Posted on: Tuesday, June 21, 2005
HELP DESK
Smile and say 'archive' — or your photos could disappear
By Kim Komando
Digital cameras make it easy to snap lots of pictures, but you can quickly find yourself with a hard drive full of photos that can be gone in a flash.
Your pictures could be deleted in a few mouse-clicks, or your hard drive could crash. Don't take chances: Archive your photos to make sure those memories will be around a long time.
Windows XP makes archiving easy. First, navigate to the folder where you store your photos. Make sure the Picture Tasks area is showing at the left side of the window. It provides options for working with your photos.
If it isn't showing, click Tools, then Folder Options. On the General tab, select "Show common tasks in folders." Click Apply and OK.
Highlight the pictures you want to archive. Then click "Copy all items to CD" in the Picture Tasks area. A balloon saying "You have files waiting to be written to the CD" will appear in the bottom right corner of the screen. Click it to open a window showing the files.
If everything looks good, click "Write these files to CD" in the CD Writing Tasks area. When prompted, insert a blank CD. Then click Next. Enter a name for the CD and click Next.
Once the CD is created, you're given the opportunity to create another. This is a great idea if the pictures are priceless. Click Finish if you're done. Label the CD clearly and store it in a safe place.
Here are some pointers on archiving photos.
For starters, put monthly reminders in your organizer to back up photos. That way, you're not likely to forget.
If your photos are really important to you, don't rely only on CDs. They scratch easily. Also, some recordable CDs deteriorate in a few years.
Online photo sharing sites such as Kodak EasyShare Gallery and Shutterfly offer unlimited uploads and storage. (While Shutterfly is free, you must purchase something within 12 months at the Kodak site.) This gives you a way to have a backup of photos away from your home and computer.
Alternatively, you can install a second drive in your computer. Big drives are relatively cheap. Prices range from about 50 cents to $1 per gigabyte. If you don't want to deal with the installation, buy an external drive.
Printing your photos is a good idea. But remember that any photograph is subject to deterioration. Prints made with a regular printer are more susceptible than traditional photographs.
The life span of home-printed photos is subject to debate. Digital photography hasn't been around long enough to test manufacturers' claims.
Print on paper recommended by the manufacturer of the ink you use. Manufacturers test the ink with their paper. The ink might work poorly with other papers.
The inkjet paper sold today is of better quality than older papers. Photos printed more than a year ago should be reprinted.
For more durable prints, consider investing in a dye sublimation (dye sub) printer. These specialty photo printers yield higher-quality prints. Most coat prints with UV protection to minimize fading. Dye sub printers start around $200. Expect the printing cost of an 8-by-10-inch print to run about $1.50.
Store printed photos in archival boxes or albums. Keep photos in a cool, dry place. If you hang them on the wall, put them under UV-protected glass. And keep them out of direct light — the biggest cause of deterioration.
Keeping photos organized makes archiving easier. Ensure you back up new photos, not previously archived ones. Store photos in clearly named folders. And don't forget to give the files descriptive names.
There are programs to help you keep photos organized. Google's free Picasa 2 will help organize photos plus back them up. It keeps a record of previously archived photos. Roxio's PhotoSuite 7and Adobe's Photoshop album will also organize and back up your photos.
