The most valuable part of an old photo is not the picture. It is knowing who is in it. Scanning protects the image. Labeling protects the story. Do both, and do the labeling with your parent while you can sit together and laugh about the haircuts.
Pick a scanning method
- A flatbed scanner. Best quality for prints. Scan at 600 dpi for regular prints and higher for small or very old ones. Save as TIFF or high quality JPEG.
- A phone scanning app. Fast and good enough for sharing. Lay prints flat in soft daylight, no flash, and hold the phone straight above.
- A scanning service. Worth it for thousands of prints, slides, or negatives. Keep the originals at home until you have checked the files.
Handle originals gently
- Wash and dry your hands, or wear cotton gloves.
- Hold prints by the edges.
- Never use tape or a ballpoint pen on the back. Use a soft pencil.
- Store originals in acid-free sleeves or boxes, away from attics and basements.
Name files so you can find them
Use a pattern that sorts by date: year, month if known, then who and where. For example 1958-06 Grandma Ruth wedding Ogden.jpg. If you only know the decade, start with 1950s.
Get the names while you can ask
Sit with your parent and the photos, with your phone recording. Ask who is in each one, where it was, and what happened that day. Write the answers in the file description or a simple spreadsheet. A recording of them naming faces is a family treasure on its own.
Back it up three ways
Keep three copies, on two kinds of storage, with one away from the house. For example, your computer, an external drive, and a cloud folder shared with a sibling.
Get the free printable guide
Twenty of our best questions on two sides of paper, plus three tips for recording.
Get the free guide
