What to do with an old family photo: print ideas and scanning tips

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The short answerScan the photo flat, with no flash and no glare (a flatbed at 600 dpi if you have one, otherwise a phone in daylight), pick a sharp face and a simple composition, then print it on a frame ($90.00 at 30 x 40 cm), a calendar (), a mug ($25.00), postcards ($25.00 for ten) or a tote bag ($38.00). We do not restore damaged photos: what you upload is what gets printed.

Upload the old photoIt opens your gallery. Instant preview, no account needed.

Scanning it properly, with or without a scanner

The quality of the finished object depends first on the quality of the file. A film print holds a lot of detail, but a poor scan throws it away.

With a flatbed scanner: clean glass, photo lying straight, set to 600 dpi (dots per inch). If you plan to enlarge it a lot, say from a small print to a big frame, go up to 1200 dpi. Save as a high-quality JPEG or a PNG.
With a phone: lay the print flat on a table, near a window, in indirect daylight. No flash: it leaves a white blotch on glossy paper. Hold the phone parallel to the paper so the edges do not distort, with no shadow across it.
Under glass or album film: if you can take it out gently, do. If it is stuck, do not tear it off: tilt the camera very slightly so the glare slides out of the picture.
Negatives and slides: a phone will not do. You need a scanner that handles them, or a photo lab.

Zoom in on the file: if the face stays sharp, the print will follow. The studio preview shows the result before you order.

Which photo to choose

Not every old photo works on an object. Three simple criteria: a sharp face (or two), a simple composition (one person, a couple, a table of relatives rather than a crowd far away) and decent contrast, neither too faded nor too dark. A wedding, childhood vacations or a great-grandparent all work well.

What to print on what

The frame, $90.00 at 30 x 40 cm (a 50 x 70 cm size also exists): for the most precious photo, the one that deserves the living room wall. One image, large and sharp.
The A4 calendar, : twelve months, so twelve chances to show several photos of the same family, one per season or one per generation.
The mug, $25.00: for the photo you like seeing every morning, a portrait or a tight group.
The postcards, $25.00 for a set of ten: the same photo, or several, to send to the cousins with a note on the back.
The tote bag, $38.00: for a photo with character, to carry everywhere.

The mathsCalendar and 30 x 40 cm frame: $90.00, or $22.50 each between four. Free shipping from €50.

A gift for parents or grandparents

A picture of their youth, or of their own parents, is often the gift they did not see coming. Quietly ask a sibling, an aunt or a cousin who keeps the albums. The frame for one portrait, the calendar for a series. For more ideas: gifts for grandparents and gifts for your parents.

What if the photo is damaged?

To be clear: we do not restore photos. We do not smooth out creases, remove stains or repair a tear. What is in the file is what gets printed. You have three options:

Choose a photo where the damage sits at the edge or away from the faces, and check it in the preview.
Embrace the patina: a crease and some yellowing also tell the age of the photo.
Have the file retouched first, with photo-editing software or a professional restorer, then upload it to us.

Shipping and timing, wherever you are

There is no minimum order, and we ship to France, the European Union and fourteen other countries: Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Norway, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Israel and the United Arab Emirates. Each item is printed to order near the delivery address: allow 5 to 10 working days in the UK, Europe and the US and up to 15 elsewhere. We do not promise an arrival date, so order ahead for a specific occasion.

Free shipping from €50, no minimum order. Printed to order one at a time near the delivery address: 5 to 10 working days in the UK, Europe and the US, up to 15 elsewhere.

Questions people ask us

What can you do with an old family photo? Scan it, then print it on something you see every day: a frame, a calendar, a mug, postcards or a tote bag. Shipping is added at checkout (free from €50), with no minimum order.

How do you scan an old photo? Best is a flatbed scanner set to 600 dpi (dots per inch) with a clean glass. Without one, photograph the print lying flat, in indirect daylight, with no flash and the phone held parallel to the paper, to avoid glare and distortion.

Do you restore damaged photos? No. The service does no restoration: creases, stains and scratches are printed as they appear in the file you upload. The preview shows the result before you order.

Do you ship outside France, and how long does it take? Yes, to France, the European Union and fourteen other countries, with shipping added at checkout. Items are printed to order: 5 to 10 working days in the UK, Europe and the US, up to 15 elsewhere. No arrival date is guaranteed.

Start with the photoNothing is sent before you order: the preview is computed in your browser.