Digitizing Old Family Photos
Settings, handling and file habits for good scans that do not harm the originals.
Quick answer
For ordinary 4x6 and 5x7 prints, a Library of Congress guide suggests 300 dpi, or 400 to 600 dpi if you plan to enlarge them to 8x10 or larger, and around 1900 dpi for slides. Keep the originals after scanning, as the US National Archives advises, and back up the files.
At a glance
Things to try now
What to do now
- 1Pick about 20 prints that matter most and set the rest aside for now
- 2Clean the scanner glass and remove any clips or staples from the prints
- 3Scan a test print at 300 dpi and check the result on screen
What to say
- “Who is in this picture, and do you remember where it was taken?”
- “Could we scan your albums together? I would give the originals straight back.”
What to practice consistently
- Name files with the date and event in the same pattern each time
- Add who, what, where and when while you still have people to ask
- Back up each batch before moving on to the next
What to avoid
- Throwing away originals after scanning
- Closing the scanner lid on an item that does not fit on the bed
- Pulling apart photos that are stuck together or stuck to glass
These are common approaches mentioned in sources and by parents. They are informational, not prescriptive.
What parents say
We haven't published parent perspectives on this topic yet.
What this usually involves
- Cleaning the scanner glass and preparing each item
- Choosing a resolution that suits the size of the original
- Naming files consistently and recording who, what, where and when
- Backing up the scans
- Returning originals to safe storage
Related questions
The US National Archives suggests below 75°F in lignin-free, acid-free enclosures, away from damp basements and hot attics.
The US National Archives describes three copies, on two media, with one off-site.
The Library of Congress suggests a lab specializing in your format, and keeping the originals.
Related articles on Parent.wiki
Backing Up Family Photos So You Don't Lose Them
Archives advise more than one copy, on different kinds of storage, kept in different places. The US National Archives describes three copies on two media with one off-site, and the Library of Congress sets a minimum of two. A synced photo library helps, but a deletion on one device can reach the others.
Organizing Thousands of Family Photos
Sorting every photo is not required. The Library of Congress suggests finding where your photos live, choosing the ones that matter most, and giving only that selection names, tags and a simple structure. Phone tools for naming people and finding duplicates can do some of the work.
Which Family Photos to Keep and Delete
Deleting is optional. Archival guidance focuses on choosing the photos that matter most and keeping the best version of each, and it leaves the amount up to you. Marking favorites first, then removing only near-identical shots, is one lower-stakes way to begin.
Do Photos Hurt Your Memory of the Moment?
The evidence is mixed. One set of museum experiments found worse recognition of objects people were told to photograph, while later experiments found that choosing what to photograph improved visual memory and weakened memory for sounds. None of these studies looked at parents photographing their own children, so they offer clues and not a verdict.
Worth remembering?
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