10 TIPS FOR RESCUING YOUR (ALMOST) RUINED PHOTOGRAPHS

For many of us, our travel photographs are like the lyrics of the 1970s song ‘The Way We Were.’ They’re nothing but misty water-colored memories on bedraggled paper … scattered pictures … faded impressions of the far away places we’ve visited and the smiles we gave to those we loved.

Well, here’s the good news! Now you can repair and restore those photographs using the easy techniques that follow.

1. First, make digital scans of the photographs that  you want to salvage.  (I’ll tell you exactly how to do this in  just a minute.) You may want to work on all — or just part — of your collection. By doing this, you are going to prevent further degradation of your images.

2. If you feel that this work is more than you want to take on, you can always pay someone else to do the   scanning. CNN Money has highlighted a company called ScanCafe.com, calling them “the best scanning service.” They will scan your, slides, negatives, and prints for prices starting at under 30 cents each. You get back your original photographs along with a DVD holding the scans. National Geographic Traveler lists several similar services: ScanMyPhotos.com, Britepix.com, and Hollywoodfotofix.com.

The following tips are for those who want to scan their photos themselves. This can be a really fun project, but if you have lots of pictures it can get tedious.  You can buy a dedicated film scanner that handles negatives and slides or you can use a flatbed scanner that handles prints as well. Prices start at well under $200.

3. If you have the negative of a photograph and a good quality scanner, scan the negative instead of the print. This will give you  a sharper image. However, if your scanner is of low quality, scan the print.

4. If you’re scanning prints that will be the same size as the original photograph, set the scan resolution to 300 dpi (dots per inch). If you intend to make enlargements, set the scan resolution to 600 dpi.

5. If you’re scanning 35 mm slides or negatives, set the scan resolution at 2,000 dpi or higher.

6. Never touch the print, slide or negative. Insstead, before scanning, blow or brush the dust off the film or print.

7. Save the scan as a jpeg image set to the highest quality setting.

8. Don’t correct the color, sharpness, or other attributes of the image while scanning.

9. After scanning, make a copy of the scan to edit, then archive the original scan.

10. Even if the photo is black and white, set the scanner for color. If you do this, you will be able to tint your picture later if you want.

Now that you’ve finished scanning, you’ll probably want to make a paper copy of your photos. Whether you print them yourself or send them to a photo lab, make sure that you replace your old photo albums with new ones that have acid free, adhesive free pages.  Store them in a cool dry place, and –VOILA — you’re done!

Posted by Lisa Reynolds Wolfe.

Photograph by Lisa Reynolds Wolfe.