With ScanSnap hardware and Vivid-Pix software, you can digitize old photos and make them look as good as new, and tell your and loved ones’ stories

A collection of old photographs is the next best thing to a time machine. Photos can introduce us to family members we’ve never met or show us how people and places we know have changed. But photos deteriorate over time, losing color and detail as they age. To help restore these photos, you can use Vivid-Pix.

What is Vivid-Pix? It’s a software company that specializes in image enhancement, restoration and sharing treasured memories. It’s also one of ScanSnap’s business partners. With a combination of Vivid-Pix Memory Station software and ScanSnap hardware, you can scan old photos, documents, or memorabilia - up to 10 at a time, automatically crop and straighten them into individual files, restore them with a single click, record your audio memories, and combine these cherished memories into an MP4 Video file, with just 1-click.

If you work at a school, a library, or a senior living center, a Vivid-Pix Memory Station can help countless people preserve their precious memories. And if you have a big collection of your own photographs, the Vivid-Pix Restore and Memory Station software can bring your family history to life.

What is Vivid-Pix?

First things first: What is Vivid-Pix? A ScanSnap technology partner, Vivid-Pix is the brainchild of Randy Fredlund and Rick Voight, who are respectively — an amateur photographer and a SCUBA diver. Vivid-Pix was created after Fredlund returned from a trip to the islands, where he took underwater photos. When he reviewed the photos, he was disappointed with their washed-out, hazy look. So, along with Voight, he developed the unique, now patented Vivid-Pix Land & Sea SCUBA software, that automatically cleans-up subpar photos from both land and sea.

Today, Vivid-Pix offers a wide variety of programs and services to improve, restore, and remember images. The Vivid-Pix Land & Sea SCUBA software color-corrects underwater photos. And there’s also the patented Vivid-Pix Restore software that improves old, faded photos and documents that have degraded over time, as well as the newly launched Memory Station software that lets you create audio/video stories of photos and memorabilia for future generations.

Vivid-Pix Restore is one of the company’s most popular products. You can scan old photos and documents and then repair fading that occurs due to heat, light, and humiditiy using Restore’s automated tool. You can further tweak the results with simple sliders. Vivid-Pix Restore is widely used in Genealogical and Historical Societies, Libraries, Archives and Museums throughout the U.S.

Vivid-Pix has become a one-stop shop for preserving digital memories. If you don’t want to scan and edit pictures yourself, Vivid-Pix also offers a mail-in digitization service. You can order professional prints, photo albums, calendars, and other gifts from the company’s website at www.vivid-pix.com. Vivid-Pix also offers specialized solutions for schools, libraries, community centers, senior living facilities, and similar organizations.

Did You Know?:The ScanSnap SV600 can scan delicate photos without damaging them. The process takes only three seconds and outputs files in an accessible JPEG format.

ScanSnap and Vivid-Pix technology

Vivid-Pix has recently launched Memory Station software as part of the Vivid-Pix and ScanSnap bundle, which contains everything you need to start scanning, restoring, and creating audio memories from old or new photos. Every Memory Station bundle comes with a ScanSnap SV600 scanner, Vivid-Pix Restore software, and Memory Station software with the choice of the Memory Station bundle for Home, Professional, or Community Bundle.

For example: The Memory Station Home Edition comes with the ScanSnap SV600, enhanced TIFF scanning, a copy of Vivid-Pix Restore and Memory Station software, and the ABBYY optical character recognition (OCR) software. It’s optimized for hobbyists with large collections of old photos. The Professional and Community Bundles cost more, but also come with more robust software and licenses, which makes them better suited for professionals and community shared-use environment locations.

Memory Station features

No matter which version of the Memory Station you get, you’ll enjoy the following features:

• Object scanning: Thanks to the ScanSnap SV600’s overhead design, you can “scan” three-dimensional objects as well. Create images of family heirlooms, historical artifacts, and other priceless materials.
• Photo restoration: Vivid-Pix lets you restore old photos with a few clicks. Just select whether you’re dealing with a faded photo, a hard-to-read document, or a low-quality digital picture, and the software will do the rest.
• Voice recording: Reminisce and record memories to go along with every single scanned photo, document or memorabilia. When you share your files, recipients will know why each one is important without having to sift through complicated notes.
• Story creation: After you’ve scanned your materials and recorded memories for each one, you can combine these recordings into a single, comprehensive story. When you share this file, your recipients will see the materials you scanned, in order, and hear your narration over each one.

The intuitive Vivid-Pix Memory Station software uses large icons and simple language, making the program accessible for many different kinds of users. For a more detailed look at what a Memory Station can do, check out the Memory Station Story video.

Did You Know?:The Gadgeteer reviewed the Vivid-Pix Memory Station, calling it “a great option for those who may not have the technical knowledge or patience to scan large amounts of photos.” The review praised the bundle’s intuitive design and effective software.

How ScanSnap and Vivid-Pix can help restore your photos

Now that we’ve covered “what is Vivid-Pix?”, it’s time to think about what ScanSnap and Vivid-Pix can do for you or your organization.

Suppose genealogy is your big hobby or you’ve inherited a huge collection of old photos. Maybe you need to digitize some pictures for a milestone birthday or curate a shared family album online. Memory Station Home Edition provides all the tools you need for less than $1,000. With Vivid-Pix easy-to-follow written and video instructions, you should have the whole system up and running in around an hour with included video tutorials on how to use it accessible from the software.

If your organization serves senior citizens, ScanSnap and Vivid-Pix can also help. With a Memory Station Professional or Community Bundle, you can scan and optimize dozens or hundreds of old photos in just a few hours. Vivid-Pix has also conducted primary research on pRT (photo Reminiscence Therapy) and developed a series of courses covering photo organization, storytelling, reminiscence therapy, and even librarian education. The possibilities for libraries, community centers, and assisted living facilities are profound; you never know when someone might come by with an undiscovered piece of history.

Memory Station is also an invaluable tool for students and educators. Research projects often involve photos and other papers that are many years, if not hundreds, of years old. With the SV600 able to accurately scan fragile photos without physically touching them, these precious materials are preserved for current and future projects.

ScanSnap and Vivid-Pix can provide the tools you need to digitize your photo collection, restore and share those memories.

Note: Information and external links are provided for your convenience and for educational purposes only. PFU America, Inc. makes no representations about the contents, features, or specifications on such third-party sites, software, and/or offerings (collectively “Third-Party Offerings”) and shall not be responsible for any loss or damage that may arise from your use of such Third-Party Offerings.