Hobbies And Interests
Things You'll Need
Instructions
Hand Restoration
Search online for restoration blogs or guides that describe basic preservation methods. Try blogs like the Practical Archivist or preservation guides at the Library of Congress or the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works.
Contact your local museum, library, historical society or genealogy society. Genealogy conferences and historical societies sometimes offer classes or prepare handouts on preserving family treasures.
Sign up for professional conferences and classes with a conservation organization, such as the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works, for a professional-level education in restoration. Check with your librarian for recommendations if you want to obtain a conservation degree or certificate at the university level.
Graphic Restoration
Use the correct scanner settings to achieve the best digital version of a photograph. A photo should be saved at a minimum of 300 dots per inch. Check the blog "Practical Archivist" for recommendations on scanner types and processes to get started.
Learn the proper graphic-design terms for photo correction. Buy books on photo restoration, or check them out from a library. Try books such as "Digital Restoration From Start to Finish" by Ctein, or "Adobe Photoshop Restoration and Retouching" by Katrin Eismann and Wayne Palmer.
Practice techniques such as color correction to restore your scanned photos. Use the sharpen tool, which helps focus or clarify the pixels in a photo, or alter the channels, which are layers of color. For additional help with programs such as Photoshop, watch online videos at AdobeTV or read "The Photoshop Channels Book" by Scott Kelby.