Safeguarding Your Valuable Information and Photographs Online. You have many important documents – wills, birth certificates, bonds and family photographs – that may have monetary, legal or sentimental value. In their paper form, they risk being stolen, lost in an unexpected house fire or destroyed in a natural disaster.
Luckily, in this age, we have the proper technology to back up and protect important paperwork or photographed memories. There are also computer tools that can help restore photos or documents that have become worn over time and have lost their luster. Here are the steps you can take in order to transfer your photos and documents into a secure, online storage system.
Scan Photos and Documents
Invest in a scanner that can easily transform your paper documents into a computer image format. Epson has a variety of scanners that are specifically designed for either documents or photographs. The Epson WorkForce Color Document Scanner has a high-capacity Automatic Document Feeder that quickly scans a variety of document sizes, up to 8.5 x 14 inches. This easy-to-use scanner uses ReadyScan LED technology, which reduces warm-up time. Epson also offers a photo scanner, the Perfection V19 Scanner, which is an affordable and compact tool for a high-quality transfer of your photos.
Restore Quality
In time, photo prints fade in color from oxygen and light exposure. Once you have your photographs scanned onto your computer as jpeg files, you can restore them to their initial state with Photoshop. The Daily Dot’s tutorial explains the process and the techniques to restore photos that have been damaged, faded, scratched, worn or torn.
If you don’t want to tackle this project yourself, many department stores now offer photo restoration. It can also alter your black-and- white photos into a bright, re-colored version of your captured memory.
Organise Contents
Don’t lose track of everything you’ve scanned and uploaded. Make sure you thoroughly organize your documents, so you can track them down when you need them. Create folders with a subject name and any pertinent dates. For example, a good name for a folder would be “Family Photos, Smith Family, 1950-1975” or “Smith and Jones Family Birth Certificates.” For more tips on folder organisation and information on how you can manage your computer files, visit How-To Geek.
Upload for Safe Storage
Upload your document folders and contents onto an online database. Mozy provides a secure, private storage service to keep your digital documents safe. The Mozy cloud can be accessed from your personal computer or through a smartphone and tablet app. Mozy’s security system includes military-grade encryption and a state-of-the-art data center. The data center has exemplary security standards, which include 24-hour monitoring, temperature control, backup power supplies, seismic bracing, fire suppression systems and biometric scanners. MozyHome automatically syncs any folder or document that you save in the Mozy Sync folder. If you have any questions about backup procedures, you can live chat with a support technician, watch video tutorials, connect with the Mozy community or view its helpful user guides.