Digitise old photos, slides and home videos

Use this guide if you have family prints, slides, negatives or video tapes ageing in a loft or cupboard. Have the boxes to hand, a clear table, a soft cloth or cotton gloves, and access to a computer or phone with spare storage.

Step by step

1. Sort and prioritise before scanning anything

   Spread the material out and sort it into three piles: must keep, nice to have, and duplicates or blurry shots. Count roughly how many prints, slides and tapes are in the must-keep pile, because this decides whether DIY or a paid service makes sense. Tapes and slides fade and degrade faster than most prints, so put them near the top of your list.