Preparing your photos

A little care now. More detail to bring back later.

You don’t need perfect photos to begin. Send the clearest original files you can, and we’ll take it from there.

Three ways to digitize family photographs: a flatbed scanner, a phone scanning app, and a phone camera.

Already have digital originals? Skip the scanning steps and upload those files directly.

OPTION 01 · PROFESSIONAL SCANNING

Let a photo specialist capture the detail.

Ask a photo lab or scanning specialist for a high-resolution scan of each photograph as a separate file. For ordinary photographic prints, 600 dpi at the original size is a useful starting point. A specialist may recommend more for very small prints. Slides and negatives need a different setup.

  • Request high-quality JPG or TIFF files.
  • Ask for automatic retouching, color enhancement and aggressive sharpening to be left off.
  • Keep the whole photograph, including its edges. Scanning in color can preserve useful information even in a black-and-white print.

Handle prints by their edges. Don’t force fragile photos through a feeder or pull a stuck photograph from an album. Keep your physical originals.

OPTION 02 · A PHONE SCANNING APP

Use PhotoScan by Google Photos.

PhotoScan by Google Photos guides you through scanning a printed photograph with your phone.

  1. Lay the photograph flat and hold your phone above it.
  2. Follow the app’s capture prompts.
  3. Check the result: all four corners should be correct, faces should look sharp, and reflections should not cover important details.
  4. Save each photograph as an individual image. Leave filters off and avoid exporting a document PDF.

OPTION 03 · YOUR PHONE CAMERA

A clear photograph is a good start.

  1. Clean your camera lens with an appropriate soft cloth.
  2. Place one photo flat near a window in bright, indirect daylight.
  3. Turn the flash off and avoid casting a shadow over the print.
  4. Hold the phone parallel to the photograph. Fill most of the frame while keeping all four edges visible. Avoid digital zoom and portrait mode.
  5. Tap to focus, steady your hands, and take the picture.
  6. Zoom into the saved image to check faces and fine detail. If glare hides anything, adjust the lighting and try again.

Send the original camera file without beauty filters, sharpening or recoloring. If a photograph is stuck behind glass or inside an album, ask us for help before risking damage.

READY TO UPLOAD

Open the personal folder in your order email.

Click Upload your old photos in the email from Moments Revived. The button opens your order’s Add Your Old Photos Here folder.

  1. Sign in to the Google account that has access to your folder.
  2. On a computer, drag your image files into the folder. In the Google Drive phone app, open the folder and use the add/upload control.
  3. Wait for every upload to finish, then check that all your files appear.
  4. Reply to your order email with “My photos are uploaded”. Include any names, dates, color references, or wishes for your order.

Upload individual JPG, PNG or TIFF files where possible. Avoid screenshots, collages, compressed messenger copies and PDFs. Keep a copy of your originals on your own device.

Using a different Google account, or don’t have one? Reply to your order email before uploading so we can help arrange access or another way to send your files.

We’re here to help.

If anything feels confusing, simply reply to your order email or write to support@momentsrevived.com. Include your order number so we can find your folder.