Plan your digitization workflow
The biggest bottleneck is organization, not scanning. Decide how you’ll name files and where you’ll store backups before you start.
A simple naming system (Year-Event-Sequence) is enough for most families.
Step-by-step: digitize and restore
- Scan photos in batches and save raw scans.
- Name files consistently and store them in folders by year or album.
- Back up to a second drive or cloud storage.
- Restore your favorites first (scratches, fading, stains).
- Export restored versions to a separate folder so originals stay untouched.
What to restore first
- Photos with faces and meaningful moments.
- Heavily damaged photos at risk of being lost.
- Small prints that need upscaling for modern screens or prints.
Example: archive and restore
FAQs
Should I restore every single scan?
Not necessarily. Most people restore the most important photos first, then decide if the rest of the archive needs enhancement.
Related
Ready to restore your photos?
Upload an image, choose your settings, and preview results with a before/after slider.