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Too many pictures that you don’t know what to do?
I have put together a game plan to help you get those old photos preserved & restored. With the advances in computer software & technology your memories can be preserved forever.
1. Storage Conditions: Stop any further deterioration by getting your photos out of the basement, attic, or other areas with unstable temperature & humidity. Store them off the floor and away from dust and dirt.
2. Transfer: Remove the photos from the cardboard boxes, manila envelopes, photo store envelopes, and other acid-containing harmful storage materials. Remove paper clips, rubber bands, and adhesives. Separate newspaper articles and other memorabilia into a different storage area. Don’t create any new damage - make sure your hands are clean and no food or drink are nearby. The best protection is to wear a pair of clean 100% cotton gloves. Don’t remove photos that are stuck in magnetic albums or frames; it is best to scan them directly from the album than risk damaging the photograph further.
3. Organization – Purchase storage sleeve & pages that are specifically marked archival-safe. A great organization tip is to purchase archival pages made to go in 3-ring binders. You can easily store slides, negatives, photographs, and your notes in one media.
4. Prioritization & Journaling – Make three piles of high, medium, and low priority. Identify your most important photographs for immediate restoration. Keep a pen and paper handy and start journaling. In addition to logging names & dates, write down what makes that photo special. Record your stories & memories – your children will want to know them.
5. Scan – A good-quality home scanner ($100-$200) is powerful enough for most projects. Digitize your photographs at a high resolution of at least 300dpi and up to 600dpi. Any higher resolution has diminishing returns because the file sizes become too large and unwieldy. It’s better to scan the original negative over the print, this way you are not making a copy of a copy.
6. Backup – Now that you have scanned your images, back them up. In addition to copying the photos to disk, make a plan for offsite storage. Send a copy to your mom’s house. Upload them to an online photo gallery site.
7. Restoration – The advances in modern software are astonishing. Photographs can be corrected for color fading, brightness, exposure, and red-eye. They can be cropped for ideal presentation and straightened if crooked from scanning or if the original was crooked. An expert can remove and restore major damage and even remove unwanted people and objects.
8. Display – Now reward your hard work by displaying your photographs! In addition to framing them, you can create DVD slideshows, digital scrapbooks, collages, montages, printed photo books, and memory/display boards. Post them to an online photo gallery to share with family & friends.