Digitize Old Family Photographs: Formats, Prices & Research Tools
Compare Eftsona photo preservation and photograph research tools. Keep original scans, choose usable formats and separate clues from guesses.
Digitizing old family photographs and identifying the people in them are different tasks. Eftsona Preservation can prepare scan files; Eftsona Press & Bookstore offers a record for your own visual research. Choose according to whether you need a better digital copy, a way to organize clues, or both.
Preserve the image first
Family Photographs · 1 item — $0.99. The listed recommended format is high-resolution JPEG. The service describes a high-quality scan, sensible filename, basic viewing enhancement, and original scan. View the single-photo option →
JPEG is convenient for everyday sharing. The formats page also explains TIFF as a lossless preservation master with larger files and a need for a compatible viewer. Ask about your required return format; do not assume a TIFF is part of every standard JPEG purchase.
Record clues without claiming a solved identity
Eftsona Old Photograph Identification Record — $3.71 personal license. This digital ZIP package is for documenting and comparing clues in your own photographs. It is a research tool, not a commissioned identification service. Its workflow records the physical photograph, examines people, places, dates, clothing and objects separately, and compares inscriptions and provenance.
See previews and license choices →
Example: an unlabeled family group
Illustrative scenario: three people stand outside a building in an old photograph. A relative thinks one person is an aunt, but the image has no caption. Preserve a digital copy and record the photograph's size, reverse-side marks, known owner, and the relative's recollection. Treat visible clothing and objects as observations; keep the proposed name as an unconfirmed interpretation.
A readable scan may help you inspect a small inscription, but it cannot create evidence that was never present. The record gives you a place to track a comparison with another photograph or a dated document, including evidence that does not support your first guess.
Before sending originals
Upload digitally after checkout, or agree physical handling and shipping with Preservation first. Physical scanning is available up to legal size, 8.5 × 14 inches. Discuss fragile, bound, oversized, or framed items before sending them.
Which purchase includes research?
The scan service preserves the image. The identification record supports research you conduct yourself. For scoped commissioned research, compare the Family History research guide.
Can I start with one photograph?
Yes. Preservation has no collection minimum. Review service previews and the photograph service scope before ordering.
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Offerings and prices checked October 9, 2026. Current listing and checkout details apply. Examples labeled illustrative are not customer testimonials.