Gather the photos you want to digitize
Clean the photo surfaces gently with a soft, dry cloth
Choose a digitizing method: scanner, smartphone, or digital camera
Use a flatbed scanner for best quality
Set the scanner to at least 300 DPI for standard use
Set the scanner to 600 DPI or higher for archiving or enlarging
Scan in color, even for black-and-white photos
Save files in a high-quality format such as TIFF or PNG
Use JPEG only if smaller file size is needed
If using a smartphone, place the photo on a flat, well-lit surface
Avoid shadows, glare, and direct reflections
Use a scanning app or camera app with document mode if available
Keep the camera parallel to the photo to reduce distortion
Crop the image to the photo edges after capture
Adjust brightness, contrast, and color if needed
Rename files clearly for easy organization
Back up the digital files to multiple locations
Store copies on a computer, external drive, and cloud storage
Keep original physical photos in archival-safe storage
Check the digitized images for sharpness and completeness
Rescan any blurry, cropped, or poorly lit photos