When you need your documents scanned and don’t have time to do it yourself or hire scanner services, using local walk-in scanning locations can provide a perfect alternative for quickly finding nearby scanning.
In this video and transcript below, learn more about what walk-in scanning is and how much it costs, a step-by-step guide to finding your closest location, how to prepare for walk-in scanning, and how the process works.
Where to Find Scanner Services Near Me
When you have too many files to scan yourself but not enough to schedule a large-scale service, walk-in scanning is the solution.
Retail scanning locations provide a fast and inexpensive way to scan, and with locations scattered across the country and in most major cities, walk-in scanning is always easy to find.
What Is Walk-In Scanning?
Just like it sounds, with walk-in scanning you can simply stop by and have your documents scanned on the spot.
When you come in your pages are run through high-volume scanners, making most projects fast enough to finish while you wait. Once the scanning is complete your new digital copies are returned on thumb drives or CDs.
How Much Are Walk-In Scanner Services?
Walk-in scanning works as a price-per-page service, and on average document scanning costs between 7–12 cents per page scanned.
Despite that though, it’s important to keep in mind that scanning prices can vary from location to location.
How to Find Your Nearest Walk-In Scanning Location
Here’s a quick outline of how to use our walk-in services:
Getting Started
Click the locations link in our main navigation or the top right corner:
Selecting Your Location
This will take you to our main walk-in directory page. You can start your search for a drop-off location near you or request a quote immediately.
Use the zip code search tool to find drop-off locations in a specific area. If you use the link in the top right corner, you will enter your zip code right away and it will bring you to the same suggestions.
Narrowing Your Search Down
Once you enter your information, you’ll see this page. It gives you the locations that are closest to you. Click on the location to see the individual pages.
Finding Location Details
Here’s the location page. Now that you’ve selected a location, this page will provide information such as:
- Address
- Phone & email contact information
- Reviews
- Map
- Location hours
- “Text me this address” tool
Walk-In Scanning Preparation Tips
If you’re planning on bringing in documents to one of our nationwide locations, here are a few tips to make sure your scanning goes smoothly:
Know How Much You Have to Scan
Walk-in is a price-per-page service, and to get a good estimate of a project’s cost you need to calculate how much you have to scan. On average a standard file box holds 2,000–2,500 pages.
Be Sure to Remove All Bindings
If multiple sheets are connected, scans may not capture parts of the page that are in shadow or can’t be pressed fully on the scanner. To ensure you get the full image be sure to remove staples, paper clips, and other bindings.
Fix Folded Corners and Crumpled Files
Like removing bindings, it’s important to smooth folded corners and wrinkled documents to be sure that you’re capturing the full image of the files you scan.
Organize Records by Retention Periods
It’s important to be able to still maintain your record retention tracking after making a digital transition. Before scanning, organize and label boxes based on their retention times.
The Walk-In Scanning Process
When you bring in your document to a walk-in location there’s typically a 4-step scanning process:
1. When you bring in your files for scanning, the number of pages is first calculated and you’re given a project price.
2. Next, the files are scanned and digitized using high-volume scanners capable of handling over 100 pages per minute.
3. During scanning, tools like optical character recognition (OCR) can be implemented for files you plan to use and edit after they’re scanned.
4. Finally, once your scanning project is complete, your new digital copies are returned on a thumb drive, CD, or other storage device.
In Search of Nearby Scanner Services?
Record Nations specializes in helping you find the right scanning services for your needs no matter what size project you have. Use this guide to help you find walk-in scanner services near you. If you need additional help or have any questions, our experts are happy to help you figure out the best solution for your project. Fill out the form, use the live chat, or give us a call at (866) 385-3706.
