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    Scan Old Photos

    Save the shoeboxes before they fade.

    Free phone apps

    • Google PhotoScan (free) — 4 corner shots auto-merged. Removes glare. Best free option.
    • Apple Notes — built into iPhone. Tap camera icon → "Scan Documents". Works on photos too.
    • Microsoft Lens (free) — auto-crops, fixes angles. Saves to OneDrive.
    • Photomyne ($30/year) — scans 4 photos at once from an album page. Pricey but huge time saver.

    Mail-in services (best for big collections)

    • Legacybox — $400 for ~250 photos (all formats). Famous brand. Slow but reliable.
    • ScanCafe — $0.30/photo. Send physical photos in. Get a thumb drive back.
    • ScanMyPhotos — $200 prepaid box, holds 1,800 photos. Best per-photo price.
    • Costco Photo Center (online) — $20 for 62 photos. Decent quality.
    • iMemories — also handles VHS, slides, film reels.

    Home scanner (best for archives)

    • Epson FastFoto FF-680W ($600) — scans 1 photo per second. Fastest at home. Best for thousands.
    • Epson V39 ($100) — basic flatbed scanner. Slow but affordable.
    • Brother ADS-2700W ($350) — also handles documents.
    • Library may have one to borrow.

    Tips for great scans

    • Wipe each photo with soft cloth first.
    • Scan at 600 DPI minimum (1200 for old slides).
    • Keep originals — never throw away.
    • Name files with year + event ("1987-Christmas-AuntJoy.jpg").
    • Back up scans to TWO places (cloud + external drive).
    • Add date + names in Photos app metadata so you can search later.

    VHS, slides, film reels

    • Costco Digital Conversion — VHS to digital ~$25/tape.
    • Walgreens, CVS — limited services, decent prices.
    • Legacybox — handles all formats.
    • VHS tapes degrade — convert before they're unwatchable (most are 25-40 years old now).

    Best ROI

    Pick the 100 most important photos first. Scan those carefully, save in 3 places, share with family. The other 5,000? Mail-in service handles bulk. Don't spend years scanning every photo from 1965 — get the best ones digitized while you're here to identify who's in them.