Restore family photos: six photo projects

Take a favorite old photo and give it a modern "Warhol" pop-art look with color and effects.

Upload a photo to the Photoflexer website, click a button and your picture is instantly transformed into a pop-art masterpiece.

Dream it: Take a favorite old photo and give it a modern “Warhol” pop-art look with color and effects.

Do it:

1. Use photo-editing software like Adobe Photoshop. You can also find pop-art software like Pop Art Studio that’s free to download online.
2. Or use one of many free online image editors like Photoflexer.
3. Just upload a photo and select the Pop Art effect.
4. Then you can save the photo to your desktop and print copies at home on your photo printer.

Creating a themed family photo scrapbook brings focus to photo sorting.

Look for smaller themes within your larger theme. Ten great pictures of family members carving pumpkins may be a scrapbook tale in itself.

Dream it: Pick a topic—like birthdays, Christmas, or graduations. Then gather similar photos—from the past and present—and arrange them together in a scrapbook.

Do it:

1. Gather similar shots within a theme, like Halloweens over the past 50 years. Or perhaps weddings or holidays. Whatever celebration means the most to your family.
2. Narrow your photo choices by choosing a handful of favorites.
3. It's easy to print scrapbook pages and backgrounds. Download a free photo book or scrapbook template from the HP Creative Studio website.
4. With an HP wide-format printer like the HP Officejet 7000 Wide-Format printer, you are no longer limited to an 8.5" x 11" format. Customize your settings to print on 8" x 8" and 12" x 12" scrapbook paper, or any desired size up to 13" x 19".

Get more tips for creating scrapbooks.

Use color effects, such as sepia, to give a vintage feel to modern photos.

An antique effect gives your photo a special, artistic "pop" without losing the original colors.

Dream it: What's the opposite of restoring a photo? Take a favorite current photo and give it an antique look.

Do it:

1. Use photo-editing software like Adobe Photoshop, or one of many free online image editors.
2. Just upload a photo and find the software’s color or color effects tool/s.
3. Choose an Antique or Sepia effect for your photo.
4. Then you can save the photo to your desktop and print copies at home on your photo printer.

Get step-by-step instructions and learn more about adding color effects to your photos.

This photo book is like a time capsule—makes a great gift for birthdays, anniversaries, or a new baby.

Scan photos, 3D objects and search online and through stacks of memorabilia to find news items from the day that the photo book honoree was born.

Dream it: Make a photo history of the year you (or your spouse, parent, child, etc.) were born.

Do it:

1. Use a scanner like the HP Scanjet G3110 photo scanner to scan photos, 3D objects, and other memorabilia or news items.
2. Make any necessary photo repairs before you begin your album. You can adjust color and brightness, remove scratches and dust, sharpen photos, and restore faded color using the software that comes with your scanner.
3. Download a free photo book or scrapbook template from the HP Creative Studio website. Upload your photos and other memorabilia and print right away at home.

Ask family members for help when you compile recipes and photos.

Want a quick way to make family recipe cards? You can use your HP Photosmart 7510 e-All-in-One to upload your photos directly to Snapfish without using your PC.¹

Dream it: Compile a bunch of your family's signature dishes into a book your entire family can enjoy.

Do it:

1. Gather your favorite family recipes into one document.
2. Explain to family members what you're doing and ask for any recipes or pictures they want you to include.
3. Survey the recipes and pictures you have collected.
4. Download free print-at-home recipe cards from HP Creative Studio. Or create a photo cookbook using the templates available on sites like Snapfish.
5. HP Advanced Photo Paper is ideal for recipe cards because it's heavier than other papers. It also dries instantly and resists smudging, even in humid environments.
6. You may want to take new photos of the completed or in-progress dishes—or the family member who makes it best.

Find more ideas on creating a family cookbook.

Preserving family photos for future generations to enjoy is a rewarding project—and a wonderful gift to your family.

Look for a new photo album that is acid- and lignin-free. These chemicals can yellow and damage pictures.

Dream it: Surprise a family member by revitalizing a cherished family photo book.

Do it:

1. Carefully remove the photos from the photo album.
2. Scan your photos. You can make quicker work of it by scanning photos in batches with a printer like the HP Scanjet G4050 Photo Scanner. Get more quick tips for scanning old photos and learn how to restore a photo in five steps.
3. Print your photos. Tests show that when using the latest HP inkjet print cartridges, photos printed on HP Premium Plus Photo Paper resist light fading more than twice as long as color photos processed in a lab.
4. Look for photo albums that are acid- and lignin-free. These chemicals can yellow and damage pictures.
5. After you scan and restore your old photos, save digital copies to a DVD. Learn more about archiving photos to DVD.

Get more tips on how to store photos and prevent photo fading.