Guides
Guides to caring for and scanning old photos
Each guide explains what to do with the paper, what to avoid and how the digital copy can be restored. The conservation advice comes from archives and museums, cited on each page.
Damaged photos
Pick the damage you see on the photo.
- How to deal with mold on an old photoMold on an old photo: stop the moisture, handle it as little as possible and store it right, as the US National Archives advises. Then restore the scan.
- How to remove yellowing from an old photoYellowed old photo: what digital restoration does to the yellow tint, what to expect from the colors and how to store the paper, with an official source.
- How to recover colors in a faded photoFaded photo: what digital restoration recovers, where color is estimated and how to store the paper so it doesn't get worse, with an official source.
- How to restore a torn photoTorn or broken photo: what not to do with the paper, when to call a conservator and how to restore the scanned image.
- How to remove stains from an old photoStains on an old photo: what to do with wet or moldy paper, and how digital restoration reduces the stains in the image.
- How to remove scratches from an old photoScratches on an old photo: how digital restoration fills them in the image, and how to handle and store the paper so you don't make new ones.
Scan and store
Before restoring, you need the digital copy. After that, you need to keep both the original and the file safe.
- How to scan old photosHow to scan old photos: the scanner, what to avoid, file names, metadata and the 3-2-1 rule for copies, according to the National Archives.
- How to scan old photos with your phoneWhat the official Google PhotoScan help advises for photographing paper prints with a phone, how to care for the original and what to do next.
- How to preserve old family photosStore the paper away from moisture and heat, make a digital copy and treat the damage: the essentials of preserving old photos, with an official source.
- How to store old photos without damaging themWhere to store, how to handle and what to avoid to keep old paper photos in good shape, per the National Archives and the Canadian Conservation Institute.
- Digital album of old photos: how to organize and protect itFile names, labeling who, where and when, and the National Archives three-copy rule for building a digital album of old photos.
Other problems
Shorter pages on other photo problems.
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