Is 300 dpi a good resolution for scanning 4" x 6" photographs?

[Anonymous]

I'm scanning a box of 4 x 6 inch photographs to add them to the image collection on my computer, and then dispose of the paper photos. I see all kinds of advice about what resolution to use. It seems 300 dpi is sufficient as that is what I read the photos are printed at (usually). You can scan a higher resolution but it doesn't improve the quality and just increases the size of the file. I think.

If you have any thoughts on this I'd appreciate it!

[Anonymous]

I think it’s enough. Try scanning a couple at both 300 and 600 and see if it makes a difference.

[Anonymous]

If these are personal photographs or unique in any way, do _not_ discard the originals. Scanning technology will improve over time, and there is no such thing as a shelf-stable digital storage medium. Scan them at whatever resolution you need for now, then put them in a box and tuck it away somewhere.

[Anonymous]

Printers print at 300dpi generally. So if you only want to print this picture at its original size then it’s fine. If you want to go larger, scan at higher dpi.