How to scan a shoebox of photos in an afternoon

Most family photo collections are smaller than they look. A full shoebox usually holds between four and six hundred prints, and with a little preparation they can be scanned in one long afternoon.

Sort before you scan

Lay prints out by decade or by event, not by quality. Faded and damaged prints are often the most important ones, because they are the oldest. Keep anything written on the back next to its photo.

Pick one resolution and stick to it

For standard prints, 600 dpi captures everything the paper holds. Higher settings mostly produce larger files, not more detail. Scan the backs of any prints with handwriting.

Name things while you remember

Add a place and an approximate year to each batch as you upload it. Ten seconds per batch now saves hours of guessing in twenty years.