ACROBAT |6-MINUTE READ
How to digitize photos for safekeeping.
Preserve your family memories forever by digitizing old photos.
When was the last time you flipped through the family photo albums? If it’s been a while since you’ve taken a stroll down memory lane, have another look and consider digitizing old photos for safekeeping.
Converting old photo prints to digital is easier than you may expect. Using the Adobe Scan app simplifies digitizing photos and lets you edit, upload, and share them directly from the app.
You can sigh in relief to know your photos are forever and will always be safe, no matter what. Check out this easy guide for how to digitize photos and bring the past into the future.
1. Curate photos for digitizing images.
First things first, collect all the photos you want to digitize. As you begin to sort through your photo prints, you’ll start to categorize them naturally.
While shuffling through your photos, ask for help from a friend or another family member to get a second opinion. They can help remember forgotten cousins, family friends, or special occasions, offering insight into key dates and years so you can label your photos properly. Categorizing photos can help you efficiently organize them on the computer so you can easily search for them later — by person, special event, or year.
2. Use the Adobe Scan app.
Are you unsure how to digitize photos? If you don’t have a printer or physical scanner, you can use your phone and the free Adobe Scan app to digitize photos for safekeeping.
In addition to digitizing photos, the free scanner app can scan documents, ID cards, books, photo prints, and other physical files. Acrobat web tools can be accessed from anywhere and help you efficiently manage your digital file organization.
When you’re ready to scan, simply tap the screen, and the app will find the borders and take the photo for you. The app provides several editing tools to get the best image possible. You can crop the photo, adjust the lighting, apply a filter, or markup the scan. If the physical photo is stained, you can use the cleanup tool to digitally remove any unwanted spots.
Once you’re satisfied with the image, you’ll name the picture and save it as a PDF. You can then resave the scan as a JPG. You can save it to your cloud storage or wherever you want to save your digitized photos. With the app’s premium features, you can also export a PDF to Microsoft Office, create passwords, and edit the text in scans. You can also share the scan directly from the app and email the link so it’s accessible to anyone from anywhere.
3. Capture the best images.
Here are some handy tips to help you capture the best images for digitizing photos.
Use a good phone camera.
If you plan to use your phone to capture and scan your photos, use the latest technology. Don’t use an old flip phone or old smartphone to take photos. Instead, use the newest phone in the family so you have the best chance of capturing the highest DPI or image quality.
Be careful when handling photos.
Some of these precious family photos may be decades old and very fragile. Handle them with care as you plan to snap a pic.
If a photo is stored behind a plastic protector, remember to remove it from the plastic or risk reflections appearing in the scan. Pro tip: Wear gloves to protect the photos from oils or dirt on your hands or fingers.
You can also lightly clean the photos to remove any smudges or dirt that have built up over time. Don’t use a liquid cleaner, as it could damage the photos. Instead, use a dry microfiber cloth or soft brush. These tools can slowly and gently remove dirt or dust from the print.
Use a plain background.
When you take a picture of the photo print, be sure to place the photo on a white, plain background. A busy, colorful, or textured background could potentially affect the photo capture.
Also, make sure you have plenty of soft, natural lighting around you so no shadows appear in the image. Do some test runs to avoid any glare from strong, artificial light sources.
Take the photo carefully.
The best way to digitize photos is to carefully snap a picture of the print photo. As you prepare to snap a picture, position the camera directly on top of the photo print and as close up as possible. Do not take the photo at an angle, or you’ll risk the image being out of focus. Also, try to keep a steady hand to avoid any blurring.
4. Share your digitized photos.
Now, here comes the best part — sharing your digitized photos with friends and family. From the Adobe Scan app, you can share a copy of the photo scan through text, email, or Airdrop. You can also share a link to the scan within the app. If you prefer, you can save the photo scans to a cloud storage app and then share a link to the cloud with friends and family.
Once you have curated a digital photo album, you can present your precious family memories in several ways. You can place them into a digital photo frame so distant family members can place them in their homes and see many photos at once. You can also put together a fun digital presentation shared over email. Family members can enjoy scrolling through pictures of grandparents, baby photos, and other important memories at their will.
What’s great about digitizing photos is the accessibility of revisiting those memories at any time. Once your photos are digitized, it’s much easier for distant friends and family to access those beautiful moments no matter the time or distance.
Frequently asked questions about digitizing photos.
Why should I digitize photos?
Some of your most precious family memories may be taped onto a photo album page or neatly fixed into plastic pockets. Why not digitize them to make these memories more accessible? Then, each family member can look at those photos from anywhere at any time. You can share your digitized photos over social media, text messages, or email. You can also send these long-loved photos to family members who have moved far away. Sharing photos is an important and creative way to stay in touch.
Plus, the digital cloud never goes anywhere and is safe from worst-case scenarios — floods, fires, chemical damage, and other threats to your delicate photo prints. By digitizing your photos, you’re safekeeping them for the future and ensuring they stay around forever.
What does it mean to digitize an image?
Digitizing an image refers to converting a physical photo to a digital one to be processed and stored on a computer. Once the file is saved digitally, it can be shared in a digital format via email, text message, cloud sharing, or posted on a website, like social media. You can also digitize an image to edit and clean up any stains or markings by using an editing program and then reprint the image.
What is the best way to digitize a lot of old photos?
The best way to digitize photos is to use a scanner or scanner app to save all your photos in one handy, safe place. A printer or physical scanner can capture a high image quality and save it to your computer. Meanwhile, a scanner app is another easy way to capture photos directly from your phone, so you can easily scan and save several old photos in one sitting. You can also combine multiple images into PDF or convert JPG into PDF, depending on how you’d like to share your digitized photos. The accessibility and ease of use of the Adobe Scan app can quickly save you time and energy while digitizing photos or important documents.
What is a DPI?
DPI refers to the dots per inch within an image or the number of dots placed on a line within one inch. The more dots per inch, the more detail shown within the image. A higher DPI means a higher resolution and a higher quality print. Digital photos have an average resolution of 72 DPI.
How do you convert a normal photo to digital?
You can convert a normal photo to digital using a physical scanner or a scanner app on your phone. Simply snap a picture with your phone, and then the scanner app will clearly save the physical print and convert it into a digital one. Additionally, if you have a printer or scanner, you can scan physical photos onto your computer or other tech devices.
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