Today’s scanning software is super smart: it can detect individual photos on its glass, automatically remove dust and specks, and restore color to seriously faded photos. For example, you can pack the Epson Perfection V19 into your laptop case so you can take it with you to Grandma’s house (it’s barely thicker than a 15-inch MacBook) and at $70 it’s a steal. How is this exciting? Let us count the ways. Scanners used to be huge, heavy and costly but today’s desktop scanners are small, inexpensive, and highly intelligent. While a giant scanning project can feel overwhelming, all you really need is patience, a scanner, and these essential scanning tips. You can mail your beloved mementos to a scanning service, but the fulfillment you get from doing it yourself and reliving all those memories is huge. (Besides, how else can you use those pictures in projects you make on your Mac?) Photos are among our most prized possessions, so when you realize your entire family photographic history exists in one vulnerable-and in my case, tornado-riddled-place, spread across dozens of envelopes and stacks of albums, you’ve got to put your scanning boots on.
