Best Practices for High-Quality Photo Scanning at Home?

[tinytmp]

Hey everyone,

I’m looking to digitize a collection of old family photos and want to make sure I get the best quality possible without spending a fortune.

I’ve got a decent flatbed scanner but I'm unsure about optimal settings (DPI, color correction, file types, etc.).

Should I use any specific software or editing tools post-scan? Also, how do you deal with issues like fading, scratches, or curled photos?

I'd really appreciate tips from anyone who’s done this before—whether DIY or through a service.

Any gear or workflow recommendations would be super helpful!

 

[tinytmp]

Hey everyone,

I’m looking to digitize a collection of old family photos and want to make sure I get the best quality possible without spending a fortune.

I’ve got a decent flatbed scanner but I'm unsure about optimal settings (DPI, color correction, file types, etc.).

Should I use any specific software or editing tools post-scan? Also, how do you deal with issues like fading, scratches, or curled photos click here.

I'd really appreciate tips from anyone who’s done this before—whether DIY or through a service.

Any gear or workflow recommendations would be super helpful!

thanks in advance for any help

 

[wfooshee]

Prints, I assume? If you're talking about slides or negatives, you'll need a film scanner, and you might be looking to spend a good bit of money. Prints are fine in a flatbed, but the software that comes with them, and the built-in software in Windows, may be quite frustrating very quickly.

I use Vuescan, which is not free, but extremely versatile. It supports just about every scanner that exists, and he keeps it up to date. I am lucky enough to have bought it years and years ago when lifetime updates were included, and he still honors that commitment, but be aware that it doesn't come with lifetime updates any more.

Vuescan can set color curves and white balance during the scan, and can even save in RAW formats. It also installs as a plug in to Photoshop (maybe Lightroom, but I don't use Lightroom,) so you can scan, with Vuescan control, right from your editing software. If used standalone, no features are missing, you just have to save the file and then go to your editing software if you need to.

Go to hamrick.com for details and downloads. There is no better scanning software out there.