====== Source Media ======

For the highest possible scan quality, **obtain the best, most original copy of the image you can find**:

1. **A negative or slide is best** because it is //the original//[([[https://www.scanyourentirelife.com/scanning-your-film-negatives-vs-prints-interesting-comparison/]])], has the best possible image quality, and is not cropped like a print. Send these out to a [[slide/negative scanning services|slide/negative scanning service]] for best results.

2. A **photographic print** made from the original negative or slide is **second best**, because it's a copy of the original.
<WRAP tip>
If you have prints of various sizes of the //same photo//, then **scan the largest one**. If a smaller print has better color or fewer flaws or different framing (for example, a 3½×5 photo is wider and an 8×10 is taller), **scan that one also**. If you have a negative and also a print, **scan both** just in case.
</WRAP>

3. A **copy of a photographic print** is **third best** (that means worst) because it's a copy of a copy. Scan it now, but keep searching for #1 or #2.

<WRAP tip>
If you don't have the ideal source media, **scan what you have now** while you wait for something better. Your photographs will not improve with age, they can only degrade.
</WRAP>

<WRAP important>
If you ever rescan a photo, perhaps because you found a better copy to scan, do not delete the older scan unless you are sure that the newer scan is **as good or better** than the old scan in every way.
</WRAP>