order, by having each slide in the stack numbered we can place them back in the original order for you.
2. It is a good idea to wrap 2 rubber bands around each slide stack. Example: you have 70 slides from the same wedding. Divide them into 2 stacks, one with 40 slides & the other with 30 slides. Label the front index card on the stack to be scanned first 'Wedding Group 1 of 2' and the other stack 'Wedding Group 2 of 2'. Another way is to number the stacks 1A & 1B.
STEP 3 - Music and Titles (Video DVD Slideshows only)
Do you want background MUSIC added to your Video DVD Slideshow? If you would like to have background music playing during the video DVD Slideshow we have some royalty free music that may be added to the presentation. Some clients choose not to have background music, they feel music can become outdated & prefer to play their own selections at home during the slideshow so this is optional. If requested, we will add the music at no additional charge.
Do you want TITLES added to your Video DVD Slideshow? For video DVD movies, short titles may be added between groups of slides & up to 5 titles are included in the above package. Additional titles are $1.00 each. Titles consist of white words on a dark background. You may have words appear on a particular slide for $1.00 per each photo. Be sure to write the number of the slide you wish to have the words appear & your preference on where they should be positioned. An example would be “Dads Fishing Boat” across the top (bottom or middle) of slide #78. If you would prefer to leave the positioning to us, write “place anywhere” or something similar.
STEP 4 - Order Form & Shipping
Our shipping address is: Skye Breeze Solutions, P.O. Box 1651, St. Peters, MO 63376. Ship the order through the US Postal Service with INSURANCE and/or Delivery Confirmation. If you prefer using UPS or FEDEX please use our physical address, Skye Breeze Solutions, 1980 Saint Peters Howell Road, St. Peters, MO 63376, as those carriers will not deliver to P.O. Boxes.
Don't forget to fill out the order form and put it in the box before shipping. We must have an order form so we know owns the slides, where to return the finished project & what you want us to do with them.
When packing for shipping, remember we do not clean slides so if using foam "peanuts" or some other type of packing material, consider placing the slide groups inside plastic Ziploc bags to protect them from loose dust & particles.
For large orders or those shipping slide carousel trays, we recommend shipping your slide film & video's Media Mail with the U.S. Postal Service due to the weight. However, be sure to double check with your local post office if they consider the video & slides to be "media". The definition of media seems to vary depending on the branch office used. Either way, when shipping with the post office it is recommoned to always include INSURANCE & TRACKING, as they are very important, inexpensive options.
Please be sure that all items sent Media Mail are inside a sturdy, cardboard box. Your box will be mixed with packages weighing up to 70 pounds and that weight could certainly crush anything inside an envelope or weak box. If you are sending slides, photographs, etc., in a bubble envelope we suggest using 1st class - it is a much safer choice.
MISCELLANEOUS - How are your slides stored right now?
SLIDE TRAYS: If your slides are organized in carousel or other drop-in style trays then you are in luck! They will probably be in the proper order & direction. Simply number each tray (& box if it has one) in the order you want them scanned. If a tray has a locking ring then lock it tightly so the slides won't fall out of order when shipped. Complete the following steps & don't forget to include the order form. If you have several trays, leave the slides in the trays, package all of them together and ship them in one box. Stuff some old newspapers between the trays & the shipping box to fill any empty spaces. Ask if the contents of your package qualify for "Media Mail" rate at the U.S. Post Office - if so, it typically costs less.
NOTEBOOK PAGES/HOLDERS & METAL HOLDER MAGAZINES - We accept slides in plastic notebook holders & metal holders but we will not place them back inside the holders after scanning. Please make sure the slides are numbered (in case they should shift out of order during handling) & facing in the right direction. We will return the plastic slide pages & metal magazines with holders but the slides will not be replaced inside of them. We prefer to have slides numbered, in the correct direction and bound by rubber bands in groups of 40 or less.
METAL BOXES OF SLIDES: For slides inside metal storage boxes, simply ship the entire box to us. We will scan them the way they are ordered in the box. If the box is not numbered, please number the slides in the order you want them scanned & make sure they are facing the right direction. Close the latches tightly to prevent the slides from moving out of order while in the mail. Number each metal slide box in the order you want the boxes scanned.
SLIDE CUBES: If you use Slide Cubes, then send the whole cube. Please make sure the slides are numbered (in case they shift out of order) & facing in the right direction. Number the outside of the cubes in the order you want them scanned.
LOOSE SLIDES: If your slides are loose you will need to organize them. Please read the instructions in Step 1 above.
Try these helpful United States Postal Service shipping links: http://www.usps.com or http://usps.com/customersguide/. Media Mail - Small and large packages, thick envelopes, and tubes can be sent using Media Mail. Contents are limited to books, camcorder video tapes (DV, 8mm, Hi8, VHS) manuscripts, sound recordings, and computer media (such as CDs & DVD's). Family slides are not considered a media mail item. Formerly called "Book Rate," Media Mail cannot contain advertising. Media Mail is less expensive than Parcel Post.
Live in Missouri or Illinois? Drop-off, Pick-up & Delivery is available depending on your location - contact us for information.
