Why You Should Get Your Photos Scanned

If you're like most families (especially if you had kids before the early 2000s), you probably have stacks of boxes and albums filled with printed photos scattered throughout the house. If you think about, all those photos of vacations, birthdays, school pictures (even the mundane ones of your kids eating pancakes at the kitchen table)… tell your family’s life story. And those stories are in jeopardy of being lost or damaged if we don’t preserve and protect them. Plus, we tend to forget about those photos since we don’t have instant access to them (like we do the pictures on our phone).

Digitizing your photos (AKA turning your physical/printed photos into a digitized version through scanning) makes your vulnerable memories easily shareable and instantly accessible.

Here’s why digitizing your printed photos is a good idea:

You’ll have a backup in case the originals fade or get damaged
Because you have a backup of your printed photos, you can then make multiple copies if needed
And best of all—you can share them instantly, right from your phone or computer

But once you decide to digitize… the next question is:
How should you do it?

Phone App vs. Scanner: What’s the Best Way to Digitize?

If you want to scan your printed photos, there are two main options:

Use a scanning app on your phone
Use a flatbed scanner

Here’s a quick breakdown of both:

Phone Scanning App

If you’re considering digitizing your printed photos using a smartphone app, it’s easier than ever to get started. There are plenty of low-cost (and even free) apps that let you snap a photo of your prints directly from your phone.

While convenient, these apps come with limitations—especially when it comes to image quality.

Glossy photos often create unwanted glare, and it can be tricky to get a clear, evenly lit shot. Even under the best conditions, phone scans just don’t match the sharpness and detail of a flatbed scanner.

And that matters—especially if you want to reprint or enlarge your photos later. High-quality prints require high-quality digital files.

If preserving your memories with clarity, color accuracy, and long-term value is important to you, a professional scan will always give you better results.

Pros:

Quick and easy
Low cost (sometimes free)

Cons:

Often creates glare or shadows
Lower quality images
Not ideal if you want to print or enlarge

Flatbed Scanner

If you're thinking about scanning your printed photos with a flatbed scanner, there are a few pros and cons to keep in mind.

Unlike app-based scanning, a quality flatbed scanner isn’t something you can download in minutes—it typically requires an upfront investment of a few hundred dollars. But as with most things, you get what you pay for.

The biggest advantage? Exceptional quality.
Flatbed scanners handle all photo types beautifully—including glossy prints—with no glare, distortion, or loss of detail. You’ll get high-resolution digital files that are perfect for reprints, enlargements, graduation displays, memorials, or photo books.

Of course, that higher resolution comes at a cost: time. Scanning can be slow, especially if you have hundreds of photos. And for many families, it doesn’t make sense to purchase and store a scanner they’ll only use once.

For one-time projects or large collections, outsourcing your scanning to a professional often saves time, money, and frustration—while still delivering the high-quality results your memories deserve.

Pros:

High-resolution images
Professional-grade quality
Perfect for printing, enlarging, or archiving

Cons:

Can be time-consuming
Scanners can be expensive (especially if you’re only using it for a one-time project)

My Personal Experience

I’ll be honest—I’ve been there.
I once spent hours scanning family photos with my phone, trying to get the lighting just right, only to realize… the quality just wasn’t good enough. Here are some comparisons between scanning on a phone and scanning using a scanner.

The difference between scanning on a phone vs. scanning on a scanner.

Scanning on a scanner gives you higher quality scans—without the glare and shadows of your hand/phone!

It took longer, but the difference was night and day.
The images were crystal clear, free of glare, and good enough to print or frame. If I had started with the right tool, I could’ve done it right the first time.

So… What Should You Do?

If you’re short on time and just need a quick scan for a project or post, a phone app will work in a pinch.
But if you care about quality—especially for heirloom photos—flatbed scanning is worth it.

And if you don’t want to buy a scanner or spend months scanning hundreds of photos…I’d love to help.

I specialize in digitizing and organizing printed photos (as well as VHS tape conversion), so your family’s story is preserved, easy to access, and ready to share.

Click here and let me know how many photos you have so I can get you scheduled! I offer all-inclusive services so you don’t even have to take your photos out of the albums or drop them off. I do all of that for you!

Let’s give your memories the care they deserve—without the glare ;)

-Andrea

Scanning Photos on a Phone App vs. a Flatbed Scanner: What’s Better?