Best Way to Scan Photos

01 Jul Best Way to Scan Photos

Many of us want to preserve memories of our ancestors, our childhoods, and our children. The best way to preserve the memories is to scan the photos.

There are many options for scanning the photos. There are many factors to consider in order to decide which is the best option for you. Some of the factors to consider include your budget, the amount of time you have for the project, and the quality of the results.

Scanning with your Phone

We hear so much about scanning with your phone. It sounds so easy and convenient, but what is actually involved and what is the quality of the results?

To get a good phone scan you will need to be sure that the lighting is just right and that you capture the photos as completely as possible, without too much background. The quality of the resulting image will depend on your phone’s camera.

Often times, the resulting phone scan looks like this:

 As you can see, the photo was taken at an angle, and you can see the glare from the light.

 
Scanning with your All-In-One Printer
This is another seemingly convenient option. You won’t have to worry about the lighting or the angle in which you scan, but the scan will include the background page. It will not have the depth of color you would expect.

This is an example of a picture scanned on an All-In-One printer:

Scanning with a Photo Scanner
If you’re looking for the best results, a dedicated photo scanner is your answer. Using a photo scanner will provide an image which truly reflects the original photo. It will capture the depth of color as well as the photo without any extraneous background.
This is an example of a photo scanned on a photo scanner.

This achieves the best results. The picture is not distorted, the depth of color is evident, and this picture has been enhanced to remove some of the yellowing that happens over time.

DIY vs Hiring Out
Photo scanners can run from around $100 to over $1,000. Some photo scanners scan one picture at a time, others have a document feeder and can scan several photos as a batch. Regardless of which type of photo scanner you purchase, it will take time to scan your photos, but the results will be excellent.

If you don’t have the time or the inclination to scan your photos, you can hire out the task to a professional Photo Organizer. The Photo Organizer has the right equipment and the experience to provide the best results.

You can reduce the cost of the project by curating your photo collection to select the most meaningful photos and by removing photos from albums.

If you need help or guidance with scanning your photo collection, please contact us at amira@PreciousMemsPhoto.com, or visit our website www.PreciousMemsPhoto.com.