I3A launches Photo Preservation Website

March 7, 2007: The International Imaging Industry Association (I3A) has launched a new website focusing on helping people to preserve their digital photos.
The site (http://www.savemymemories.org/) has been developed to clarify issues relating to the preservation of digital images by revealing the needs, risks, and proper methodology for storing, cataloguing, and preserving digital photos. Information is presented in an easy-to-follow, step-by-step approach. Five key areas are covered in detail: Learn, Plan, Prepare, Protect and Recover.

The Learn section covers hardware, software and other factors that are used for image preservation and outlines the various storage devices used for backing up image files (including the latest Blu-ray and HD DVD technologies). It also looks at strategies for copying files from one device to another. Other factors addressed include the aging of storage materials, print fading and online storage services.

The Plan section looks at back-up methods and provides a comparison table of the factors that influence users’ choices. The Prepare section focuses on image management and provides advice on cataloguing image files to make them easy to find.

The Protect section covers tips for backing up files and includes advice on how to copy images to external HDDs, optical disks and online photo services. The Recover section outlines procedures to follow if your computer’s hard drive crashes or if you become the victim of a virus attack.
All the information on the site has come from the recent I3A Consumer Photo Preservation Initiative, in which industry leaders collaborated to investigate the issues, and develop comprehensive, practical solutions for protecting against the accidental loss of consumers’ digital photos. More information about the I3A can be found at http://www.i3a.org/.