Organizing Before You Digitize
You don't need to organize perfectly before bringing your collection in. But a little sorting goes a long way toward a better result.
Group, Don't Sort
Separate media by type: photos in one pile, tapes in another, film reels and slides in a third. Within each group, loosely arrange by era if you can, but don't stress about exact dates.
Good Enough Is Perfect
You don't need archival-grade organization. "Photos from the '80s" and "tapes from when the kids were small" is plenty. We'll work with whatever you bring.
What Actually Helps
- Sticky notes on groups: "Mom's side of the family" or "1990s holidays"
- Remove photos from deteriorating magnetic albums (or let us do it safely)
- If tapes have labels, leave them, any information helps
What Doesn't Matter
- Exact chronological order
- Identifying every person in every photo
- Having special archival supplies
Bring what you have, however you have it. The meticulous organization is our job.