5 Ways To Scan Old Photo Albums

[@willcottrell3737]

Using this to get my dad a great birthday gift: the baby pictures of my little sister he never thought he’d get. Thank you!

[@FamilyHistoryHero]

You are so welcome! That's a great idea for your dad!

[@mandyyoung444]

Very good information- I think the best advice was last. Just jump in and get started! Thanks!

[@FamilyHistoryHero]

Glad it was helpful!

[@gjonesii]

Thanks for an EXCELLENT video. Love your enthusiasm.

[@Pixologie]

Fantastic overview . . . I agree that scanning can be euphoric with the right equipment! Glad to come across your channel. . . I'm glad you kept your scanner! 😀

[@FamilyHistoryHero]

Thanks for watching! Interestingly...I'm still using the Plustek scanner for almost everything I scan, even items smaller than big photo albums. That's because it auto-crops. I don't have to do a pre-scan to select the image, so it saves me time. It doesn't work for every image, but it does work for most of them. Cheers!

[@habigscrapbooks]

Thanks Linda. This was helpful. We too were nervous about the OR fires earlier this year. This video was motivating (now to add it to all of my other projects. :) )

[@FamilyHistoryHero]

Oh, yes, Loretta-I, too, have many projects left, but it was good to get that one set of 3 photo albums about a major trip we took around the USA DONE during my research for this video. Hooray! Each project finished is a step in the right direction. 😄

[@bindilove3899]

Being a CA resident living in a high fire area, I REALLY need to get this done!

[@FamilyHistoryHero]

Very true, and I'm so sorry you have to deal with that. We're starting to have more fires here in Oregon too!

[@psrsings]

Thank you so much for the info. I have recently taken on the task of all my mom's old albums (she did memory albums long before there was such a thing) She has included journaling and artwork into he albums dating back to the early 1910s as she is the oldest of her generation and inherited all her mom's old photos. I knew I didn't just want to scan the photos but the entire pages to include all her artwork and handwriting. Luckily for me she began with 9X12 albums so I am able to get the bulk of each page all in one scan. I did not know what I was going to do when I got to her 12X12 albums, but now I do. I will invest in a large size scanner. I also intend to restore her albums as hers are falling apart with age and luckily for me as well I can still get 9X12 photo quality page protectors (of course I'm going to have a lot of empty albums as I have to buy them album and all from Amazon. I can get the protectors alone from somewhere else but when they add shipping to the order the cost is the same). One of the things I'm going to do with the extra albums is split some of mom's into 2 albums as some of hers are just too fat to enjoy. I am trying to get a lot of the scanning and restoring done quickly as mom is going blind and I want her to be able to see that her work will survive long after she is gone. My siblings want to see the photos but do not wish to deal with the albums so I am also making each album into a digital slide show. Its going to take me forever to finish as mom had around 50 albums, she never liked digital photos and always wanted printed photos and her sight had already begun to leave her by the time digital photos came along. I guess that is why she wanted all her photos printed. the last couple of her albums are not yet put together but all the journaling and artwork is all laid out for me to finish them for her. Each page is in a 12X12 sheet protector that includes a sketch of what she wanted to do along with all the pieces and parts to include. I plan to eventually store all our albums and digital photos in a fire proof gun safe, if I can find one big enough.

[@FamilyHistoryHero]

Sounds like you're well organized and have a good plan-wishing you all the best with your family photos and albums!

[@wannaduckfin]

You’re really an excellent instructor Thank you!

[@FamilyHistoryHero]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Anna-ou9dh]

Great tips and ideas. Thanks for sharing

[@FamilyHistoryHero]

Thanks for watching!

[@JACQUELINEGREENE]

Great video. Can you give me advice about how to scan the writing on the back of old photos, Linda?

[@FamilyHistoryHero]

Hi JACQUELINEGREENE, It depends on the scanner and software you use. My Epson FastFOTO multi-feed scanner has a setting that will automatically scan the back of a photo when it detects writing or other marks like a stamp on the back. This isn’t the only brand that does this so if you’re interested in this kind of scanner read the reviews before you make your choice.

[@FamilyHistoryHero]

For some reason most of my reply was cut off so here's the rest: If you have a flatbed scanner the simplest way is to place the photo face down in the upper left corner, close the scanner lid, and click the Preview button to run an initial preview scan. On the preview click and drag a marquee around your photo. Make sure your scanner settings are correct, click the scan button, name it adding “-a” at the end of the file name and then scan it. To scan the back of the photo open the scanner lid and flip the photo over leaving it in the same location-the upper left corner. Unless you want to outline just the writing, there's no need to create another preview. It's in the same location so the original marquee outline will be fine. Just click the Scan button. Use the same file name but add “-b” at the end and that way both files will stay together alphabetically in a list of images.

[@FamilyHistoryHero]

Again...cut off...so here's the rest: A simple way is to use your phone to take a photo of the back and name it the same as the original photo scan.There’s a more advanced way I sometimes use with flatbed scanners when I have multiple photos I want to scan at the same time, but it requires the use of Photoshop or Photoshop Elements so I won’t get into it here.

[@JACQUELINEGREENE]

@@FamilyHistoryHero Hi Linda, thanks so much for taking the time to answer my question. You've been a great help

[@ScaryFear]

Very cool. Thanks for sharing. I'm back at sorting photos. I'm getting them out of albums because they take up less space in shoe boxes. Then I can organize by dates as best possible for scanning. So far the oldest thing I've found was a pic of my grandma as a baby from 1914. But mostly for me things start with the 60s.

[@FamilyHistoryHero]

Organizing is so important to do before scanning, so cheers to you! A few years back I also took pictures out of older albums and my only regret was that I didn't scan or at least take a photo of each full page and keep them together in order for future reference and to access the notations.

[@ScaryFear]

@@FamilyHistoryHero Oh I kind of have them in order since they are going into a box. But I understand that frustration. The really old stuff I've found with no names or dates on the back is driving me nuts.

[@FamilyHistoryHero]

@@ScaryFear For sure-that's the biggest headache we face as family historians. That's why I've determined not to make the same mistakes with my photos. I want to make future generations happy that I took the time to tell our family stories and identify the photos!

[@psrsings]

I got you beat. I one of mom's albums there is a photo of my grandfather that mom says in her journaling was taken somewhere around 1910. I also will eventually have to deal with family Portraits that are dated from the late 1800s

[@ScaryFear]

@@psrsings Wow 1800s is pretty amazing. That's cool. I still have not dealt with my photos. I have been downsizing junk mostly. Hope that will end soon.

[@gmagpa808]

This was very helpful. Thanks, Linda. I thought I was finished with all mine until I found some more that need to be done. Also, the ones I paid to have scanned are only at 200 dpi instead of 300. That was a real disappointment!

[@FamilyHistoryHero]

Oh, no! That's too bad about the 200 dpi! How could a company do that?! But all is not lost. You still have a record of your albums that can be seen beautifully on a computer and could be upsized for printing to 10x10 inches without noticeable loss of quality. As I did my research for this video the online company that looked good was MemoryFortress.com. I was impressed with their clear explanations and dedication to scrapbooking and they have two prices per 12 x 12 inch page depending on whether you choose 300 dpi or 600 dpi. I haven't tested them so I can't say for sure what their quality would be, but this was the company I would have tried first for digitizing album pages.

[@gmagpa808]

@@FamilyHistoryHero Thanks for the suggestion. I will check them out.

[@michaelmayrend313]

Hopefully this message finds you well. Some photo albums cannot be easily be disassembled to lay the pages flat. The other thing is going to someone's home and discovering a photo album that has some part of my family in it. Your phone is the only scanner you have at this point, and you do not know if you will every be back. My wish is for an improved version of Photomyne with four additional features. 1. Single image setting so you can take a photo of the complete album page, and not break it up yet. 2. Meta data notes in the album and all the photos within. 3. A level camera guide to help with taking the best square on picture possible. And 4. Photomyne to use the camera's resolution/lens settings. Highest resolution and macro lens if available.

[@FamilyHistoryHero]

Those are great ideas for Photomyne! You should send them to the company!

[@kimplush_are_people_too6858]

I’m so happy to have learned about your channel! I’ve just started scanning my 30 albums this week and also considered all of these options. How fun to have a large enough scanner to not need to use photomerge and self crop! The $309-ish scanner isn’t quite 12” and I wonder how that would work for scanning 12” x 12” pages. I almost wish you could’ve done a review on that one too. I look forward to following you here on KZbin! 😀👍

[@FamilyHistoryHero]

Since I did this review Plustek has come out with a cheaper version of the 12" wide size. I've seen it for around $500. The main difference is that the resolution doesn't go as high as the more expensive model, but with scrapbook pages (and most photos) you don't need super high resolution. I scan all my scrapbook pages at 300 ppi, which is the standard for printing. More resolution is mainly used for increasing size (like scanning a slide or negative to a good photo print size) and scrapbook pages generally don't need to be larger. The slightly smaller model, though, would work for 12x12 pages too. The quarter inch off of each side is so minimal that no one would ever notice any difference.

[@marcobarrientos4953]

So helpful, thank you!

[@FamilyHistoryHero]

Glad it was helpful!

[@kareneyrich3345]

Great video! A few years ago I digitalized a scrapbook I had made about my mother's army years. I took it to a FedEx store and they scanned it all onto a USB drive for me. I've since scanned a few other Creative Memories albums. Now for my dilemma, for some people, the purpose of scanning is to save these memories in case of a fire. I would love to take these scanned pages and turn them into a printed digital book. But my scrapbooking style has changed! I look at these pages and cringe. I'm wondering how other people handle this. For a few pages I added a few other elements, but my journalling I definitely want to keep. I'll have to revisit all my scanned pages and see if there's any hope for them!

[@FamilyHistoryHero]

@KarenEyrich I had to laugh when you said "my scrapbooking style has changed!" SO true of many of us who started back in the Creative Memories days. Here are a few thoughts... The 3 albums I made about our family trip around the USA in 1998 were all Creative Memories albums back before there were even that many "elements" you could buy, but they are definitely the older Creative Memories style. I told my kids I was considering redoing the albums to a more modern style and creating a photo book and they both said, "No! We want the originals!" They were old enough during that trip that they remember it well and the album has helped to reinforce those memories. They feel very nostalgic about those albums! So I didn't change them at all, except that now I'm working on fixing most of the photos-some a little and many a lot. The final album pages are going to look just like the originals but even better, and I hope to get them all into one photo book. So here's my thought on older albums...I could redo them all or I could leave them to show what the album design was like "back then." Or I could redo some of them, but I don't think I'm going to. I'm going to turn most of those older pages into a single PDF of old scrapbook pages in chronological order. (It's easy to do that with both Plustek scanners.) And then I want to move on and do something with the digital pages I've made that are sitting on my computer or work on new pages for family history. It's a personal decision each of us will have to make!

[@josebrivera1716]

I was puzzled as to why you want to scan the photos in an album setting? But that is the title of your video. I scanned 1,500 photos recently, but I did so individual in a scanner that you feed from the top and its 2seconds per photo. Other photo scanners will do batches of 50 photo in a minute or two.scanning albums pages gives you less resolution per photo than scanning them individually and you end up with larger file sized. I recommend scanning each photo separately.

[@FamilyHistoryHero]

Congrats on getting your photos scanned-that's huge! One observation-scanning album pages actually doesn't give less resolution per photo. Every photo on the page has the same resolution as the original scanned page. Try it. Scan a page, copy or crop the photo and check the resolution. It will be the same as the original scan. A 300 ppi scan of the page will produce 300 ppi individual photos. If you want to increase the size of the individual photos, simply increase the resolution of your page scan. I agree with your recommendation of using a feed scanner when possible. I do have an Epson FastFoto scanner myself and have used it with a lot of my loose individual photos. But photo albums often have a lot more information than just photos, or the photos may be stuck to the page. Sometimes you simply want to keep the look of the original album. When I asked my kids (now in their 30’s) if they would prefer that I digitally redo the albums of our 5 month trip around the USA when they were 11 and 13, they both said an emphatic "NO!" They loved the original look in spite of the dated look, so I scanned the pages, uploaded them online, and made them each a photo book of our trip for Christmas. They were both very pleased! So those are my reasons, but I do love my Epson Fast FOTO scanner for the right photos!

[@psrsings]

I am restoring my mom's old albums and that is why I would like to scan the entire page to keep my mom's original journaling and artwork. I also scan each photo individually. I am also making digital slide shows of each album, but I still want to keep each album the way mom intended them to be.

[@mrs.horner7243]

Where do you purchase your digital books from once you have scanned your photos?

[@FamilyHistoryHero]

We have used a number of book companies including Shutterfly, Chatbooks, PrestoPhoto, and Printique, all with good results. There are other companies besides those, and the options keep expanding.

[@robinclay1708]

I have a hundred albums, but a) they are 12 x 16 and b) they are tightly bound so only open to 0 degrees. I have an A3 scanner, but they books don't lie flat.

[@FamilyHistoryHero]

With photo albums or books that don't lie flat on a flatbed scanner you have to scan them one page at a time with the opposite side hanging over the edge outside the scanner. It takes a little more time but it works quite well! Another option you may not have considered is dismantling at least some of the albums and scanning all the pages in the original order to create a digital album in PDF format. A hundred physical albums is a HUGE amount to pass down to future generations and not all albums are created equal! So here's something to chew on... I kept a few of my very best albums and tossed the rest after scanning all the pages and removing only the best photos that I felt were worthy of keeping. As family historians we tend to think everything is equally important and must be preserved in physical form, exactly as it is, but that just isn't true. In fact, Good is often the enemy of the Best because it makes the amount of stuff we have look and feel overwhelming-not just to us but also to our descendants. Just something to think about...

[@robinclay1708]

Thank you ! That "overhang" idea is genius ! But would miss out the edges of the pages. But I'll try that. 71 of my grandmother's albums, now in a "museum" to which I have "privileged access". 29 are my mother's, and generally are worth keeping - they may go to the same "museum". My mother had a 16mm cine camera that she took "out into the Bush of darkest Africa" in 1936 - no roads, no cars ! I have 10,000 ft of film to digitise . . .

[@marthawutschel7610]

I just purchased the OpticPro 320L that you reviewed and set it up today. I have lots of questions but will start with just a few. 1. I have about 1000 pages of 12 x 12 creative memory albums to scan. Did you remove all the page protectors prior to scanning? 2. You mention saving these as albums in a pdf format. Does this mean they are of a quality to eventually print into a photo book if you choose? Also if saved as a PDF and then someone wants to isolate a single photo from the page and possibly enhance the photo - is that still possible from the PDF? I currently do not use photo shop but a family member does and she will be getting some of the images.

[@FamilyHistoryHero]

Hi Martha, congrats on getting the A320L, and thanks for your question. That's a lot of album pages! First, the page protectors. I have done it both ways. I removed the page protectors for my best albums, but I have scanned others with the page protectors intact and they came out fine. My best advice is to try it both ways and see how your results are. If there's no noticeable difference it would save you a lot of time to not have to remove them. As far as PDF quality is concerned, if you use the highest quality setting when you create your PDFs you should end up with the same pixel data as your original jpeg or TIFF scans, and your books will look great. You are correct that PDFs can be opened in Photoshop. You then choose the page you want to edit and individual photos can be selected and extracted. Again, if the PDF is high quality when it's created you will get a high quality photo from the extraction. The best approach is to create two versions of your album PDFs: a high-quality version that preserves the pixel data for reproduction, and a reduced file size version that's compressed for easy sharing and uploading to the web, such as FamilySearch. For viewing on a computer or tablet the reduced file size version will still look terrific to the naked eye. You would have to zoom WAY in to notice the loss of detail. Best wishes on your scanning project!

[@marthawutschel7610]

@@FamilyHistoryHero Just wondering why you recommend scanning at 300 dpi when this unit will go higher?

[@FamilyHistoryHero]

@@marthawutschel7610 Increasing the resolution beyond 300 dpi (ppi) isn’t necessary unless you want to enlarge the image you’re scanning and I doubt you would want your 12x12 scrapbook page scans to be any larger. If a photo doesn't need to be enlarged 300 dpi (ppi) produces all the quality you need for an excellent image and is recommended by highly trustworthy printing companies like Larsen Digital. So I scan photo album pages at 300 and then if I want to enlarge a particular photo I scan just that photo at a higher resolution. However, I’ve found that this is one of the hardest concepts for people to grasp! Even Larsen Digital states that "the higher resolution you choose, the higher quality of a digital image you will get.” And then on the same page it offers only 300 or 600 ppi for scanning 4x6 photos-because 300 dpi is all you need for a really good scan and 600 dpi is good choice if you want to enlarge a photo up to double the size. If you don't believe me try an experiment: scan a photo at 300 ppi, then scan it at a higher ppi, print both of them and compare the quality. You'll be amazed!

[@marthawutschel7610]

I currently do not use any photo editing software (Like Photoshop). In the Application setting on the button configuration for the plustek scanner you filled in photoshop. Is there any harm in leaving the preview setting? Or could I use the the photo app on the IMAC? I really do not understand this setting. Customer service has been of some help but they are not all knowledgeable about scanning album pages. Your videos and setting suggestions have been much more valuable, but I am not very good with all this technology!

[@FamilyHistoryHero]

Hi Martha, that setting is just to tell the scanner software which application you want it to open when the image is created. I just happen to use Photoshop. I think you can also choose to leave it blank and not have the software open anything, or you can choose whichever other program you want it to open.

[@timothyrastello8304]

Did you receive a reply, Martha? I have the same question! Thanks.

[@FamilyHistoryHero]

@@timothyrastello8304 Timothy, I replied to Martha. See previous post from me.

[@adam-user]

Great video, I also made a decision after scanning 3 albums during 3 weekends with an A4 scanner :-)) Losing my sanity :-)) I was just disappointed by the $2.000 price tag of the Epson scanners. Using a camera (smartphone or regular) is not an option for me because of issues with quality. I'm definitely about to give a shot to one of the Plustek scanners you mentioned. Were you satisfied with the image quality? Sharpness and colors?

[@FamilyHistoryHero]

I was very satisfied with the Plustek OpticPro-much more so than the less expensive Plustek model. Once I got the settings dialed in (see my free PDF below the video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b4fcdWefbtyBq8U) I was able to scan multiple 12x12 photo albums with great results-mainly that the scans looked like the originals, which is always my definition of a good scanner. Hope that helps!

[@adam-user]

@@FamilyHistoryHero Thanks! I bought the Plustek OpticPro A320E based on your recommendation and I am also very satisfied with it. I love the one-button scanning (don't need to hassle between my computer and the scanner) and frankly, I found it easy enough to use, for me. I also contacted customer support before purchasing and it was great. As a side-note, they'll be releasing a new scanner model this year, OpticPro A320L with a higher scanning resolution (1600 dpi compared to 600 of the A320E) and I think I'd appreciate the extra resolution as I can get a lot of (and a lot more) details from some of my special pictures. So someone considering the purchase, could wait a couple of weeks/months. I couldn't stand waiting :D

[@FamilyHistoryHero]

@@adam-user Thanks for your thoughts and I'm glad you've enjoyed your Plustek! I was a little surprised about the "new" scanner model being released, however, since I have owned the A320L for quite awhile now-probably more than a year! So it's not exactly new BUT, it does have a resolution higher than 600, as you mentioned. Wishing you the best!

[@adam-user]

@@FamilyHistoryHero Funny, it's very interesting :-)) The official dealer in my country said it's very new and coming this year :-)) What are your impressions of the A320L? Is it worth upgrading from the A320E? Does it produce better scan results, apart from the resolution increase? Thanks :)

[@FamilyHistoryHero]

@@adam-user I haven't personally tried the A320E version that's cheaper but my understanding is that the quality is the same except for the amount of resolution (800 dpi) which is plenty for larger items like photo album pages or even regular size photos. I've had several people in our community buy one and haven't heard anything negative about it yet.

[@kimcagle8198]

I have watched this video several times and am getting ready to purchase this scanner. Will the Plustek scanner put your pages into a digital "album" if you want, or do you just have all pages as separate files. I have 20+ scrapbooks to scan and really want to create digital albums, not just lots of separate pages.

[@FamilyHistoryHero]

Hi Kim-the way to create a digital album with a Plustek scanner is to scan the pages into a PDF. That's the only way to create a "book" when scanning and it's actually a very nice way to do it. For my 12x12 inch albums I chose 300 ppi and the PDF format. Using 300 ppi will keep the page size the same as the original size for printing. I do NOT recommend choosing the Searchable PDF option unless you do a regular PDF first and then make a searchable one. I found that using the searchable option reduced the quality of each page for the number of pixels and would partially or fully rotate some of my pages to fit the angle of the type and make it "straight." Also, be sure to check Continuous so all the pages stay together until you choose the stop option. If you scan as a PDF at 300 ppi the pages will have good quality and you or your descendants will be able to open each of those pages individually in a program like Photoshop or Photoshop Elements. So it's the best of both worlds-you get a "book" (a PDF with all the pages one after the other) and you can separate the book into individual pages anytime now or in the future.

[@psrsings]

while I am restoring my mom's old albums I am putting each page into a slide show with a page turn transition between each page. I have found this is what works best for me as I can then share the slideshow with my siblings who do not wish to deal with mom's 50+ albums but still want to be able to look through them as mom created them.

[@carlapoole4328]

Thank you for this video; I've been looking at scanning photo albums for a while now. Question: I have an only child so he will most likely inherit everything. All 40-ish albums (to date); it will equal a significant amount of storage space/weight. My plan was to create 12x12 digital photo books (exact replicas) of the albums. Is it wrong to consider disposing of the originals? I would probably keep the professional pictures and certain sentimental items but most of the "good" pictures were scrapped onto the pages, and I don't envision pulling off all the pictures just to transfer them in a storage box. I suppose I work my way through digitizing and producing digital photo albums and hang onto the originals for the time being...? Am I being insensitive to consider parting with originals? We don't have a timeline (right now) of downsizing; I'm just feeling the need to condense and consolidate what I keep from here on out. Do you have any insight?

[@FamilyHistoryHero]

Hi Carla-I feel your pain! It's hard to let go of anything with value like a photo album but there's a time for everything. My moment came when we had to tote the photo albums out to the RV along with the rest of the photos so we could avoid approaching fires. They're BIG and heavy and take up way too much space, so I vowed to deal with them. I asked my kids and they only really cared to keep the 3 albums about our trip as a family around the USA. So I scanned ALL the albums and did what you did-removed the very best photos to save. Not a lot mind you because I had digital versions of the pages. Then I turned the JPEGs from each album into their own PDF and (gasp!) I threw the albums away! My bookshelf thanks me (and my kids too, and my office too) and we STILL have everything saved in digital format from the original albums. I kept the three albums the kids wanted but I also made a "real book" with the scans from those albums by uploading the jpeg pages from all three albums to an online book printing site where I compiled them into a book. Yes, you heard that right. ONE book and a very slim one at that. And lightweight too. I printed two copies, one for each kid, and they can fight over the original albums when I'm gone. I have no regrets. And I give you permission (if you need it) to do the same.

[@psrsings]

I am restoring all my mom's old albums and plan to keep them (I just can't bear to part with my mom's original artwork. I do plan to put them all in a fireproof gun safe eventually and store that in a shipping container on the back side of my large piece of property I already have the shipping container as we are also downsizing from a large mobile home to a tinyhouse on that property and I have some large pieces of inherited antique furniture that I can't bear to part with that will be passed on to my children who know all the stories behind them.

[@timothyrastello8304]

Great job, Linda! So helpful. We live in Boulder, Colorado and have had a string of bad fires over the last several years. We have four children and 36 years of marriage and dozens of albums. Would love to create books from the albums, which are easier to view. Have you tried? Thanks very much. Tim R.

[@FamilyHistoryHero]

Thanks Timothy. Yes, I do make books. Not all old albums are book-worthy, but I have done books with the ones that are. The other upside is that you can create multiple copies of books from albums your kids want rather than having to decide who gets the one physical album. I also make PDFs from the albums to share digitally.

[@timothyrastello8304]

@@FamilyHistoryHero Linda, Thanks for the reply? Is there a particular software or service you think is best for creating books? Also, do you have an update on your advice regarding the Plustek scanners? I am trying to decide which one to purchase. Thanks again. Tim

[@FamilyHistoryHero]

@@timothyrastello8304 Either the Plustek OpticPro A320L or A320E are great choices. The A320L has a higher optical resolution ceiling (1600 DPI), but the E model should be adequate for most situations with 800 DPI max resolution. As far as software, I use Photoshop to create my pages for printing, but you can use Canva, Affinity Photo, or other photo compositing software, and most book companies have the ability to build pages in their online platforms. I've had good results with Shutterfly, Chatbooks, Printique, and PrestoPhoto.

[@timandrenata]

Your video was extremely clear and informative as I seek to digitize my mom's scrapbooks. Have you any experience with using CZUR scanners? I wonder how the results might compare with the Plustek flatbed scanners you reviewed here?

[@FamilyHistoryHero]

Hi Tim. No, we haven't had any experience with CZUR. My impression is that they are more oriented toward digitizing books, and I don't know what kind of quality they would deliver on photos. If you get a chance to try one please let us know how your experience is.

[@rajivahuja2923]

Thanks. Second method is most appropriate

[@FamilyHistoryHero]

You're welcome!

[@catherineclark151]

Hi, I found your video extremely helpful and informative. I’ve never scanned my photos and was wondering how you organize and store your scanned info photos. Also, did you encounter

[@FamilyHistoryHero]

Hi Catherine Clark. Glad you found my video helpful! The best way to organize your scans is to first organize the paper photos into logical family groups and topics and then scan the photos from each group or topic into a folder on your computer or external drive that uses the same organization. If you don't organize the paper photos first, the scans will be just as disorganized on your computer, and that's not a good thing!

[@kjbrocky]

I need to see a demonstration ...

[@FamilyHistoryHero]

Hi kjbrocky, There are 5 different ways of scanning I taught in this video. Which method caught your interest?

[@dennisofnewport]

I have created a fun and easy way to scan family photos. But would like to receive permission before I share the link.

[@isisfross8370]

Thank U so much

[@MiaHessMusic]

My scanner, an all-in-one, sucks for photos, which is why i javen't done it.

[@FamilyHistoryHero]

Yeah...they aren't the best! Can you borrow a better scanner for a week or weekend?

[@ReneB099]

I have 2, both HPs. An Officejet Pro 7740 for A3 jobs and a Pagewide Pro 477dw for A4 jobs. I've found both do a good job. I'm using Window's built in utility Fax and Scan program which allows me to scan in high resolutions and save the scan in different formats. I default to 600dpi .TIFF files for my photo scans.

[@MiaHessMusic]

@@ReneB099 thanks for the info!! You must have a LOT of available storage to save photos as .tiffs! Great idea though. I also scan sheet music so I'll look into the Pagewide!

[@ReneB099]

@@MiaHessMusic Yes, I save my .tiffs to a portable 4TB USB3.0 drive plus backups. Be aware the Pagewide printer and consumable are not cheap and bridges the gap between lasers and inkjets.

[@threeicys]

poignant content, useful today!

[@gyanprakashbajpai1602]

Is it safe?

[@FamilyHistoryHero]

Not sure what you're referring to.

[@dorisjc1186]

Good info, but not the price. Not willing to pay that kind of money for a one time use.

[@FamilyHistoryHero]

Kind of depends on how much you have to scan and the time you'll save. Or you can do what I was planning to do: Get my scanning done and then sell it on eBay. But wouldn't you know... I got hooked on it and found it was helpful for so much more than larger photo albums! That's why I still have it and sometimes use it more than my Epson scanner which I've always loved but just isn't as fast and easy as my Plustek for some types of scans.

[@fraudsarentfriends4717]

Digitizing doesn't make your photos safer. More digital photos are lost in the cloud and on devices than on film.

[@FamilyHistoryHero]

Photos, whether digital or paper, getting lost or tossed is indeed a problem. That's why a digital version should be placed in a safe place like a genealogy site, where future generations can search, or with a service, like Permanent.org, where you can pay once and be able to pass access down from generation to generation. In my class, My Ancestor Box, I also recommend saving a curated set of physical photos you can pass down, but physical photos can only be given to one descendant-unless you digitize and print additional physical copies. So physical and digital work together...and eventually all we'll have is digital. So we better make sure we have a safe way to store them!