How to digitise your Printed Photos

All the pictures you shoot nowadays are digital; perhaps even backed up on hard drives and cloud storage. But what about those old memories: That yellowing photograph of your grandfather, all noble and stately right beside his shy , young bride ­ your grandmother; snapshots from your parents' wedding; pictures from your childhood birthday parties; of vacations you went on, and even your annual school photos? If you've been putting it off for a while, it's time you digitised those memories before they are lost forever...USE YOUR PHONE
The simplest way to digitise your photographs is by using your cell phone camera and Google's new PhotoScan app.It should be noted that the quality of your digital captures will be dependent on the quality of your smartphone camera and its lens. Make sure you shoot the photos in a bright area so your smartphone camera can capture all the details and colour without any grain that results from low light.Also, if you're shooting glossy photos, make sure the print pictures do not reflect the light from your illuminating source.
GOOGLE'S PHOTOSCAN:
Open the app and you are presented with a short tutorial on how to use it. Then, simply use its built-in camera but ton to snap a picture of your photograph and follow the steps of the tutorial. PhotoScan reduces glare to a certain extent when it comes to glossy captures, it automatically crops your shot based on edge detection, and even straightens scans with perspective correction so you get perfect rectangular captures.
Additionally, its smart algorithm rotates photos so they stay the right way up, no matter which way you shoot them. After you're done, you can back up all your new “digital snapshots“ on Google Photos to keep them safe, searchable, and organised. After that, you can use the Google Photos app on your handset to apply filters, carry automatic enhancement of the images, and correct the skew to a fine degree. When you're done, you can use this app to share your digitised photos with anyone via instant messaging, email, Bluetooth connection, etc.
ANDROID, IOS | Free
USE A SCANNER
Scanning images on a flat-bed scanner is easily a better option when compared to using your phone. It captures greater detail and can save higher resolution images for largesize prints. If you have photos numbering in the hundreds, investing in a scanner is a good idea. In fact, you could possibly opt for an MFD (multi-function device) that comprises an inkjet printer, photocopier and scanner. Depending on your budget, you could consider the Canon Pixma E470 (Rs 5,500), the HP DeskJet Ink Advantage 3635 ( Rs 5,700) or the Epson L220 ( Rs 10,300), which offer a scanning optical resolution of 600dpi (dots per inch).
But if you already own a printer, and if you have the space on your desk, look at the Canon Lide 220 (`Rs 5,355) which is a standalone scanner with a whopping resolution of 4800dpi. This machine is good enough for professional quality scans too. In either case, your scanner could also be put to use to digitise your important documents and certificates as well.
To ensure that you get quality output from your scanner...
Clean the scanner's glass bed before every scanning session. This will prevent dust particles and spots from appearing in the final scan.Use a microfibre cloth or a soft-bristle brush to remove and dislodge dust particles from the glass.Do not use harsh cleaning solutions as they may contain chemicals that could cause abrasion on the glass surface.
Also run a soft brush over your photos to ensure that you don't end up digitising dust particles.
This will cut out the additional work of rescanning or using software to remove the spots.
Before you begin scanning, group all the pictures from the same seriesalbums to gether in the same batch. Number them at the back lightly with a soft pencil. This will help you keep track of your photos and will also help in cataloguing your digital album.
Scan multiple photographs from the same batch at a time. Also, make sure they are aligned properly , so you only need to do minor straightening in a photo-editing software. This will help you save time. Later, all you will need to do next is crop the scanned image into individual frames.
Configure the naming convention in the scanning software ­ date wise, for instance ­ and the destination folder, which you should name by location, occasion, etc. This is so you don't have to waste time reorganising and cataloguing them.
Scan photographs at a resolution of 300dpi.This is enough for quality re-prints. For example, you can expect to get an 8x6-inch print from a 2592x1944-pixel (5MP) scanned photo. And if you want much larger prints then you should scan the picture at 600dpi print resolution. That said, file size increases as you increase the dpi value.For sharing on the web, you can opt for 7296dpi. Choose to scan all your photos in colour mode even if they are in black and white. You can always convert the image back to monochrome after carrying out software enhancements.
WINDOWS 10 `PHOTOS':
If you have already migrated to Windows 10 on your PC, then you can use its Photos app for all post-scan processing.The desktop app has simple one-touch controls to enhance your images, rotate your scans, crop them, straighten pictures degree by degree, retouch your snapshots, apply photo filters and effects, and adjust light and colour. In most cases, Photos is all you will ever need.
OUTSOURCE
If you want to completely avoid the labour of shooting or scanning each print photo, you can turn to services such as Scan Corner and Scan Junction. You will, of course, need to pack all your photographs in plastic bags (to protect them from moisture), put these into a sturdy carton and send the package to either of the services. Scan Corner operates out of Hyderabad, while Scan Junction is in Bangalore. Both facilities also accept slides and negatives for digital conversion and promise complete security and privacy for all your personal memories.
Scan Corner and Scan Junction also offer services that include retouching your digital prints.This could involve enhancing the faded colours in your photos, scratch removal and manual restoration of images. Scan Corner, for instance, allows you to send them a scan of your damaged photo by email, and they will give you a quotation based on the restoration work involved.
http:www.SCANCORNER.IN:
First you will need to create an account on the website, place an order and provide your delivery address. The next step is to pack all your pictures and send it to Scan Corner. The images are weighed and counted, and then scanned. Once done, the thumbnails of the digital images are uploaded to a server and secured with a password. This is then conveyed to you via a link in an email for you to check. Scan Corner then returns your original photographs along with the digital files on a DVD or USB pen drive. You even receive a download link containing the high-resolution images, which will be available for 15 days.
http:www.SCANJUNCTION.COM
Similarly , you will need to place an order by filling a form on the website. But before sending your entire consignment of photographs, Scan Junction gives you the option to digitise up to 10 print photos free of cost so you can check their work quality . Once you're satisfied, you can send your entire photo collection. You can opt for pickup and delivery at a cost of `400; personally drop-in and pick up your images from their office, or opt only for `return shipping' after digitisation.
Before you decide on either of these services, we recommend you go through their pricing plans. You can also contact the helpline on their websites to clear all doubts.