Not every favorite photograph lives in a camera roll. Some are tucked into an album, stacked in a shoebox, or written on the back in a relative's handwriting.
The missing half of the photo-library story
Many photo tools begin with digital images. But families also inherit prints, slides, and albums that have never been scanned. A photo collection can span generations, devices, and formats, which means simply moving files into folders doesn't solve the whole problem.
What we're designing toward
Our longer-term plan includes ways to bring printed photographs into digital projects, detect photo edges, correct perspective, and help people group images by dates, people, and occasions. Those scanning and correction features are planned work, not finished Octui features today.
Preservation before automation
Digitizing should protect memories rather than put originals at risk. Handle fragile prints gently, avoid damaging adhesives and automatic feeders, record names and dates separately, and keep your physical originals. As the National Archives advises, digital copies have their own risks and are not a reason to discard originals.
The real goal
We want the photograph of a grandparent in 1952 to feel as discoverable as a picture taken last weekend. That takes more than face matching. It takes the context that people remember: who was there, where it happened, and why it mattered.
Start with our practical guide to organizing printed photos →