How to Scan Old Photos at Home

Prepare the Photo and the Glass

Dust is the enemy. Every speck on the scanner glass will show up as a white or dark dot that you then have to remove.

• Wipe the glass with a clean microfiber cloth. Use a barely damp cloth on the glass only, never on the photo.
• Brush the print gently with a soft, dry brush or blow it off with a hand bulb blower.
• Wash and dry your hands, and hold the print by its edges.

If a photo is curled, stuck to glass or paper, or flaking, stop. Forcing it flat can crack the surface. A phone photo is the safer route for fragile prints.

Scanner Settings That Work

Open your scanner software in its manual or professional mode if available, and use these as a starting point:

• Resolution: 600 dpi for a standard 4x6 print. Use 1200 dpi for small prints or if you plan to enlarge. Very high settings on larger prints mostly create giant files without more detail.
• Color mode: scan in color even for black-and-white prints. It captures tinting and stains accurately.
• File format: TIFF if you have the space, or high-quality JPEG otherwise.
• Turn off automatic dust removal and auto-enhance. These can smear detail and bake in changes you cannot reverse.

Do a quick preview scan, then scan the full print including a thin border. Cropping can wait.

No Scanner? Use Your Phone

A phone photo can be good enough if you control the light.

1. Place the print flat on a table near a window. Use soft daylight, not direct sun.
2. Stand so no shadow from you or your phone falls on the print.
3. Hold the phone directly above, parallel to the table, so the picture is not tilted. Many phones have a grid overlay that helps.
4. Tap to focus on the face, take a few shots and keep the sharpest.
5. Avoid the flash. It causes glare, especially on glossy prints.

For glossy prints, glare is the main problem. Turn slightly until reflections move off the print, or shoot on a cloudy day.

Mistakes That Cost You Detail

• Scanning through a plastic sleeve or album film. It adds scratches, glare and haze.
• Pressing hard on the scanner lid. It can mark delicate prints.
• Using the scanner's automatic color restoration. It may shift skin tones in ways that are hard to undo.
• Saving only a small JPEG. Keep a full-size master file and make smaller copies for sharing.
• Leaving photos in the sun while you work.

Name and Back Up Your Files

Give each file a name you will recognise in ten years, such as smith-wedding-1974-front. If there is writing on the back, scan that too, because names and dates are easy to lose. Back the files up in two places.

What Happens Next

Once you have a good scan, you can retouch it yourself, as covered in how to restore old family photos, or send it for repair. Our photo restoration service accepts scans or clear phone photos, and you see a free watermarked preview before you pay.

If the print is torn or creased, read fixing torn, creased and water-damaged photos before you scan, since damage affects how you should lay it down.

Frequently Asked Questions