Family photo sorting checklist
Sort printed family photographs in manageable batches: group memories, record known details and store originals carefully.

PREPARE A SMALL BATCH
- Choose one box or album to work through
- Clear a clean dry work surface
- Wash and dry your hands before handling prints
- Keep food and drinks away from the work area
- Prepare separate groups for identified and unidentified photos
- Set a manageable time limit for the session

IDENTIFY AND ORGANISE
- Handle photographs by their edges
- Group prints by a known event or approximate period
- Record names you can identify with confidence
- Mark uncertain dates as approximate in your notes
- Ask relatives about unidentified people or places
- Keep related captions or envelopes with their photographs

PRESERVE THE RESULTS
- Choose suitable photo-storage sleeves or boxes
- Avoid forcing apart prints stuck together
- Scan selected photographs without discarding the originals
- Give scans clear names linked to your notes
- Store originals in a dry stable place away from direct light
- Back up the scans separately from the working device