What to do with printed photos after digitizing?

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This month I bring you some answers to a question I get during literally every scanning project. Now that my photos are digital, should I save the analog versions? The answer? It’s up to you. Sorry - I can’t give you a definite “this is what you should do” answer. But I can give you some guidance and best practices.

There are a few precursors to answering the question of what to do with your printed photos. First you must give them some organization, and then digitize them. Then you tackle the question of whether to save them.

Organizing printed photos

Before deciding what to save and what to discard, you have to do at least a bit of organizing. How else would you know what you have and what you might want to keep?

Organizing can be as simple or as complicated as you want to make it. I wrote a post about this not long ago, so for a more in-depth discussion please look at Organize Then Digitize Your Printed Photos. If you have a large collection and it seems daunting, break it down into smaller pieces. You can’t know what you want to save until you’ve at least taken a cursory look at what you have. If it seems overwhelming, some of my clients have found that the DIG YOUR PHOTOS!™ (affiliate link) kit is really helpful because it provides step by step instruction and motivation.

Going through the process of organizing your photos will help you understand what you might want to keep and what you do not need.

Digitizing printed photos

Once your photos are organized, decide what to digitize. This could be all or a smaller subset. Once the photos are digitized it is a lot easier to make decisions on what physical items to keep, because you will have a digital version preserved for you. And MAKE SURE THE DIGITAL FILES ARE BACKED UP! You should have at least three copies of your digital files, kept in different locations. Read more about backing up your photos in this blog post.

I find that for many of my clients, digitizing relieves some of the anxiety around the question of what to do with the printed photos. Need some help with digitizing? We can take care of that for you. Reach out here.

Note: I have many clients who tell me they thought they had things digitized before but can’t find the download link or drive they were given. Don’t let this be you.

Options for printed photos:

These may seem obvious, but I find it’s nice to see the options laid out in for me - it helps with my decision-making. So here are my thoughts on whether to keep your printed photos.

Keep all of your printed photos

There are plenty of reasons to keep all of your photos - you like to flip through them, you want to eventually give them to others, you just don’t want to part with them. If you have the room, go for it! If you want to keep them all, put them in a safe, climate-controlled space. By climate-controlled, I simply mean they should be stored in the same temperature and conditions that are comfortable for you to be in. Not in an attic where it can get too hot, or a basement that may be damp, or a garage that is subject to the elements. You will also want to put them in archival safe packaging. After all, you are making the conscious decision to keep them, so you should do what you can to protect them. If they have been digitized, note that on the box as well as where the digital copies are stored so that 1) you don’t forget and commit the energy and expense to re-digitize them, and 2) so your family knows where to find the digital copies should something happen to you. You can purchase archival safe packaging from many places, I like Archival Methods. Note that organized photos usually take up much less room than what you started with. Not sure what you need? Send them an email and they can help you figure out the what and the how much.

A finished project, with the photos packed into archival safe boxes from Archival Methods.

Keep only your favorite photos

Don’t want to keep them all or don’t have enough room for them? Confirm that the photos are digitized and backed up, then pick your favorites to keep and discard the rest. Do not feel guilty about discarding them! I did not keep all of my printed photos. I kept the older photos, as they were in better shape, and discarded all of the photos from the 1980s-1990s when the drug stores were offering doubles for $0.10. Photos from this time period are often more faded, have lost their color and generally in worse shape than the older photos. You may want to ask family members if they want some of the photos before you discard them. Which leads me to…

Give your photos to family and friends

Don’t want to keep them all but don’t want to discard because you think others may want them? Ask your family and friends if they would like them. Some will absolutely take you up on your offer. BUT don’t be surprised if others do not want them, and don’t be disheartened by that fact. Photos invoke different memories for different people. Photos that have a lot of meaning for you may not have that same meaning for others. And the younger generation may or may not have the space for them. Again, if the photos have been digitized you can also give friends and family access to the digital photos so that the memories are not lost.

Discard them

It is perfectly ok to discard photos if you do not get enjoyment from them, don’t have space for them, or just don’t want them. BUT please digitize them first! That way if you discard something you want later you are protected. We don’t always know in the moment what will have meaning later on, or what event might happen that will lead you down memory lane looking for these photos. If they are photos of the Grand Canyon and you have many, that’s one thing. If they are photos of your family in front of the Grand Canyon, that is a different story. Once digitized and backed up properly, you will always have them.

Whatever you decide to do, remember that it is your decision. As always, please reach out if you would like help with your collection.