Size a Family Photo Scanning Project — Free
Estimate scanning and naming time separately from sorting brittle albums. The number of photos alone misses the work that usually stalls a family archive.
The proof surface
A photo shot-list tool plans new pictures. This scopes preservation work on an existing collection, before anyone promises to scan six albums over a weekend.
Why the flat version breaks
Timing only the scanner pass
Naming and orientation correction can take longer than capture.
Mixing slides with prints
Different equipment produces different throughput.
Discarding originals immediately
A scan count is not proof of recoverable, readable backups.
How to work the negative sleeve
Group prints by physical container and avoid names or addresses in the browser record. Keep a separate offline index if relatives need identification; the tool never needs image files.
Scan, rotate, name and save ten ordinary prints. Divide elapsed time by ten and enter that rate. If slides need a different process, run them separately rather than mixing incompatible speeds.
Album removal, gentle sorting and scanner setup go in preparation minutes. The starter includes sixty minutes of preparation on top of 190 minutes of per-photo work.
Divide the result into sessions you can sustain. Back up files and verify a few opens before returning prints; leave mould, stuck pages and fragile originals to a conservator.
What the negative sleeve replaces
| Question | Before | Visible working |
|---|---|---|
| Timing only the scanner pass | Naming and orientation correction can take longer than capture. | Time a small trial |
| Mixing slides with prints | Different equipment produces different throughput. | Add handling time |
| Discarding originals immediately | A scan count is not proof of recoverable, readable backups. | Book short preservation sessions |
A local arithmetic aid replaces hand calculation, not expert review. No paid AI service is needed.
Run it on the samples, right here
FIRST-LOAD
Input is processed locally. A state link encodes your inputs in its URL: share only non-sensitive rows. Browser history, clipboard and anyone receiving the link may retain it. Optional AI use below leaves this device; it is not required.
This estimates labour and never uploads photos. Seek archival or conservation advice for fragile, mouldy or irreplaceable originals.
Data note: Everything runs in this browser tab on the negative sleeve: your batch | photos to scan | preparation minutes stays on this device, nothing is uploaded, and the reading is rebuilt only when you press run.
Go deeper: the companion app files the same reading as a plotted bar chart sheet
The article demo above runs without limits. The companion app keeps a local history, exports the rows as CSV, prints the negative sleeve reading, and holds your drafts on this device — one free run, then $ 4 one-time for the layer that keeps filing.
The negative sleeve reading is complete for free. The optional $4 layer adds print, row CSV and the last five local reading summaries; it does not add hidden answers. Checkout is not configured yet; the article demo remains unlimited.
Open the size a family photo scanning project companionBoundary
This estimates labour and never uploads photos. Seek archival or conservation advice for fragile, mouldy or irreplaceable originals.
What this is built on
- Method: Album removal, gentle sorting and scanner setup go in preparation minutes. The starter includes sixty minutes of preparation on top of 190 minutes of per-photo work.
- All sample records are invented examples. The app does not fetch measurements, policies, files or personal records.
- Google’s official pricing page, fetched 2026-09-27, lists free-tier access including AI Studio. Optional formatting only; limits and availability can change. Free-tier content may be used to improve products. Never paste private records there.
Before: Naming and orientation correction can take longer than capture. After: the negative sleeve shows the working beside each named row so the reader can change the assumption and inspect the consequence.
Optional AI formatting, not calculation
For this negative sleeve, use the free AI Studio interface only if available to you, with no paid API key. Manual entry completes the same workflow for free. Supply only fictional or non-sensitive notes. Review its output against the source; never paste unresolved questions into the numeric rows.
Format my non-sensitive notes for a negative sleeve. Return plain rows only: batch | photos to scan | preparation minutes. Preserve supplied quantities exactly. Do not guess missing values; list questions separately. Do not calculate or add advice. I will check every row before pasting into the local tool.
Accepted schema: batch | photos to scan | preparation minutes. No AI response is executed as code.