If you have some old photos that you would like to make copies of, you will need to know a few things so you can ensure that the process goes smoothly and the results are like you had expected. When trying to make copies of printed photos, you can decide to do a DIY or reach out to a professional to help you out. This article will look at these two options so you can decide the best way to go about it.
Making Copies of Printed Photos – DIY
The DIY route means that you will need a scanner that has print properties and possibly a good camera. Therefore, the first thing you need to do when planning to make copies of your old photos is to gather the needed equipment.
Next, get your photo inventory and define your project. You will have to break down the task to make it manageable. Identify the number of photos you want to scan and the reason you want to do so. Answering the ‘why’ question will help you identify the photos that you want to scan first.
Before scanning, you might want to clean the scanner bed first and dust off the photos. Doing these two tasks will ensure you get the best possible scan. You can clean the scanner using a dry microfiber cloth but if you do not have one, you can use a dry handkerchief. For your photos, you can use compressed air to blow away the dust. You should never use paper towels to wipe the scanner or the photos because they leave spots and debris, which may lead to poor results after the scan. If your photos have creases, you should not try to iron them out. Instead, just lay the image flat and scan it. You can always edit out the creases later on.
Prior to scanning, it is good to know that scanning your photos in color will always give you the best possible results. Therefore, scan your photos in color unless they have been damaged by tape marks or ink.
When you are ready, it is now time to start scanning. You can scan one image at a time or do multiple images. If you decide to go with multiple images, note that you will have an editing task waiting for you later on.
After scanning and editing, it is now time to make copies. To do this, simply choose an image you want to make a copy of and print it. If you have the right paper material, your new photo will get printed on it.
Pros and Cons of DIY Printing
DIY printing gives you a lot of freedom when going about the project. You can prioritize the images to scan first and have total control over the results you get. You can even try out different ideas in terms of color options or quality you are looking for. Since you are doing the project by yourself, you will not have to go through the risk of putting your original photos in the mail, as they could get lost.
Despite these advantages, printing the photos on your own requires a lot of time. If you have other things to do, this is not a task that you want to indulge yourself in. You also need to have equipment like a scanner. If you do not have that then you cannot print the photos on your own. Apart from these cons, you might need to learn a few photo-editing skills like cropping and color correction.
Making Copies of Printed Photos – The Professional Way
As you may have realized from reading the DIY method, making copies of printed photos can be a daunting task, especially if you have many of them to work with. To reduce the stress that comes with this task, you might want to seek professional help. Some companies fully focus on digitizing your photos and making copies of them for you. Although you will pay some money for this to be done, you will get quality results and will save a lot of time, which you can use for other activities.
Old photos are full of memories. The only problem with old paper photos is that they can easily get damaged and discolored over time. To ensure your old memories are still kept intact, you might want to digitize those photos so you can always make copies of them at any time you wish.