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Best Format To Scan Photos – How-To Guide

By Emily Hutton
  • Last Updated: Sep 17, 2022

If you’re organizing hundreds of old family photos, they can become challenging to sort, store, and backup

The good news is, scanning your photo albums or film negatives is easier than you think! However, those new to digital photos may not know the best file format to use.

In this guide, you’ll learn the best file formats for scanning your photos, how to upload them at home, and additional tips to keep in mind.

Options For Scanning Your Photographs

When photo scanning, you have two options. First, you can your images professionally scanned. Second, you can scan your pictures yourself. Each has its pros and cons – take a look below.

Option 1: Scan Your Photos At Home

If you have a scanner, you can save money by scanning the images yourself. Plus, you have total control over the final results – from the scanning resolution to image sizes. 

However, scanning old photos yourself is time-consuming and tedious, depending on how many images you want to digitize. Ensure your photos are clean is very important before scanning!

Scanning old photos can also require additional editing skills, such as color correction, cropping, and other adjustments. 

Finally, you will need a reliable scanner to produce high-quality images. If you don’t have the time or equipment, you might want to consider getting your photos scanned professionally instead.

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Option 2: Hire A Professional To Scan Your Images

Companies such as CVS or Walmart can scan your photos for you, saving you the time it takes to do it yourself. Industry level scanners produce high quality scans and are usually pretty affordable.

What Are File Formats For Photo Scans?

The most common file formats for scanning old photos are JPEG, PNG, TIFF, and GIF. However, each come with their ups and downsides. Below, you’ll discover what file format best suits your scanning requirements.

JPEG File Format

Designed in 1992 by the Joint Photographic Experts Group, the reliable JPEG format is excellent for compressing a digital image to a smaller file size without losing quality.

Pros Of Scanning In JPEG Format

  • These digital images are easy to share between devices and ideal for uploading images to the Internet.
  • You can store JPEG files on limited disk space because of their lossless format compression.
  • They can support a wide range of colors.

Cons Of Scanning In JPEG Format

  • The lossy compression on JPEG files comes with some data loss, which results in mediocre text displays. 
  • Editing JPEG files often results in low image quality due to their small file size.

PNG File Format

Short for Portable Network Graphic, PNG files were first uploaded in 1996. Creators specifically invented this file type for easy transfer on the Internet.

Pros Of Scanning In PNG Format

  • PNGs compress into a small file size better than JPEG files – there is minimal loss of image quality. 
  • They are the most widely accepted format among Internet users. 
  • They can scan in a full-color spectrum.

Cons Of Scanning In PNG Format

  • They are not suitable for high-resolution prints. 
  • They require more space than other file formats. 
  • Some web browsers do not universally support them.

TIFF File Format

The Tagged Image File Format by Adobe aims to provide compatibility across all platforms. Like its counterparts, a TIFF file allows for lossless compression, albeit with the ability to keep your images in the best quality possible.

Pros Of Scanning In TIFF Format

  • You can scan images in RGB and CMYK colors.
  • TIFF files maintain layers, masks, and transparencies.
  • TIFF files provide the best resolution and are ideal for photo scanning & printing. 
  • Compression doesn’t result in image data loss.

Cons Of Scanning In TIFF Format

  • TIFF files are not compatible across many browsers and operating systems. 
  • They come with the largest file size, which can be challenging to upload.

What File Format Should You Use?

Ultimately, what format you use to scan each image file will depend on your preferences. If you’re after shareability, you might prefer to use a JPEG or PNG format. On the other hand, the TIFF format can work to your advantage if you want to use an image editor such as Adobe Photoshop for printing.

What Is DPI & Why Does It Matter When Scanning Photos?

The DPI or dots-per-inch on your digital files refers to how many pixels there are in a single image. The higher the DPI on your file type, the more you can enlarge your file size without losing quality. However, images with higher DPIs contain more image data also take up more space on your device.

The pixel dimensions you select will depend on exactly what you want to do with your digital images. For instance, the sweet spot for archiving images is 300 DPI, while a DPI of 200 will suffice for image-sharing online. 

300 DPI is also ideal for electronic display. You’ll want to increase the dots-per-inch on your images if you intend to enlarge file size or print them. 

The best way to determine the dots-per-inch on your pictures is to work backward. First, crop the original photo to fit the aspect ratio you want, then compute the resolution you need.

The Ideal Format For Scanning Images Is Up To You!

Ultimately, digitizing your old photo albums is the best way to keep your memories safe. What format you use will depend on whether you want to upload your scans online or print them for display. 

If you want your images professionally scanned, contact our experts at Image Restoration Center today!

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