How to Digitize Old Photos Without a Scanner
You can digitize old photos with a phone camera. Lay the print flat in soft, even light with no glare, hold the phone parallel to it, fill the frame, and tap to focus. For framed or glossy prints, use window light coming from the side and never use the flash.
A phone is enough for most photos
Flatbed scanners are better for negatives, slides, and archival work, but for prints you want to restore, print, or share, a modern phone camera is close. The result depends far more on your light and angle than on the phone.
Light is the whole game
Soft, even light with no glare. Bright shade outdoors or indirect light near a window both work. Direct sun blows out highlights, and a ceiling light usually reflects straight back off the print. If you can see a reflection, the camera will too.
Angle and framing
Hold the phone flat and parallel to the print, centered over it, and get close enough to fill the frame. Shooting from an angle skews the rectangle and softens one side. Tap the center to lock focus and exposure.
Glossy prints and glass
For shiny prints or photos behind glass, use window light coming from the side, not the front, and tilt the print a few degrees until the reflection slides off. Never use the flash.
Take a few
Shoot two or three, zoom in on each to check for softness and glare, and keep the best one. Save it at full resolution and work from copies.
Doing it on iPhone with Aion
Aion captures the print with the camera in the app, then restores it: repair, faces, color, upscale. For target resolutions, see what DPI to scan old photos.
