Converting old photos to digital

[MoysieC]

Does anyone have any good tips for this?

I want to create a 'This is your life' book for my Mum's 70th using a digital package but not sure where to start in converting the old photos. All tips gratefully received.

Thanks in advance

[EPB]

What you need is a scanner (and, of course, a printer). Perhaps someone on the forum has one you could borrow?

[Suzanne Cummings]

Thanks. I scanned them at work (600 DPI) but the quality doesn't seem very good. And they turn into pdf's. I really want them as jpegs (I think!).

I wonder if I just take photos of them with my iphone?

[Mrs TP]

My hubbie says you can convert to jpegs if you open them and then click save as and change the file extension to a jpeg. But yes also try photographing the original photographs and compare the quality with the scans to see which better. All a fiddly job but one of my best received pressies in recent years was an album made via an apple package.

[bornagain]

Hi all,

I am a book designer and offer a bespoke service creating beautiful one off gift books and photo prints for special occasions. I can scan old photographs and retouch/colour correct them so they look as new.

Pls pm me if you are interested.

[ianr]

The output as pdf only will likely be due to the way a human has configured the associated software, perhaps for simplicity or standardisation. Most standard formats should be available from most scanner software.

For DIY, you could certainly also try a camera, using the finest image ratings. Something in the 3000x2000 area will obviously give you a decent dpi count. Best use natural light and get all images, even of b/w photographs, in full colour; and save in the first instance in an uncompressed format if available, rather than in a compressed one. There are also free image viewing/editing programs available, such as Irfanview and Xnview, that let you do post-transfer tweaking.

[MoysieC]

Very helpful. Thanks everyone :-)

[bornagain]

bornagain Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Hi all,

>

> I am a book designer and offer a bespoke service

> creating beautiful one off gift books and photo

> prints for special occasions. I can scan old

> photographs and retouch/colour correct them so

> they look as new.

>

> Pls pm me if you are interested.

Following an enquiry, posting a sample of what is possible. The original is a rather faded photobooth snap. The finished product is a gliclee print on textured uncoated heavy card, dimensions 25cm x 16cm.