The safety of personal photographs and prints is difficult to ensure, but a sound method for digitizing photos can make the process of preserving them easier. Paper is something that can perish over the years, but digital files can endure for all time when cared for properly.
Some might be surprised by this claim, since it is obvious that digital devices do wear out with time and usage. The key is to know how to create and backup image files properly, and to have a strategy for redundancy that ensures that there will always be at least one surviving digital copy of each of these images.
The scanning
Most people begin by scanning their old photographs into their computers. This can either be done with a home scanner performed by a professional copy service for a fee. For those who choose to do it themselves, it is important to remember that the better scanners will produce the best archival images.
This is key to any archive program. Get the best possible scan of every image in the collection. Though this will result in a larger image file that takes up more space on a storage drive, it will also result in an image that can be printed at larger sizes later one.
Storing the images
The resulting images should be stored on a permanent drive. Though some people choose to use DVDs or compact discs for this storage, those media types are subject to scratching, warping, and a host of issues that can result in the loss of this important data. Use an external hard drive of some sort and dedicate it for just this purpose.
One last step is necessary to provide an additional layer of security: online backup. This will help to ensure that even if the home burns to the ground, those photographs will still exist in cyberspace. With this system for digitizing photos, every photograph can be safely protected for eternity.
Some might be surprised by this claim, since it is obvious that digital devices do wear out with time and usage. The key is to know how to create and backup image files properly, and to have a strategy for redundancy that ensures that there will always be at least one surviving digital copy of each of these images.
The scanning
Most people begin by scanning their old photographs into their computers. This can either be done with a home scanner performed by a professional copy service for a fee. For those who choose to do it themselves, it is important to remember that the better scanners will produce the best archival images.
This is key to any archive program. Get the best possible scan of every image in the collection. Though this will result in a larger image file that takes up more space on a storage drive, it will also result in an image that can be printed at larger sizes later one.
Storing the images
The resulting images should be stored on a permanent drive. Though some people choose to use DVDs or compact discs for this storage, those media types are subject to scratching, warping, and a host of issues that can result in the loss of this important data. Use an external hard drive of some sort and dedicate it for just this purpose.
One last step is necessary to provide an additional layer of security: online backup. This will help to ensure that even if the home burns to the ground, those photographs will still exist in cyberspace. With this system for digitizing photos, every photograph can be safely protected for eternity.
No comments:
Post a Comment