Yevgen Timashov / Getty Images
Most of us havehalf a dozen boxesofold family photosgathering dust in the attic.
Yes, scanning all those photos takes true dedicationbut you don’t have to do it all at once.
These are the reasons why you should digitize your family photos and how to get started.
Credit:Yevgen Timashov / Getty Images
Digitizing photos creates arecord of family history and eventsthat will last in perpetuity.
And you might share photos of common ancestors across the familyeven with your second cousin twice removed.
Share Memories
Family stories are easily forgotten as the decades pass.
Once photos are digitized, you cancreate albums or slideshowsto make pictures that much more meaningful.
Your family can also access those stories without traveling to your house and digging through the attic.
Prevent Loss And Damage
Photos fade and discolor over time.
Scan your pictures to preserve them while they’re in peak condition.
Damaged or faded photos can be restored and enhanced with digital tools.
You’ll also know they’re safe in a fire or flood.
Steps To Digitize Photos
The thought of scanning thousands of photos can be overwhelming.
Kodak, Legacybox, and Costco are among many companies that provide this service.
You’ll need high-resolution images for when people want to havethem printed.
Organize Your Photos
You’ll have to go through all those boxesit will save you time down the road.
Toss the blurry or unattractive photos that aren’t worth keeping.
Sort the images you will scan by year, family member, and/or location.
Scan Photos
Find a scanning app that allows you to scan multiple photos simultaneously to save time.
Before you get started, verify the glass on your scanner and your prints are clean and dust-free.
Scan your photos and make adjustments (cropping and straightening) as you go.
You may want to save that until later in the interest of time.
Organize them into folders as desired.
Many apps allow you to add details like a location, description, and tags to each image.
This makes it easy to search for every photo of Uncle Bob or your grandparents' family farm.
