Scanning photographs for restoration
How to Scan an Old Photograph for Restoration
A good scan gives us more of the original detail to work with. You do not need specialist equipment: a few simple settings can make a big difference to the quality of the finished restoration.
Before you scan
Start with a Clean Photograph and Scanner
Make sure the scanner glass is clean and free from dust. If the photograph is in good, stable condition, gently remove loose surface dust with a clean, dry, lint-free cloth. Do not scrub, wet or try to flatten a fragile photograph.
Place the photograph flat on the scanner bed and scan the whole photograph. There is no need to crop tightly around faces or damaged areas — seeing the complete image helps us judge the restoration properly.
Recommended scan settings
Three Settings That Matter Most
Scanner software varies, but these are the settings worth looking for.
Resolution
Scan at 600 dpi where possible. This is a good starting point for most old photographs and gives us useful detail for repair and printing.
For very small photographs or where significant enlargement is required, a higher resolution can be useful. Avoid reducing the scan to 72 or 96 dpi for email.
File format
TIFF is ideal, but a high-quality JPEG is absolutely fine. PNG is also suitable.
If you use JPEG, choose the highest quality or lowest compression setting available. Do not repeatedly resave the file before sending it.
Colour mode
Scan in colour, even if the photograph is black and white. Colour scanning can preserve subtle staining, fading and tonal information that may be useful during restoration.
If your scanner offers bit-depth choices, simply use its normal high-quality colour setting.
Keep the scan natural
Turn Off Automatic Corrections
Scanner software may offer automatic contrast, sharpening, colour correction, dust removal or even automatic photo repair. Please turn these off if you can.
Those settings alter the image before we receive it and can remove genuine detail along with the damage. A plain, uncorrected scan gives us much more control over the restoration.
Sending the file
Send the Original Scan at Full Size
Once scanned, send us the original file rather than a screenshot, social-media copy or image that has been reduced by another app. If the file is too large to attach, get in touch and we can arrange another way to receive it.
No scanner? No problem
We Can Scan the Original Photograph for You
If you do not have a suitable scanner, are unsure about the settings, or would rather not handle a fragile original, we can scan it here as part of the restoration process.
Please contact us before posting an original photograph. We can confirm the best way to send it and what to include.
Not sure if your scan is good enough?
Send It Anyway — We’ll Take a Look
You do not need to get every setting perfect before asking for a quote. Send us the best scan you can make and we can tell you whether it contains enough detail to work from or whether a fresh scan would improve the result.