How to Keep Photos Safe for Future Generations
We take photos to preserve our memories and tell our stories, so we want to keep them safe for future generations. These are eight ways to keep your photos safe today and for future generations.
Organize by Date
There are lots of ways to organize photos, but organizing them by date is the easiest to complete and the simplest to understand by future generations. Your dating doesn’t have to be perfect, but it’s the best approach that anybody can understand.
Scan the Photos
All photo formats decay a little bit every year. Whether your photos are prints, slides, or negatives, your memories are at risk of fading, yellowing, mold, or brittleness. The best way to keep photos safe for the future is to make an archival scan of the original.
Use Standard File Formats
There are hundreds of formats for digital images, and you want to choose a file format that’s easy to view and compatible for the future. We recommend JPEG with high resolution and high quality for almost every project.
Add Searchable Metadata
Scanning is an essential step to preserve a photo, but metadata preserves the story. Searchable metadata including keywords, locations, and captions help preserve important details and make it easy to search your Family Photo Archive.
Keep Originals in Archival Storage
If you keep your originals, you want to re-house them in archival storage boxes and envelopes that are acid-free and lignin-free. This ensures your originals will be as safe as possible for as long as possible, and re-housed photos usually take up half the space of the originals through efficient storage.
Make Digital Backups
If you do all this work, it’s essential to keep your digital files safely backed up. We use and recommend the 3-2-1 backup strategy.
Document the Project
We recommend documenting the Family Photo Archive project for future generations. For example, an explanation of who did the work, when it was done, where the digital files are backed up, a list of searchable keywords, and the location of the original photos are helpful to document the details of your photo estate.
Print the Best
Organizing and preserving family photos are important steps, but it’s not the ultimate goal. Make sure you print and display your best photos so you can enjoy them every day in your home.
Interested in working with Chaos to Memories?
If you’re near Chicago and ready to get started, come visit our Wheaton Studio Monday – Friday, 10-5. Please bring your memories with you.
If you live outside the Chicagoland area, we’re happy to send you a Project Form and Contract, along with shipping instructions, so you can get started on your project.
Contact us for more information.