How to Digitize Old Photos with Your Smartphone: A Step-by-Step Guide
2 min read
Summary
Smartphone apps such as Google Photoscan can be used to digitise old photographs so that they can be preserved for future generations and create digital backups of precious memories in case the physical copies are lost.
Google Photoscan is recommended due to its ability to handle glare and create clean, sharp images, as well as its seamless integration with Google Photos.
The process involves allowing permission for camera and storage access, wiping any dust from the photo and placing it flat on a surface, placing the smartphone over the photo and centring it, and then tapping the shutter button and moving the phone over each of the four white dots that appear to scan the photo.
It is recommended that the lighting should be soft to avoid harsh shadows or direct sunlight, and the default resolution setting should be sufficient without taking up too much file space.
It is also advisable to back up the scans, repair scratches and enhance the images with editing software, and handle fragile photographs with care.
Tips for the successful digitisation of old photographs include using a lamp for lighting rather than direct sunlight and wearing cotton gloves when handling particularly brittle photographs.
