Film to PhotosWhat to do with old negatives (scan, keep or throw away?)
Found a box of old photo negatives? What to do with them: how to see what's on them, whether to scan or throw them away, how to dispose of them safely, and how to share them with family.
Don't throw old negatives away until you've looked at them: hold them up to a light to see what's there, scan the frames worth keeping, and store the negatives in archival sleeves somewhere cool and dry. Negatives are often the only remaining copy of photos nobody has printed in decades, and they hold more detail than the old prints. Only blank, duplicate or ruined strips are safe to discard.
1. Find out what you have
Most family negatives are 35 mm color negatives (orange strips with sprocket holes). You may also find black-and-white negatives, slides in mounts, and smaller or larger sizes such as 110, 126, APS or 120. See what kind of film do I have?
2. See what's on them
Hold a strip up to a window or a white screen. Faces and shapes are visible in reverse, which is usually enough to decide what matters. For a clearer look, photograph a few frames with your phone; see how to scan negatives with your phone.
3. Decide what to scan
- Scan: people, family events, houses and places that are gone, anything with a date on the envelope.
- Skip: blank or black frames, badly blurred shots, near-duplicates.
- Ask the family: a quick group message with a few phone photos often surfaces stories and names.
4. Scan them
Pick a method that suits how many you have: the best way to scan 35 mm negatives compares a film scanner, a flatbed, your phone and a scanning service. With a Plustek film scanner and Film to Photos, each negative comes out as a finished photo and you name the whole roll at once.
5. Keep the negatives (if you can)
After scanning, store them properly — how to store negatives. They take little room, and a future scanner or a relative may get more out of them than you can today.
6. Share the photos
Send JPEGs to family, make a shared album, print a photo book, or give each branch of the family a USB stick. Name the files with year and event so they still make sense in 30 years; see how to organize scanned family photos.
If you must get rid of negatives
- Cut them up or use a shredder that takes plastic (some have a CD slot), then put them in household trash.
- Don't burn them. Film gives off toxic fumes, and very old nitrate film (common before the 1950s, often marked "NITRATE" along the edge) is highly flammable. Ask your local waste service about nitrate film.
- Negatives of local history (shops, streets, events) may interest a historical society or library archive. Ask them first.
Quick answers
What should I do with old negatives?
Look through them, scan the ones worth keeping, then store the negatives in archival sleeves somewhere cool and dry. Throw away only blank, duplicate or badly damaged strips.
Should I throw away negatives after scanning?
Preferably not. Negatives take little space and hold more detail than any scan; they can be rescanned later with better equipment. If you must save space, keep at least the negatives of your most important photos.
How can I see what's on old negatives?
Hold them up to a window or a white screen; you'll see the shapes and faces in reverse. For a quick positive view, photograph them with your phone and use an app that inverts negatives.
How do I dispose of old negatives?
Cut them up, or shred them with a shredder that can take plastic, and put them in household trash. Don't burn them: film gives off toxic fumes, and very old nitrate film is highly flammable.
Are old negatives worth anything?
Usually only to your family. Negatives by known photographers or of historic events can interest a local historical society or archive — ask them before throwing anything away.