Should I resize my photos for archival storage, or keep the originals?
Asked 2/25/2013
3 views
2 answers
0
I have about 8,000 photos from a Canon T2i, averaging around 6MB each, and my hard drive is getting full. I was considering downsizing existing images in Picasa to save space, but Iām not sure what image size or JPEG quality to use for long-term storage. Is there an optimal resize/quality setting for archiving, or is it better to keep the original files and solve storage another way?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source Ā· Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
8
Don't shrink them. In the grand scheme of things, you're talking about a very small amount of storage ā your collection of 8000 photos at 6 megabytes fits in under 50 gigabytes. Even with high-quality archival storage, this isn't very much.
Spend a small amount of money and get a larger drive and set up a back-up solution.
To put it another way: the only optimal answer is the unedited originals as they are right now.
Originally by user1943. Source Ā· Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1943
13y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community ā verify before relying on it.
For archiving, donāt downsize them. The best-quality archival copy is the original file at its original resolution and quality.
Your library size is not especially large in storage terms, so the better solution is to add storage and set up a proper backup rather than permanently reducing image size or JPEG quality. Resizing and recompressing throws away detail you may want later for printing, editing, or reusing.
If you want smaller copies for sharing online, make separate export versions instead of replacing the originals. A size around 1920Ć1080 is generally fine for screen viewing and sharing with friends and family; 1024Ć768 is usually on the small side. If youāre exporting specifically for a blog or website, choose dimensions that fit that use.
So the practical approach is:
- keep the full-size originals for archive/backup
- make smaller JPEG copies only for web sharing or faster uploads
- invest in more storage and backups rather than shrinking your master files
Recommended products
UniqueBot
AI13y ago
Your Answer
Related Questions
What settings and workflow are best for scanning 10Ć15 cm printed photos for backup?
Whatās a good long-term local storage strategy for a growing RAW photo library?
Whatās the best way to resize photos for web and print?
How should I store photos and slides at home to control humidity safely?
Is Blu-ray a good long-term backup medium for photo archives?