Guides
Straight answers about photographs, sizes and what survives being printed large — including where each one stops being true.
How to Crop a Photo for Printing in Photos on Mac
Learn how to crop an image to a print aspect ratio in Photos on a Mac, including duplicating the file first and saving your edited aspect ratio.
How to Scan Documents Directly to a Mac Using an iPhone
Use Continuity Camera to scan multi-page documents with your iPhone straight into a Mac folder, desktop, or app without saving them to your phone first.
How to Use Levels in Apple Photos on Mac
Learn how to automatically or manually adjust luminance and color levels using the histogram in Apple Photos on Mac, and how to undo changes.
How to Use Photo Editing Extensions in Photos on Mac
Learn how to download, manage, and apply third-party photo editing extensions in the Mac Photos app, including version controls and copying restrictions.
How to Add Family Photos to an iPhone Note
Open the Notes app on your iPhone, tap the Attachments button inside a note, and select your family photos to insert them into your research notes.
How to Download a Photo Folder from OneDrive
To download a photo folder from OneDrive, select the folder on the website and click Download in the top navigation menu or right-click to save it.
How to Move Photo Files Between OneDrive Folders
Learn how to relocate photos between folders on the OneDrive website by selecting files, avoiding Photo view, and using the Move to command.
How to Recover a Deleted Voice Memo on iPhone
Open the Voice Memos app and check the Recently Deleted folder. Select a recording and tap Recover before the default 30-day storage period expires.
How to Request Photo Files in a OneDrive Folder
To request photo files in OneDrive, select a folder and choose Request files. Send the upload link or an email to anyone you want files from.
How to Straighten a Photo on an iPhone
To straighten a photo on your iPhone, open it in the Photos app, tap Edit, select the Crop tool, and drag the straighten slider to level the image.
How to Annotate a PDF in Notes on iPhone
To annotate a PDF in Notes on iPhone, import the file via the Share menu, tap the Handwriting Tools button, and draw with the pen or marker tools.
How to Create Smart Folders for Notes on iPhone
Create Smart Folders in the iPhone Notes app by tapping the New Folder button and selecting Make Into Smart Folder to filter notes by tags and dates.
How to Lock a Family Research Note on iPhone
Secure family research notes on an iPhone by configuring iCloud Keychain and tapping Lock in the Notes app. Certain file attachments are not supported.
How to Organize Voice Memos into Folders on iPhone
Learn how to search for family recordings, create new folders, and move your audio files in the iPhone Voice Memos app to keep everything organized.
How to Slow Down a Family Voice Memo on iPhone
Open the Voice Memos app, tap your recording and the More button. Select Options, then drag the playback speed slider toward the tortoise to slow it down.
How to Archive Photos in Google Photos on Android
Hide family photos from your main Android gallery without deleting them by moving items to the archive, where they remain in search results and albums.
Create a Shared Album in Google Photos on a Computer
Find out how to compile and distribute a shared album in Google Photos from a computer, including how contacts are notified and can add pictures.
How to Free Up Storage With Google Photos on Android
Free up Android storage in Google Photos by verifying your backup status and tapping Free up space to remove safely backed-up photos from your device.
How to Restore Deleted Google Photos on Android
Recover deleted family photos on Android by opening Google Photos, tapping Collections then Trash, and holding the image to hit Restore within 30 days.
How to Stop Sharing a Google Photos Album
To stop sharing a Google Photos album, you must remove all collaborators and turn off link sharing. Note that this removes any photos they contributed.
How to Upload Photos to Google Photos on a Computer
To upload scanned photos to Google Photos from a computer, open the website, select Create and add photos, and click Import photos to select your files.
Add Names to a Family Photo Copy in Mac Preview
To add names to a family photo copy in Mac Preview, duplicate the file, click Show Markup Toolbar, use the Text tool to type, and adjust the font style.
Add Research Notes to a Family PDF on Mac
Open the PDF in the Mac Preview app, use the Markup toolbar to insert notes, and save the document with either editable or flattened annotations.
How to Bookmark Pages in a Family History PDF on Mac
Learn how to bookmark specific pages in a PDF using Preview on Mac. We cover how to add bookmarks, navigate pages, and delete saved locations.
How to Copy Text from a PDF in Preview on Mac
To copy text from a PDF on Mac, open the file in Preview, choose Tools > Text Selection, drag over the content, and select Edit > Copy.
How to Search for a Name in a PDF on Mac
Open your PDF in the Mac Preview app, type the name in the toolbar search field, and use the Next or Previous buttons to find matching text.
How to Add Location Data to Photos on Mac
Learn how to manually assign or modify geographical location metadata for photos on Mac by selecting the image and using the Info panel or Image menu.
How to Change a Live Photo Key Frame on Mac
Open the Live Photo in the Mac Photos app, click Edit, select Adjust, drag the playhead to the chosen frame, and click Make Key Photo to set the still.
How to Correct a Color Cast in Mac Photos
Remove unwanted color casts in Mac Photos by opening the Adjust toolbar, selecting White Balance, and using the eyedropper to sample skin or gray areas.
How to Find Family Photos by Location on Mac
Open the Mac Photos app and click Map in the sidebar to view images geographically, or use the search field to find photos by specific locations.
How to Remove Red-Eye From Photos on Mac
Open the photo in Mac Photos, click Edit, select Adjust, and click Red-Eye. You can use Auto or manually click the pupils to fix them.
How to Trim a Video in Photos on Mac
Shorten a video in Mac Photos by clicking Edit, choosing Adjust, and dragging the trim handles. The original footage remains fully recoverable.
Find Photos of Relatives Together on Mac
You can find relatives together in Mac Photos by clicking People & Pets to see automatic groups, or Control-click it to create a custom group of family
How to Change Access to a Shared OneDrive Folder
To change who can access a OneDrive photo folder, select the folder, click Details, choose Manage access, and adjust link permissions or direct access.
How to Choose the System Photo Library on Mac
To change the System Photo Library on a Mac, open your preferred library, go to Photos > Settings > General, and click Use as System Photo Library.
How to Combine Two Photos Libraries on Mac
On macOS Monterey or later, you can merge two Photos libraries by opening the destination library and using File > Import to select the second library.
Convert Multiple Photos to JPEG in Preview on Mac
Convert several family photos to JPEG on a Mac by opening them in one Preview window, selecting them in the sidebar, and using File > Export.
How to Create Smart Albums for Family Photos on Mac
Learn how to create a Smart Album on a Mac to automatically group your family photos by name or date, and understand device syncing limitations.
How to Keep OneDrive Family Photos Available Offline
Keep OneDrive photos accessible without internet by selecting Always keep on this device in Windows or using Make Available Offline in the iOS app.
How to Print a Contact Sheet of Photos on Mac
Print a contact sheet of photos on a Mac using the native Photos app format, or use the Preview app layout settings to group multiple images per page.
How to Repair a Mac Photo Library That Won't Open
Use the built-in Photos Repair Library tool to analyze the database and rebuild a library that will not open. Back up your library before starting.
How to Create a Family Photo Inventory
To create a family photo inventory, identify files with alphanumeric text and hyphens, add who/what/where metadata, and safely label the physical housing.
How to Share a Private Family Interview
Determine permissions for sharing a family interview by securing informed consent, setting access restrictions, and signing a legal release form.
Export Original Photos from iPhone to External Storage
Learn how to export unmodified original photo files from an iPhone directly to an external drive or memory card using a Lightning or USB-C connector.
How to Store Family Photo Negatives safely
Learn how to safely store family photo negatives using appropriate paper or plastic enclosures, and when cold storage is needed to prevent deterioration.
How to Export a Slideshow or Memory as a Video on Mac
To export a slideshow or memory as a video file on a Mac, select it in Photos, click Export, enter a filename, and choose a format such as 1080p or 720p.
How to Restore a Previous Photo Version in OneDrive
Restore a previous version of a OneDrive photo by right-clicking it, choosing Version history, and selecting Restore on a version from the past 30 days.
Choosing JPEG or TIFF When Exporting Mac Photos
When exporting photos on a Mac, choose JPEG for small file sizes suited for websites, or use TIFF as a lossless format to transfer between apps.
How to Export Edited and Original Photos on Mac
To export photos on a Mac, select File > Export > Export Photos for edited versions, or Export Unmodified Original to save the original file format.
How to Recover Deleted Family Photos on Mac
If you accidentally deleted family photos on a Mac, you can unlock the Recently Deleted album to recover them within 30 days, or use Time Machine.
How to Organize Scanned Photos by Year
Organize scanned photos by year with clear file names and date metadata. Follow source-backed guidance for handling originals and keeping three total copies.
Why You Must Keep Original Photos After Scanning
Keep original photos after scanning. Learn how to handle, protect, and store the prints using National Archives and Library of Congress guidance.
How to Choose Archival Photo Sleeves and Enclosures
Choose archival sleeves that pass the Photographic Activity Test, selecting clear plastics like polyester for frequent viewing or paper to lower costs.
How to Ask Permission to Record Family Stories
Explain why you want to record, where the recording may go, and what the speaker may decline before you press record. Ask separately before sharing it.
How to Preserve Handwritten Captions on Old Photos
Keep a handwritten photo caption with its picture by copying both sides, noting uncertain names, and labeling the enclosure rather than the print.
Questions to Ask Grandparents About Old Photos
Ask open questions about who is pictured, where the moment happened, and what lies outside the frame; record the answers without guessing for them.
How to Record an Oral History Interview with a Grandparent
To record a grandparent interview, choose a quiet space, ask open-ended questions about their life, and duplicate the final audio files for safekeeping.
Display Old Family Photos Without Damaging Them
Frame high-quality copies while storing originals safely. If displaying an original, use UV-filtering glass, spacer mats, and keep it out of bright light.
Storing Old Photo Albums Without Damaging Them
Store old photo albums in stable, breathable boxes off the floor. Keep them away from damp basements or hot attics to prevent damage over the long term.
How to Summarize a Family History Interview
Write a family history interview summary by outlining the main topics and indexing names or subjects to help relatives easily locate specific recorded
How to Digitize Photos in an Old Family Album
Photograph supported album pages without forcing the binding, keep captions beside each image, and preserve the originals after making digital copies.
How to Name Scanned Family Photo Files
Use a consistent filename, keep uncertain dates visible, and store names, places and context alongside the image rather than squeezing them into its name.
How to Record the Story Behind a Family Photograph
Ask about the people, place, and moment in one photograph; preserve the speaker's own words and connect them to the image before details fade.
How to Scan Old Family Photos for a Framed Print
Scan the whole original without forcing it flat, keep the physical photograph, and inspect real detail before choosing a print size.
How to Collect Money for a Group Gift (And Why It's the Easy Part)
The best way to collect money for a group gift is to buy it upfront and use a free payment app. The real challenge is collecting photos from relatives.
How to Collect Photos From a Group for a Gift
Collect group photos by building the core gift first and setting a firm deadline. You will need to chase relatives and review stories in one sitting.
Traditional 1st Year Anniversary Gift: Paper
The traditional 1st year anniversary gift is paper. Fulfill it with a framed photograph and story that outlives the specific date on the calendar.
How to Ask People to Send a Photo and a Note Online
To collect photos and written notes online, start by adding your own memory to the page first so relatives aren't facing a blank screen when you invite them.
How to Ask Relatives to Send a Photo and Memory
Build the frame with your own photo first, then ask others to add to it. Ask once, expect heavy stories, and read their contributions in one sitting.
How to Collect Family Photos for a Group Gift
Add your own photo first so the gift is complete, then invite relatives. Reviewing their heavy, story-filled contributions should take just one sitting.
Does a canvas wrap cut off the edges of your photograph?
Not here. The canvas mirrors the edge pixels around the frame rather than cropping in, so nothing near the border of your picture is lost to the wrap.
Why the worst photograph is often the right one
The oldest and most damaged picture in a family is usually the one nobody else has seen. Here is how far a poor source can honestly be taken.
Can a house be the subject rather than a person?
Yes, and for a move or a downsizing the place being left usually matters more than the one being arrived at. It needs pictures from while it was lived in.
Build something before you invite anyone
An invitation to contribute to an empty page gets ignored. Put in what you have first, then share it - people respond to something half-made.
Do the people I invite need an account?
No. A name they type is the whole of the identity, and nothing they submit appears until you approve it. Spam is answered by moderation, not a signup wall.
How far can a photograph be enlarged before it stops being itself?
Roughly 1.3 to 1.75 times is the faithful range. Past about 3.5 times an upscaler is predicting detail rather than recovering it.
What does the recipient see when they scan it?
The piece appears hanging in a room made for that memory - a bright coastal room for a summer, a warm dark hallway for a memorial.
Will it still look like them?
The likeness is reconstructed, never restyled. Faces are not enhanced, because on a photograph of a real person that is not an improvement.
Family history wall art — a person, not a family tree
A chart records who. A photograph with its story records what somebody was like. If you want the structure of a family, a tree is the right object.
What do you get someone who has everything?
Something that did not exist until you had it made. It only works if you bring the specific detail - without that it is a good object about nobody.
How many photographs is too many?
A day is one memory, not one photograph. Thirty or forty files usually resolve into five distinct moments, and one frame holds one memory.
How long do you need to organise a group gift?
About three weeks, and most of that is other people being slow rather than production. Under a week, ask two or three people rather than everyone.
Nobody should tell you what you are feeling
The words we use internally to sort a memory are not words a buyer should ever read. This is a rule about our language, not about how you describe your own.
Is it a digital frame?
No. What hangs on the wall is a printed piece with no power, no wifi and no account. The moving part only exists when somebody scans it.
Is one photograph enough to make something from?
Yes. One picture and one person is a finished piece, not a reduced group one. It does put the whole weight on that image, which matters for size.
A memory that happened outdoors is built differently
A sea crossing or a garden has no interior to work from. It is the case most likely to go wrong, and the description has to do more work.
Can I see it before it prints?
Yes. The artwork is produced, shown, and only committed to paper once approved. The preview is of the artwork, not of the physical object.
The best photograph and the best story are rarely the same one
The picture you would frame and the one you would tell someone about are usually different. You have to choose, and knowing that in advance helps.
What resolution does a photo need to be printed?
Every print is composited at 300 dots per inch, and a source that cannot reach the floor for a size is refused rather than quietly printed soft.
A piece bought in grief should not read as a celebration
If the result comes back festive when the memory is an elegy, that is a fault in the piece rather than a matter of taste. It is what we design hardest against.
Why a remembrance piece works on a wall
It is in the room the family is already in, and it asks nothing of anybody - no visit, no anniversary, no occasion. It has to be the right register.
Can I get a custom size?
No. Sizes are a fixed set, and each exists because a verified production route exists for it. The largest was re-cut for that reason.
Why the small details are the whole thing
A piece has to be a portrait of a specific person, not a well-made picture of somebody like them. The cardigan and the cup of tea are not decoration.
The best part of a memory is often not in any photograph
What people said, what went wrong, the joke nobody photographed. Only what you write down reaches the finished piece - nothing infers a story from an image.
Paper, canvas or metal — which suits which photograph
Canvas suits older and softer pictures, high-gloss metal suits recent images with strong colour. The choice is not free at every size.
A sympathy gift when the loss is not yours
A sympathy gift is not a memorial one. You are giving to somebody whose loss it is, which means the photograph and the story have to be theirs, not yours.
Why the year should not be on it
The best marker of an occasion is the one still worth having when the date has passed. Numbers and dates are what make an object look dated the following year.
How to get relatives to actually send you the photos
Chasing a family for pictures is the hard part of any group gift. What works is asking for one photograph each, with a reason, and a real deadline.
How big can you print an old family photograph?
The limit is set by the damage, not the megapixels. A faded 1974 snapshot carries a 12x12 print; the same image at 20x28 is enlarged past its detail.
Can a photograph of an empty room be a memorial?
Yes, and it is often the truer choice. The place is what people can still see once the faces have gone soft - but the room has to be one they actually knew.