Preserve the received package
When scans arrive from a relative or a service, keep the original delivery separately until it is checked. Record which physical collection it represents and whether some items were omitted. A file count does not establish that both sides of annotated photos or every album page was captured. Decide what completeness means before declaring the scan project finished.
Inspect representative files
Open examples from different batches and inspect legibility, orientation and whether edges or writing were cropped. A thumbnail is insufficient for judging a small handwritten note. If a rescan is needed, preserve the existing file until the better version is checked. This guide does not prescribe professional digitization settings or claim we evaluated a scanning service.
Keep corrections reversible
Create a working derivative for brightness, rotation or restoration. Keep the unedited received scan and label the derivative’s purpose. If an enhancement invents detail, do not present it as historical evidence. Pixel restoration is outside this publication’s task; our concern is keeping the original evidence and usable versions distinguishable.
A fictional intake checklist
A batch contains 120 front scans and 12 back scans. Record that distinction, open samples and connect a back inscription to its matching front without relying solely on gallery order. Keep the delivery folder and a readable note explaining the naming convention. The archive is ready for sharing only after a recipient can find the intended image without mistaking an edited presentation copy for the source scan.
Accept the physical scope too
Record what the scan project was meant to include: selected photographs, album pages, backs with writing or another defined set. Compare that scope with the delivery before accepting it. Keep omitted or unreadable items as exceptions. A technically readable image can still fail the project if the important inscription or relevant part of the original was never captured in the first place.
Sources used for this page
These records support the facts and comparisons above. Merchant-controlled records are labelled so you can separate product claims from independent evidence.
- Library of Congress: personal digital photographs — Research study · digitalpreservation.gov · Publisher independence not verified · checked 2026-09-28
- pCloud Photos — Merchant documentation · pcloud.com · Merchant-controlled · checked 2026-09-28