Got Photos?

Got Photos?

Chances are you do.  My friend Rachel Jenkins is the owner of Photo Archivers in Columbia, Maryland.  She has some great advice for how to tackle those baskets, bins, and boxes without going bonkers!

10 Tips to Prepare for Photo Scanning

Originally posted November 3, 2023 by Rachel Jenkins of Photo Archivers

We’re going to jump right to the assumption that your photos are organized and now you’re ready to drop them off or ship them to a professional scanning company for digitizing. My first recommendation is to do some research before shipping your photos to a scanning company. You only want to do this one time. Take a look at reviews and maybe call and talk to a team member so that you know what to expect as a final delivery.

To maximize digitizing results for your printed photos here at Photo Archivers, we have some recommendations for you. This article is primarily focused on printed photos, but you can apply most of this information to other materials, like memorabilia, slides, and negatives.

    1. If possible, remove tape and/or place a divider between sticky photos so they don’t stick to each other.
    2. Remove photos from albums that you’d like us to scan. For those tricky sticky albums, we can do this step for you. Especially if you think removing them might cause damage to the photos.
    3. Use a 4×6 index card or paper to divide and label your groups of photos. Photo Archivers will use this information to create your digital folders and name your digital files.
    4. Place your photos in a shoebox or other temporary container for transfer. This will also help you gauge how many photos you’ve got.
    5. Consider if you want us to digitize the backs of photos with handwriting, date stamps, or other information.
    6. Decide if you’d like us to rehouse your scanned photos into archival boxes.
    7. If there are any photos that require special handling or that you’d like additional restoration work, isolate those and let’s discuss.
    8. Measure your stacks of photos so you know what you’ve got. One inch of photos equals about 100 photos. Nobody likes surprises and this tip helps you decide if you need to do further curation before dropping off for scanning.
    9. If your photos are dirty or dusty, use a soft cloth to gently wipe the surface of the photos.
    10. Contact Photo Archivers to learn more.

If you’re feeling annoyed reading this list because I assumed that your photos are already organized, don’t be discouraged. [LGO and Photo Archivers] can help get you organized. [LGO deals with clients’ piles every day and Photo Archivers has] families drop off those chaotic boxes of photos all the time. We’d be honored to help you get this done!

Give us a call and let’s get started!

Cure the Paper Plague!

Cure the Paper Plague!

Are you maddened by mail?  Crazed by credit card and charity requests? Overwhelmed by offers?  Inundated by bogus invitations?  Besieged by bills? 

The number one reason clients call a professional organizer is to help them manage their paper. It IS possible to cure the Paper Plague.  How?  By creating a simple system that allows you to process paper quickly and efficiently. The key to controlling it is to do a little bit every day. 

Here are a few of my favorite techniques for staying on top of the daily deluge:

  • Stop paper at the door and go digital. Opt to receive bank and investment statements, bills, and receipts electronically.
  • When the mail comes in, sort it immediately, always in the same place, and near the recycling bin.
  • Toss junk mail right away. What’s junk mail?  That really is up to you to decide.  In general, it could be anything that doesn’t meet a need you have right now. For instance, if you don’t need a new credit card, rip up the offer and recycle it immediately.  Those coupon packs that come?  Do you really go to those places?  If not, toss the whole envelope without even opening it. 
  • Have a “landing pad” for paper bills you still receive, things you want to read, invitations you receive, and coupons you really will use. I like to have a small file system in the kitchen.  It could be a drawer in a cabinet or a small desktop file box.  Color code the folders and label them clearly (everyone loves a label-maker!).  If they are attractive, you’ll be more likely to use them.
  • Schedule 15 minutes with yourself (yes, put in your calendar) to address the items in the file system that have to be acted on – pay the bills, reply to the invitation, etc. Better yet, if time permits, act on these items as they come in.  Then they won’t be hanging over your head. Move the items you’ve acted on to a…
  • “Permanent” file system that works for the way you think. Have five to seven broad categories and label them with titles that will let you find what you need quickly.  Once a year, go through your files and shred what you no longer need.  Consult your trusted advisors if you aren’t sure of something.
  • Read current issues of magazines and other publications when they arrive, then recycle the old ones. Or subscribe only to the digital version.

As always, we’re here to help.  Give us a call and cure your paper plague!