Heritage Lost: Scanning Old Photos and Documents
KEY: Set up all destination folders first.
Hints for long term storage of photos if not displaying them in an album:
KEY: Set up all destination folders first.
- Sort photos into logical batches.
- Work with one batch at a time. Scan only one item per scan.
- Sort photos horizontally and vertically and then largest to smallest.
- There are many formats you can scan in. Jpeg is the most common, but is not the best choice for archiving photos. Jpeg scans are lossy files. TIFF files are un-compressed loss-less files. They are best for archiving, but are also very large files. Another alternative is PNG. My choice for documents is PDFA.
- I recommend scanning almost everything in color. There is a lot of color in old “black and white” photos and they will look very flat if scanned in grayscale or true black and white. You lose the character of old documents if you can’t see the aged color in the paper. If a document has no visual appeal, and is for information only, then don’t worry about scanning in color.
- Resolution is also important. The higher the better quality, but the file size increases exponentially. Scanning at higher resolution than the original item will not change its native resolution and give better images. 300-600 dpi is commonly used for scanning photos. Slides and negatives need to be scanned at much higher resolution—1200 dpi at a minimum.
- I recommend using the software that comes with your scanner. Use the “Professional” or “Advanced” mode rather than the “Auto” mode for the best results.
- DO NOT line items up in the corner of the scanner bed if you want to scan all the way to the edge of the item.
- Clean the scanner bed with an eyeglass microfiber cloth and check for fingerprints, hair, dust or crumbs as you continue to work.
- Thicker items can be scanned, but you may need to provide a larger backdrop for them.
- Name batches of photos to facilitate organization later. They can then be more easily moved to the proper location.
- Create a back-up file of your scans and store it in another location!!!!
- Keep a master copy of original scans. Never edit on these files. Make a copy of your original scan file and edit the file copy!
- Links to more detailed information about file format, resolution and scanning in general are available at: http://www.preservingtime.org/photos-and-stories.html
Hints for long term storage of photos if not displaying them in an album:
- Always store photos away from heat, light and humidity. They do best with a little air circulation, but will more likely survive a fire if they are stored as air-tight as possible.
- Always use acid-free products and plastics.
- Make sure photos are contained in a way that they will stay flat and not warp.
- Display copies or view scans—especially if the originals are fragile.
- Use common sense to balance archival preservation with what is practical.
- Remember if you don’t preserve these things, they will likely get thrown away later because no one can identify the people or feel the connection to them.
