People have been using technology to preserve memories from old photographs and negatives. Using modern technology for digitizing photos the average person can take those memories and turn them into a long term record for their future use. The process is straightforward and only requires a few pieces of equipment to be able to capture these pictures.
Using a scanner and a computer you can make a digital copy of a photograph that can be stored in several locations or printed out. On a personal computer you can also use software to repair the images and fill in any rips or spots. There is even some software that is being developed to allow smartphones to be able to copy pictures. Regardless of what tool you use the pictures can be saved in a form that will allow you to preserve these images.
The most important component to get is a higher quality scanner to digitize your photographs. A modern unit should have a USB 2.0 connection and the ability to capture an image at a high resolution. If you want to preserve negatives some higher level scanners have add ons that allow you to do that. Look for a flatbed scanner that can handle letter size documents or if you are preserving portraits a legal sized scanner would be best.
While many scanners can capture and store images it is still a good option to have a PC or Mac for this project. Several photo editing packages can be bought that allow you to correct errors and defects that will appear on aged photos. Using the scanned image it can be enhanced and cleared up before it becomes part of your permanent collection. In addition it is easier to email that restored photo to grandma from a computer.
There is one important thing to do before you finish this project which is to make multiple copies of the scanned and restored pictures. You have preserved the images but if you have it in only one location you could easily lose them. With the various ways to back up digital files whether on the internet or with some other method of storage there is no reason not to have another copy to back up your memories.
Memories can not be replaced but they can be copied for the future. The effort and cost of digitizing photos is minimum compared to the alternative of losing some precious memories. It is easy to get the tools and to take the simple steps that will let you keep the pictures of your life safe.
Using a scanner and a computer you can make a digital copy of a photograph that can be stored in several locations or printed out. On a personal computer you can also use software to repair the images and fill in any rips or spots. There is even some software that is being developed to allow smartphones to be able to copy pictures. Regardless of what tool you use the pictures can be saved in a form that will allow you to preserve these images.
The most important component to get is a higher quality scanner to digitize your photographs. A modern unit should have a USB 2.0 connection and the ability to capture an image at a high resolution. If you want to preserve negatives some higher level scanners have add ons that allow you to do that. Look for a flatbed scanner that can handle letter size documents or if you are preserving portraits a legal sized scanner would be best.
While many scanners can capture and store images it is still a good option to have a PC or Mac for this project. Several photo editing packages can be bought that allow you to correct errors and defects that will appear on aged photos. Using the scanned image it can be enhanced and cleared up before it becomes part of your permanent collection. In addition it is easier to email that restored photo to grandma from a computer.
There is one important thing to do before you finish this project which is to make multiple copies of the scanned and restored pictures. You have preserved the images but if you have it in only one location you could easily lose them. With the various ways to back up digital files whether on the internet or with some other method of storage there is no reason not to have another copy to back up your memories.
Memories can not be replaced but they can be copied for the future. The effort and cost of digitizing photos is minimum compared to the alternative of losing some precious memories. It is easy to get the tools and to take the simple steps that will let you keep the pictures of your life safe.
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