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How to Scan Old Photos to Make Them Better

Old photos are more than just snapshots of family vacations. They are a look and a reminder of your past and history. If you have looked after your photos, they will last for a number of years. If these photos are relegated to a shoe box or envelope there is a possibility that they may fade or become damaged. Even if you have cared for them well, color photographs will likely have lost color. The advent of digital technology and flatbed scanners gives photographers an opportunity to scan these images to make them look better.

Instructions

- 1
  Turn your home computer and flatbed scanner on and open the software for the scanner. Create a new folder where your photos will be scanned to.
- 2
  Set the scanner's resolution to its maximum setting or for photos. The best way to scan the photo to make it better is to extract as much digital information during the scanning process as possible.
- 3
  Lift the lid of the flatbed scanner, place the photo face down on the platen, and press or click the "Scan" button on the scanner or in the program. If your scanner's software has a preview screen to view the image before it is scanned, inspect the image looking to make sure it is level and straight. When you satisfied, click the "Scan" button again to complete scanning process.
- 4
  Save the scanned photo as a TIFF file. While these files are larger than JPEG files, they have a higher resolution and have not gone through any processing or compression that JPEGs experience when they are saved. A TIFF file will give you the most latitude when it is time to edit the photo.

Photography