If you already have some chronology in place, look for ways to build on that structure. If your photos are a ‘hot mess,’ try themes for easy sorting.
Sorting your printed pictures will be very different from the way you sorted your digital images. Printed photos would lack dates and details unless you or your parents took the time to jot that information on the back of photos or in albums. Your timeline will come in handy as you begin to compare pictures and time periods for information and clues.
How To Sort Print Photos
Are you going to sort your pictures chronologically or in themes? Is there any structure to your collection that you can build on?
If you survey your photo collection, you likely took most of your photos in themes. You probably have birthdays, vacations, weddings, graduations, babies, sports and so on. Organizing by theme has many advantages:
- Themes make it easier to pull together a photo album. Put an entire theme into one album like a vacation album, or take a handful of photos from each theme for a family yearbook.
- Themes are easier to identify than dates. You may not be sure which year a Christmas photo was taken, but you’ll know it’s Christmas!
- Themes translate into tags and keywords. Once digitized, themes make it easier to determine keywords or tags when you move them into your digital photo hub.
If your photos are a mess of disorganized prints with no structure, then we recommend a theme based approach.
If you already have some chronological organization in place then keep this intact and look for ways to build on that structure. You can still identify themes, and group photos based on your end goal.
With your structure in place, set up some index cards in sorting boxes or on a table and use these to group your photos as you sort. Jot down details on the index cards so they can be scanned in with your prints.
Need to organize your print #photos? Consider using themes or dates or a combination of both. #saveyourphotos Click To TweetA Few More Sorting Tips
Be gentle, wear gloves.
Your older photos may be delicate, and all your pictures are susceptible to further deterioration with residue from your fingertips. Wear your cotton gloves anytime you are handling your photos.
Set a timer.
This can be tiring work, so set a timer for 1-3 hours maximum and give yourself time between sorting sessions.
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We also invite you to visit our sister blog The Photo Organizers for more tips and in-depth knowledge from some of the top photo organizing industry professionals. To find a photo organizer near you, visit the Association of Personal Photo Organizers.