Microfilm scanning services in Chicago, IL

Need microfilm scanning services in Chicago, IL? Smooth Solutions, part of the DMI family of imaging companies in business since 1977, converts microfilm and microfiche into searchable digital files for organizations across the country. Every film project is scanned at DMI’s New Castle, Delaware facility, home to a full in-house film lab.

Film problems fixed before scanning

Old film is rarely perfect. Our film lab repairs common problems such as scratches, breaks, curl, dirt and brittle or poorly processed film before it goes on the scanner, so you get readable images instead of rejects. Most scanning vendors cannot do this because they do not run a film lab.

High volume, strict quality

DMI scans more than 100 million images a year from microfilm for the National Archives, under that agency’s demanding quality requirements. The same production line handles projects of every size, from a few reels to an entire archive.

Formats we convert

• 16mm and 35mm roll film
• Microfiche and microfilm jackets
• Aperture cards

Learn more about our microfilm and microfiche scanning services.

Ship your film from anywhere

Film is compact and ships inexpensively by UPS or FedEx. We log every reel and fiche on arrival, track it under a documented chain of custody, and return, store or securely destroy it with a certificate only after your written approval.

Indexing and delivery

You receive searchable PDF or TIFF files, indexed to the fields your staff search by, such as name, date, case, permit, account or record number. Don’t have a document management system? Our WebDocs cloud document management system is simple, secure and affordable, and always includes unlimited concurrent users.

Security and compliance

Smooth Solutions is SOC 2 compliant and HIPAA-compliant. Access to your film and images is limited to authorized staff, and every transfer is documented. Prefer to scan in-house instead? NMS Imaging, our hardware division, sells microfilm scanners.

Microfilm Scanning for Chicago and Cook County Records

Chicago’s film archives follow the city’s history as a hub for law, commerce, and publishing. Cook County land records, the court system, the Chicago Public Library, hospital systems, and the region’s newspapers and publishers all kept microfilm. So did the insurers and banks based in the city, whose policy and loan files were filmed to save space.

Land and court records are only as useful as their index. We index scanned film to the numbers you actually search by, such as parcel, document, or case number, and deliver the result as searchable PDF or TIFF. Reels and fiche ship to our lab in New Castle, Delaware by UPS or FedEx.

Frequently asked questions

Can you scan microfilm from Chicago, IL?

Yes. Ship your reels or fiche to our New Castle, Delaware facility by UPS or FedEx. We confirm receipt, scan, and return or store the originals as you direct.

What if our film is scratched, broken or brittle?

Our in-house film lab repairs common film problems before scanning, so damaged film can still produce readable images.

What formats do we get back?

Searchable PDF or TIFF files, indexed to the fields you choose, or loaded into your document management system.

Can you handle a very large archive?

Yes. DMI scans more than 100 million images a year from microfilm for the National Archives.

Get a quote

Request a quote for microfilm scanning services in Chicago, IL. Call 1-800-DMI-4210 or request a quote online and tell us about your film.