How to organize family photos
Short answerOrganize family photos in four passes: gather everything in one place, sort roughly by family branch and decade, scan prints at 600 dpi or higher, and give each file a consistent name with the date and people. Then sit with older relatives to identify faces, and record who is in each group photo before that knowledge is lost.
Steps
Gather everything
Collect albums, loose prints, slides and phone folders in one place. Ask relatives what they have before you start.
Sort roughly
Group by family branch, then by decade. Clothes, cars, hairstyles and the photo paper itself help place undated prints.
Scan at 600 dpi
Scan prints at 600 dpi or more so they can be enlarged and cropped later. Small or important photos are worth scanning higher.
Name files consistently
Use a pattern such as 1962-07_Hale_Peggy-and-Arthur-wedding.jpg so files sort by date and can be found by surname.
Identify the faces
Show the photos to older relatives and write down who is in each one, left to right, with the date you asked and who told you.
Keep two copies
Store the scans in two places, and keep the original prints somewhere cool and dry.
Scanning settings that hold up
| Original | Suggested resolution | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Standard prints (4 × 6 in) | 600 dpi | Enough to reprint larger and crop single faces from a group. |
| Small prints and wallet photos | 1200 dpi | Small originals need more pixels to enlarge. |
| Slides and negatives | 2400 dpi or more | Film is tiny; a film scanner or scanner with a film holder does better than a flatbed alone. |
| Documents and certificates | 300 to 400 dpi | Readable text at a sensible file size. |
Save a master copy as TIFF or high-quality JPEG and don’t edit it; make edits on a copy.
Labeling prints safely
The Library of Congress advises avoiding marking photographs where possible; if you must, write on the back near the edge with a soft graphite pencil, and prefer labeling the sleeve or folder instead. Don’t use sticky notes, tape, glue, paper clips or rubber bands on prints, and avoid “magnetic” albums with sticky pages. Store prints somewhere cool, dry and stable, away from attics, basements and radiators.
Group photos: write down every face
A wedding or reunion photo is often the only picture of some relatives. Number the faces on a copy, list the names in order, and note who identified them. When a photo is tagged with everyone in it, it can appear on each person’s page in a family tree, so a cousin you barely knew still has a face.
Dating an undated photo
- Look for writing, studio stamps or processing dates on the back or border.
- Compare with photos you can date: the same people at different ages.
- Use the photo format: square prints with white borders, Polaroids and slides each belong to particular decades.
- Record your estimate as approximate, for example “about 1955”.
Doing this in Family Trees
Family Trees is built around photos. In the web app every person has a round portrait and a gallery, and you can tag several people in one group photo so it appears on each of their pages. See photos and tagging.
Questions
What resolution should I scan old family photos at?
Scan standard prints at 600 dpi, small prints at 1200 dpi, and slides or negatives at 2400 dpi or more. Higher resolution lets you crop faces and print larger later.
How should I name scanned photo files?
Start with the date (year and month if known), then the surname and a short description, for example 1962-07_Hale_wedding.jpg. Dates first make files sort in order.
Can I write on the back of old photos?
Only if you must, and then with a soft graphite pencil on the back near the edge. It is better to label the sleeve or folder. Avoid ink, sticky notes and tape.
Sources
Links go to other sites. Checked 19 October 2026.
Questions? Email support@familytreesapp.com and a person will reply.