How to photograph an old photo with your phone
A clear phone photo is all we need to restore your print. It takes about two minutes.
Step by step
- 1
Take it out of the frame
Glass and plastic sleeves cause glare. If it’s stuck, leave it in and see the tips below.
- 2
Use daylight
Lay it near a window, out of direct sun. Turn off room lights so they don’t tint the colours.
- 3
Lay it flat
Use a plain table or a sheet of paper. Weigh down the corners of a curled photo, but don’t force it flat.
- 4
Turn the flash off
Flash causes glare and washes out detail.
- 5
Hold the phone straight above
Keep the phone level with the photo so it doesn’t come out skewed. Fill the screen, leaving a small border.
- 6
Focus and hold still
Tap a face to focus, then take two or three shots and keep the sharpest.
Tips
- Move closer instead of zooming. Zoom loses detail.
- Don’t use filters, “enhance” or crop. Send the photo as taken.
- Stuck behind glass? Angle the phone slightly until the reflection disappears.
- Free scanning apps such as Google PhotoScan reduce glare.
- Have a flatbed scanner? Scan at 600 dpi or higher.
Sending it to us
When we reply to your enquiry, email the photo at full size. On an iPhone, choose “Actual Size” when Mail asks. Messaging apps shrink photos, so avoid them.
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Let’s have a look at yours
Send a phone snap. We’ll reply with a fixed price within one business day.