Effortlessly Digitize Your Old Photos with Your Smartphone : practical Guide and Tips

Preserving old photographs by digitizing them not only keeps the memories alive, but also ensures they stand the test of time. With the advancement of technology and the proliferation of smartphones, digitizing old photos has never been easier. This comprehensive guide will walk you through how to easily digitize your old photos using your smartphone, from preparation to storage.

Preparation and sorting of your old photos before digitization

Importance of sorting your photos

The first step in this photographic journey is sorting out your photo collection. Start by weeding out blurry or damaged pictures that won’t benefit from digitization. Group the remaining ones based on themes, events or chronological order. This initial organization will make the scanning process smoother and allow for better storage later.

Preparing your workstation

Once you’ve sorted your photos, clear a workspace with good lighting. Dust off older prints and ensure they’re flat for optimal scanning results. Patience is key here; remember, you are preserving treasured memories.

Following these steps sets a strong foundation for the rest of the process. Now let’s move onto choosing the best application to scan these precious mementos.

Selecting the best app to scan your photos with a smartphone

Understanding what makes a good scanning app

A good scanning app should offer high-resolution scans, automatic cropping, color correction and glare removal features. Luckily for us, two such apps exist: google’s PhotoScan and MyHeritage’s built-in scanner.

Google’s PhotoScan versus MyHeritage

The application you choose will depend on your needs and preferences. Armed with the right app, let’s delve into the step-by-step process of scanning your photos.

The step-by-step process to easily digitize your snapshots

Digitizing with Google’s PhotoScan

To use PhotoScan, download the app and position your photo within the frame displayed on screen. Pressing the shutter button begins the scanning process. The app automatically crops the image and removes any unwanted glare.

Digitizing with MyHeritage’s built-in scanner

If you opt for MyHeritage, launch the app which has a built-in scanner that lets you scan your photos directly into your library.

Now that you have digitally preserved your images, next we will explore how to breathe new life into them.

Tips for retouching and improving quality of scanned photos

Fine-tuning colours and contrasts

Once your photos are digitized, you can improve their quality. Adjust colour balance, contrast and brightness using various editing tools available in these apps or other dedicated photo editing software.

Cropping and removing blemishes

You can also crop out unnecessary parts of an image and use spot healing tools to remove scratches or blemishes. These minor adjustments can make a dramatic difference to your old photos, giving them a new lease of life.

Now we’ve breathed new life into old memories, let’s finalize by organizing and securing these precious digital assets.

Organizing and securely storing your digital photographic memories

Creating an organized digital library

There are various ways to organize your digitized photos. You can create folders based on the themes you initially sorted them into, or use photo management tools with tagging features for easy retrieval in the future.

Safe storage options

Your photos should be stored safely given their irreplaceable nature. Backing them up on cloud storage, external hard drives or even creating printed photo books ensures their longevity.

All in all, digitizing old photos is like taking a stroll down memory lane. It lets us keep our cherished memories safe while enabling us to share them easily with friends and family. With this guide, you have everything you need to embark on this rewarding journey.