Source: https://restorebunny.com/guides/school-class-photo-roster-project/

# Create a Roster for an Old School Class Photo

Use numbered positions and attributed identifications to build a class-photo roster without altering the source.

Family photo projects2 min readUpdated 16 October 2026

## Try it on your own photo

Repair a copy of your photo, then compare faces and details with the original.

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Quick answer

## The short version

A class-photo roster is easier to correct when each position has a stable number. Keep the photograph unchanged and create a separate annotated reference with rows and numbered regions. Collect identifications against those positions rather than embedding uncertain names directly into a permanent image.

## Define the job before editing

A class-photo roster is easier to correct when each position has a stable number. Keep the photograph unchanged and create a separate annotated reference with rows and numbered regions. Collect identifications against those positions rather than embedding uncertain names directly into a permanent image.

## Define numbering before gathering names

Choose a consistent row order and viewing direction, then document it. Record each proposed name, contributor and confidence. When a person spans two rows or the arrangement is irregular, make the numbering diagram explicit instead of relying on a vague front-row description.

## Make the decision from evidence

Keep a full-size source for checking faces and an accessible roster outside the image. Public projects involving living people may need additional privacy and permission review. Record corrections as the project develops rather than deleting the history of an uncertain identification.

## A worked planning example

Example: The reference uses back-to-front rows and left-to-right positions, labeled R1-P1 and so on. Two proposed names for R2-P6 remain in the research notes until a class register or stronger family evidence resolves them.

## A practical checklist

1. Keep an unmarked source.
2. Create and explain a position key.
3. Record names with attribution.
4. Maintain an editable roster and correction log.

## Keep a traceable result

Keep the source file, the working copy and the delivery copy as separate items. Record the input and the changes you actually made so another person can understand the result later. These workflow examples are planning examples, not documented customer outcomes or proof of a successful restoration.

## FAQs

Should the final roster be burned into the only image file?

Keep the roster separately and preserve the unmarked source. A labeled delivery copy can be exported when useful.

Should I replace my original with the edited copy?

Keep the source unchanged and save a separate working or sharing copy. An export, edit or AI interpretation can omit information that remains useful in the source.

## Sources

Preservation and technical guidance reviewed for this article.

- Library of Congress: [Personal archiving: digital photographs](<https://www.digitalpreservation.gov/personalarchiving/photos.html>)

## Related

- [Open the related free tool](<https://restorebunny.com/tools/annotate-image/>)
- [Make a Military Service Family Album Without Guessing Insignia](<https://restorebunny.com/guides/make-a-military-service-family-album/>)
- [Make a Pet Memory Album with a Clear Photo Sequence](<https://restorebunny.com/guides/pet-memory-photo-album/>)
- [Browse photo guides](<https://restorebunny.com/guides/>)
- [Free image tools](<https://restorebunny.com/tools/>)

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