10 Tips for Finally Starting that Scanning Project

No time like the present to finally start going through those old photos and creating a digital archive or photo book (of diaries, sketchbooks, artwork whatever…)  I think this is a great idea and a great way to start creating a digital record of memories that are precious to you and a great way to pass long hours.  Working in a digital lab on large scale scanning project as I have in the past, as well as digitizing a lot of my own work for various reasons I have some pointers for people interested in starting a project to help you get a handle on scanning if you’re new to it.

1. The key to a successful project is good preparation.  Don’t just scan everything.  Figure out what you are trying to do  and THEN go through all old photos out of your closet and organize your photos.  I almost always recommend organizing by date, but organize however you think will work best for you.   

2. Scanning can be very time consuming and ultimately will create more digital clutter for you to deal with if not done with intent.  So first decide why you are taking the time to scan your way through a box of pictures? Is it to empty out a box? or do you want to create a personal digital archive of the old pictures etc…?

3.  A scanning project is definitely something you want to tackle after you’ve finished all your cleaning and organized all your other stuff.   If you feel you’re getting lost in the idea found then go back and refine your idea, or maybe make the scope of the project a little smaller and more manageable.  Remember, the goal here isn’t to spend days scanning everything you own, but to curate a selection of items that mean something to you and scan that selection. 

5. Whether carrying stuff, lifting boxes, sorting and sifting, minding a flatbed scanner, simply opening an app and standing there snapping pictures of documents on a table there is physical component to scanning.  On top of which there is the additional post scanning process of cropping, image rotation, file adjustments, file naming and file saving that are often times necessary and also needs to be considered when you’re planning for this process because it all takes time.  It might sound stupid but, old photographs and family heirlooms can carry a lot of emotional weight, so if you’re going back into the family archives or dive back into your own personal history you need to be ready to deal with whatever you might uncover.

6.  As I said before before, have a plan before you begin scanning.  Make sure you’ve gone through and sorted your images, documents or whatever it is you plan on scanning.   You won’t need, or want to, scan everything but pick the ones that are the most important to you and go from there.   Then start scanning. Once you’ve scanned your images you are going to save your images to a folder on your desktop or hard drive and then if need be you can go back and crop, rotate, adjust and maybe retouch the images before you are done with them.

7. You do not need to be an archivist to or extremely adept at digital imaging to scan your treasured photos or journals into digital form, but scanning is a skill and you would be best served to have a basic understanding of what a “good scan” is and the steps it takes to make one.   A good scan should be clear, sharp and evenly lit, so there shouldn’t be any shadows or one dark corner.   You should be able to get a lot of detail off the document or image even if it is apparent it will be a scan and not the original image.   Regardless, it is possible you will likely have to perform some sort of image adjustment either prior to scan while previewing or post scan.  

8.  Flatbed scanners are great and scanners come in many sizes and price ranges but there are a lot of scanning apps now that you can download and use to get a great capture using your smartphone (please read the reviews on the app store) so a flatbed scanner is not necessary.  My advice would be don’t just go buy and buy the most expensive scanner you can find.   If you have one or know you plan on using it for a long time don’t rule it out either.  

If you only have 1 or 2 pictures you want to have scanned you can always just lay them as flat and take a few snaps with your phone.  If this is what you are going to do I recommend doing this on a cloudy day and next to an open window.  You want to place the images on a flat surface with a clean piece of glass over the image  (if you have it) then stand over the image, without blocking the light and take the picture.  The window should be facing you and you need to square up the edges, which means you have to line the side of the phone up with the side of the table the image is on.  Remember to keep the camera parallel to ground. Be patient it may take a few tries.  You can also, download and use a scanning. There are many out right now. Were I to use one I would probably try whateve Adobe has to offer first, just because I very familiar with their software and I trust what they have to offer, but you can look around and use whatever you feel is the most suitable for you.  

If you have a lot of files to scan, and you have the money and space you can always look into a reasonably priced scanner or multifunction which in my experience typically does a more than adequate job.  If you don’t have, or can’t afford a scanner you could also try to create a makeshift copy stand and/or use a camera phone, point and shoot, or DSLR to copy your images that way  There are pluses and minuses to each option but the fact is you don’t necessarily need a scanner to copy images.

9.  Resolution is the way we measure image size and quality.  It is used in reference to both image dimensions and image density.  There are two ways we talk about resolution, first in terms of image size, or pixels per inch (PPI), and the second in terms of print resolution, or print quality, and this measured in dots per inch (DPI).   If you plan on scanning an image and printing out a duplicate version of it you typically need to start with a very high resolution image.  (That means it needs to be scanned at a resolution that falls between 240 – 300 dpi.)  Anything less and you can start to see image breakdown when you print the image.   The highest resolution images are typically used for printing as higher resolution will yield the best print results.   If you are planning to print these images you definitely want to check with the service you are using for the print size requirements and specifications on file size.  It should be in their FAQ.

10.  Scanning can create a lot of new data, and digital data can take up a lot of space.  So you need to plan for storage according to the projected size of your project.  I have seen a lot of multi-function scanner/fax/copier/printers that scan and can save directly to a USB/Flash drive.  That’s perfect.   If you only have a few images to scan saving them to a USB should be fine.  But, if you have a 100, a 1000, or 10,000 you are probably going to need a better solution.

As I said before the best way to attack a big scanning project is to make a plan.  If you have a lot of images decide on a goal, organize your images, and do a little bit every day.  Scanning can be boring, tedious and frustrating work especially if you’re starting out and want to do it right.  Your arms, back and shoulders will hurt and you will get really frustrated from time to time and end up swearing at your scanner and family members or friends.   This is why you want to be ready to work on a project like this, and have a very clear goal in mind as you move forward.  Remember even if you scan everything in that box of cards and pictures, nothing can replace the last birthday card you got from your grandmother.   Something things, even when scanned just don’t compare to holding the original your hand.