Take one step into my moms closet, and youll immediately notice the photo albums.
Not content with the closet, theyve recently started spilling into other rooms of the house.
I know my mom feels overwhelmed by the sheer volume.
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She complains about them every time I head her wayfor a free mealfor a visit.
And shes not alone.
Lots of people are struggling with mountains of old photos cluttering their homes.
No Interest Til Almost 2027?
Benefits of Digitizing Photos
So why digitize your photos?
Thats what makes digitizing at home so appealing.
Heres what youll need:
The first thing youll need to digitize your photos is a scanner.
Your equipment can get dirty over time.
For the best results, wipe down the scanner bed with a microfiber cloth before every use.
Donotuse paper towels, as they can leave behind debris and even scratch the scanning surface.
it’s possible for you to also get compressed air for cleaning photos.
Organizing photos, especially when theyre in the thousands, can take up a lot of space.
Ideally, you will need a clear table or desk to lay out photos and organize them into groups.
Just be sure the other members of your household know not to disturb your workspace in between scanning sessions.
Photoshop Elements is specifically designed for amateurs; nographic design experiencenecessary.
Chances are good, they arent all winners.
Then determine how you will want to categorize them: By year?
By people in frame?
Establishing this now will make it easier to organize your photos once youve scanned them.
Set up your new scanner and clean the scanner bed with a microfiber cloth before starting.
If your photos are dusty, clean them before scanning them; compressed air is the safest option.
Wipe down the scanner bed after every few batches to ensure high-quality scans.
The Epson model mentioned above can manage 36 photos at once.
see to it to pick the right configs before scanning.
To stay organized, add a filename to each photo as you go.
Develop a consistent filename convention that will make it easier to organize and find photos.
For example, you could make your convention Name_Location or Event_Date.
Below are some of the most popular companies for digitizing your photos.
Note: Prices are accurate as of Nov. 19, 2020.
The analysis assumes a batch of 1,000 photos.
DigMyPics
DigMyPicsoffers digitization for photos, negatives, slides, APS, video tapes and 8mm.
Costs start at 39 cents per photo up to 8x10 at 300 dpi.
Upgrades to 600 or 1,200 dpi quickly become more expensive at 49 cents or 89 cents respectively.
Cost:At 1,000 photos at 600 dpi, DigMyPics would cost $490.
iMemories charges 59 cents per photo.
Cost:At 1,000 photos at 600 dpi, iMemories would cost $590.
ScanMyPhotos
Despite its name,ScanMyPhotoscan scan more than just photos; it also offers slide and negative scanning.
Higher dpi photo boxes cost significantly more: $285 for 300 dpi and $329 for 600 dpi.
Cost:At 1,000 photos at 600 dpi using the traditional pricing method, ScanMyPhotos would cost $210.
Scan Cafe
Scan Cafescans and repairs each photo by hand.
The company charges 37 cents per photo up to 8x10 in size at 600 dpi.
you’ve got the option to also have videos, movies, negatives and slides digitized.
Opting for a USB drive for photos is $9.95 per USB.
A DVD set of the photos is $11.95.
Cost:At 1,000 photos at 600 dpi, Scan Cafe would cost $370.
Your smartphone may be the answer to your problem.
But that doesnt mean we should give up on printed photos entirely.
He lives in Ohio with his fiance.
