Label The Photos
There are a few different ways to label the photos. You can label them by writing on the back of the photo or you can just label the containers you put them in.
If you label the printed photos do so safely so you don’t damage them. You can buy acid-free pens so they don’t damage the photos on Amazon.
Or, instead of labeling all the pictures, you can just label the container or envelope. I really didn’t want to take the time to label each picture. Because I was organizing the printed photos by person I didn’t really feel like I needed to label them. For the vacations, I did where we went and the year we went.
Since you just need to label the container it really goes quick.
Organize The Photos Into Containers
Once you have all the photos organized and labeled then you can put them in the containers that you bought.
This is the quickest and easiest part of the whole process. You really just need to make sure you have enough containers for all of your different categories.
I recommend having a couple of extra containers or envelopes so you can add new groups if you need to. You don’t want to have to come up with a new system if you decide to add more pictures or a new category.
The container I use just sits on a shelf in my office. It is so easy to just add a new picture to one of the bins when we get one. Plus, if my kiddo needs a picture for a project it is easy to find exactly what he needs.
With these easy tips to organize print photos, I was able to sit down in an afternoon and organize and label all of our photos. If you want to keep your photos in great shape and have them organized this system is a great way to do it.
Digitizing Photos
Some don’t like the idea of organizing their printed memories in boxes that will never be displayed. A better option may be having them digitized.
What Does Digitizing Photos Mean?
Digitizing photos involves converting physical photos into digital files that can be stored and viewed on a computer or other digital device. There are several different ways you can convert them.
How to Convert Printed Photos to Digital
There are many services and companies out there that specialize in this process, but you can also take the DIY route by following these steps.
- Choose a scanner: You can use a flatbed scanner or a specialized photo scanner (Amazon has some starting fairly inexpensively) to digitize your photos. Photo scanners are designed to produce high-quality scans and can be a good option if you have a large number of photos to scan.
- Clean your photos: Before scanning your photos, it’s a good idea to clean them with a soft brush or cloth to remove any dust or debris that could show up in the scan.
- Set up the scanner: Follow the instructions for setting up your scanner and connecting it to your computer.
- Scan the photos: Place your photos on the scanner bed and use the software that came with your scanner to scan them. Be sure to select the appropriate settings for the type of photo you are scanning, such as color or black and white.
- Save the digital files: Once the photos have been scanned, you can save them as digital files on your computer. Choose a file format that is compatible with the software you will use to view and edit the photos, such as JPEG or PNG.
- Edit and organize the digital files: You can use photo editing software to adjust the brightness, contrast, and color of your digital photos. You can also organize your digital files into folders and tag them with keywords to make them easier to find.
If you run into issues with photo storage on your computer or phone, Dropbox and Google Drive are excellent and affordable solutions.
Common FAQs
Is it OK to store photos in Ziploc bags?
It is generally not recommended to store photos in Ziploc bags for long-term storage.
While Ziploc bags can provide some protection from moisture and dust, they are not designed to protect photos from other factors that can cause damage over time, such as light, heat, and acidity.
These bags are also made from materials that can release chemicals over time, which can cause photos to deteriorate and become discolored.
This storage method can also cause the photos to stick together or stick to the plastic, which can cause damage when you try to separate them.
If you need to store photos in plastic bags, it’s important to choose bags that are specifically designed for archival storage, such as polyethylene or polypropylene bags.
These types of bags are acid-free, moisture-resistant, and won’t release chemicals that can damage your photos over time.
Ideally, photos should be stored in archival quality materials such as acid-free photo albums, boxes or envelopes, or stored digitally in multiple locations.
Organizing and labeling those loose photos has never been easier. It’s simple to do and once you are done you will be so glad you did it.
