How to scan old photos: resolution, settings and care

A good scan is the best thing you can do for a photograph, with or without AI. It preserves the image before it deteriorates further, and it gives every later step more to work with.

Handle with care

• Use clean hands or nitrile gloves, and hold prints by the edges without touching the image area (Library of Congress).
• Work in a clean, dry space without food or drink.
• Remove dust with an air bulb. Do not brush the surface.
• Do not peel prints from sticky album pages by force. If they will not come away, photograph the page or ask a conservator.
• Do not use tape, glue, paper clips or rubber bands on the print.

Scanner settings that matter

For prints larger than the scanner glass, photograph them instead: outdoors in shade or beside a bright window, camera parallel to the print, no flash.

Name, describe and back up

The National Archives suggests using only letters, numbers, hyphens and underscores in file names (no spaces or symbols), and adding basic metadata: who, what, where and when. A year and a surname in the file name is already a big improvement over IMG_0042.

For backups it recommends the 3-2-1 rule: three copies, on two different kinds of media, with one copy off-site. It also advises keeping your originals after digitizing, because digital files have their own preservation risks and can easily be lost.

Store the originals properly

The Library of Congress recommends a relatively dry (30 to 50 percent relative humidity), cool and stable environment, with colder storage for color photographs and film negatives, and photo-safe enclosures meeting ISO 18902. Attics, basements and spots near vents, radiators and exterior walls are the worst places for them.

What to do with the scan next

Keep the master untouched and work on copies. If the photo is damaged, see how to restore old photos; if it is clean and grey, see how to colorize black and white photos.