Boxes of slides, envelopes of prints and thousands of phone photos all share one risk: without a plan, they fade, scatter or vanish. Archiving is not complicated, but it rewards doing a little at a time. Please note that Club Giardino is a journal; we offer no scanning or copying service, and we do not recommend any particular business.
Start by sorting
Before scanning anything, sort. Group material by decade, family branch or place, and set aside duplicates and blurry shots. Handle slides and negatives by the edges, ideally with clean cotton gloves, and work on a clean, dust-free surface.
Scanning options in general terms
- Flatbed scanners handle prints well, and some models include holders for slides and negatives.
- Dedicated film scanners are designed for small transparencies and usually capture more detail from them.
- Camera copying — photographing slides or prints with a camera, a steady stand and even light — can be fast and effective.
- Professional services exist if you would rather hand the work over; compare their handling, resolution and return policies carefully.
Whatever route you choose, scan at a high enough resolution that you will not need to repeat the job later.
File formats
Many archivists keep a master copy in an uncompressed or lossless format such as TIFF, and make smaller JPEG copies for sharing and slideshows. Never edit the master; save edits as new files.
Backups
A widely used rule is to keep at least three copies, on two different kinds of storage, with one kept somewhere else, such as with a relative or in cloud storage. Check your backups now and then; a backup you have never opened is a hope, not a plan. Our page on making duplicate copies goes into more detail.
Labeling
Name files consistently, for example by year, month and a short description, so they sort in order. Add captions with who, where and when while someone still remembers. For originals, use archival sleeves and boxes, write on the sleeve rather than the photo, and store everything in a cool, dry room rather than a garage or attic, which can get very hot in a Los Angeles summer.
Bring them back to life
Once digitized, old pictures deserve an audience. Read Saving Old Family Slides, plan a garden slideshow with our guide to slideshow transitions, and share copies with family using the tips in Sharing Photos Safely.