The Scan is Just the Beginning: Your Ultimate Guide to Archiving Digitized Photos
You've conquered the scanning – awesome! Your precious family photos are now digital files. But to ensure they truly last, remain accessible, and serve future generations, you need to move beyond just having files to creating a robust digital archive.
Think of scanning as gathering the valuable materials; archiving is building the secure, organized vault to keep them safe and usable forever. This guide provides the ultimate checklist for creating that vault for your Western New York memories.
Your archive is only as good as its foundation.
Resolution: Prints scanned at 600 DPI (our standard) provide detail for viewing, printing, and future use. Negatives/slides need higher resolution.
Enhancements: Starting with enhanced scans (like those included in our service) means better-looking files from the get-go, reducing later editing needs.
JPEG (.jpg): Universally compatible, smaller files. Use highest quality setting. Excellent for access copies.
TIFF (.tif): Lossless, best for archival master copies of essential photos. Preserves all data but creates large files. Consider keeping both TIFF masters and JPEG access copies.
Chaos is the enemy of archiving.
Folder Hierarchy: Use a clear, consistent system. Chronological (Decade -> Year -> Event) is highly recommended for easy browsing and understanding by others.
Meaningful File Names: Start with date (YYYY-MM-DD), add context (names, event, place). 2001-06-15_Jones_Wedding_Botanical_Gardens_Buffalo_055.jpg is infinitely better than IMG_6034.jpg.
Embed the story within the files!
Descriptions/Captions: Identify people, explain the event, add anecdotes. This is your voice speaking to the future. Utilize the metadata fields in your OS or photo software.
The cornerstone of digital safety.
3 Copies: Your working copy + 2 backups.
2 Different Media: e.g., Computer SSD + External HDD + Cloud Storage. Protects against media-specific failures.
1 Offsite Copy: Essential for disaster protection (fire, flood, theft). Use a cloud backup service (highly recommended for automation), cloud storage sync, or a physically separate hard drive updated regularly.
Archives need occasional tending.
Regular Backups: Automate them if possible.
Integrity Checks: Periodically verify that backup files are readable.
Media Refresh: Replace external hard drives every 3-5 years. Optical media (CD/DVD) is not recommended for archiving.
Format Migration (Future): Decades from now, you (or descendants) might need to migrate files to newer standard formats if current ones become obsolete (though JPEG/TIFF are very stable).
Create a "Read Me" text file in the archive's root folder explaining your organization system, naming conventions, key family names, and how to access metadata.
Creating a proper digital archive takes effort after the scanning, but it’s what transforms your project from simple digitization into true, lasting preservation. It ensures your Western New York family history is not just saved, but safe, understandable, and usable for generations. Starting with high-quality, enhanced scans from a service like ours makes this entire archiving process smoother and more effective. Our fast (~7 day) turnaround means you can start building your archive sooner!
Ready to build a truly lasting digital archive? If you haven't scanned yet, let us provide the best possible foundation.
Blog Post 48