How to Digitalize Old Photos: Preserve Your Memories for Years to Come

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If you have clicked on this article, chances are that you have plenty of pictures, and photo albums at home filled with sweet memories that have special meaning to you, your friends, and your family. 

You may even have several boxes filled with these snapshots of the past, sitting in a closet or attic or someplace tucked away. So if you want to find out how to best preserve these memories, then look no further!

Digitalization is the absolute best way to make sure your photos are safe throughout the years. 

It ensures that your photos are backed up onto a computer or your smartphone so that if something happens to print versions, you and your loved ones will always have digital qualities that are stored on your computer. 

I’m sure you will be wondering now how to digitalize old photos.

There are several ways you can digitalize your old photos. Which method you should use depends on many factors such as personal preference, technical knowledge, and how much time you are willing to spend. 

If you have a large collection of photos, a project like that can easily take up multiple weekends of your life you may not be willing to give up!

Why You Should Digitize Your Old Photos

Looking through old photos brings life memories and stories we may have long forgotten about. It’s like taking a walk down memory lane. It is an amazing way to reconnect with our past. 

But, as time passes, these old photos can fade and deteriorate, leaving them beyond recognition. 

Also, holding onto a large collection of physical photos leaves them susceptible to physical damage and natural disasters destroying our memories, and making them lost forever. 

That is why it becomes important to consider preserving your old family photos before these memories fade away. And digitalization gives us a chance to preserve our family’s most important moments and stories safe and secure for generations to come. 

The 4 Best Ways to Digitalize Photo

When it comes to how to digitalize old photos, there are main 4 different options for converting old photos into digital images: 

1. A Digital Camera

Using a digital camera is a very straightforward method for your old photo digitization. But, It is only great if you have a small amount of photos so I won’t recommend it for larger collections of photos. 

This technique works best if you have one or two images at a time and as long as they are in good condition. 

To digitalize your photos using a digital camera, you will need a camera, and a computer for storing and editing photos. Photo editing software such as Adobe Photoshop will help you crop and adjust your images after scanning them. 

Once you realize you have everything you need, digitize photos in a dark room with a small light source, but don’t use glare. 

After you have successfully snapped digital photos of all your physical photos, you can convert them into your computer and edit them using photo editing software. 

2. Smartphone Apps

Source: Fracture Blog

Using smartphone apps to convert your old photos into digital form is the simplest way how to digitalize old photos. 

There are multiple smartphone apps that can help you digitize your old photos. But again, if you only have a small collection of photos you want to digitize, this can be a quick and easy option. 

Remember that if you don’t have a good-quality camera phone, the scans will typically be of low quality. 

You can use your smartphone to digitize your photos, in a similar setup as when scanning with digital cameras. 

You need a smartphone, a tripod, a computer, a dark room, and photo editing software, in case you want to edit your photos beyond what your scanning app allows. 

Once you are done with the scanning process using your app of choice, the digital copies of your photos will easily be stored on your phone. From there you can easily view and share with your family and friends or on social media. 

3. A Flatbed Scanner

A flatbed scanner can be the best way to digitize photos for people who have physical photos that may not be in good condition such as photos that have come out of photo albums. It can also be a good choice for people who want to scan a lot of photos at once.

Flatbed scanners are usually easy to use and can give you a better-quality scan than the other options listed above. However, it can be a bit time-consuming. 

There are many types of scanners in the market, you can choose according to how long you plan on keeping it and what features you want.

It is also important to keep in mind that some scanners don’t work well with certain kinds of photos so it’s critical to read customer reviews before you purchase one. 

4. Professional Photo Scanning Services

The last option in the list of how to digitalize old photos is to use a professional photo-to-scanning service. These services have professional equipment to give you high-quality scans.

These services are usually more expensive than other options, but they are also more convenient, can give you better quality, and can handle large photo collections in varying conditions and sizes. 

If you choose these services then it will eliminate the need for you to sit at a desk for hours, scanning photo albums yourself.