The short answer
Start every scanned family photo filename with a stable item number, then add side and version: `BOX01-PH-0042_front_master.tif`. Keep names, dates, places and confidence in a catalogue or embedded metadata. A filename should identify the file even when your interpretation of the photograph changes.
Most family photo archives fail quietly. The scans exist, but they are named `scan001.jpg`, `Grandma young final.jpg` and `IMG_7284 copy 2.jpg`. Nobody can match them to the originals, tell which version is best or know whether “Grandma” means their grandmother or yours.
A dependable naming system does not need to contain the whole family story. It needs to keep each file unique, sortable and connected to the physical photograph.
Use an identifier before a description
Give the physical item a stable identifier before scanning it. A simple pattern is:
`collection-item number`
Examples:
- `BOX01-PH-0001`
- `ALBUM02-PG07-03`
- `MILLS-PH-0148`
Choose one pattern and write it down. Use leading zeros if the collection may exceed nine items, so files sort correctly: `0001`, `0002`, `0010`, not `1`, `2`, `10`.
The identifier should not include a person’s name or a guessed year. Those conclusions can change; the link to the original must remain stable.
Add side and version in a fixed order
Use this practical filename pattern:
`identifier_side_version.ext`
For example:
- `BOX01-PH-0042_front_master.tif`
- `BOX01-PH-0042_back_master.tif`
- `BOX01-PH-0042_front_edit.tif`
- `BOX01-PH-0042_front_share.jpg`
This pattern answers three questions without opening the file: which object, which side and which purpose.
Use lowercase for the descriptive parts, underscores or hyphens consistently, and no trailing words such as `final-final`. A version number is clearer when several edits must be retained: `edit-v01`, `edit-v02`.
Keep one master and make access copies
The master file is the closest faithful capture of the photograph. Do not crop away borders, remove marks or overwrite it with color corrections. Create a separate edited copy for presentation and a smaller JPEG for email or shared family folders.
A simple set is:
- `master` — high-quality preservation scan;
- `edit` — rotated, cropped or adjusted copy;
- `share` — smaller everyday JPEG;
- `thumb` — optional small preview used by a catalogue.
If you only need one access copy, do not create four versions merely because the system allows them. The purpose label exists to prevent confusion, not multiply files.
→ Scan the complete front and back before editing
What belongs in the filename
Put only information that is stable and genuinely useful for sorting:
- item identifier;
- front, back or detail;
- master, edit or share;
- version number when needed;
- file extension.
You may add a short date or surname after the identifier for human scanning, but treat it as a convenience, not the identity:
`BOX01-PH-0042_1940s-carter-family_front_share.jpg`
If the date is uncertain, use a range or `circa`, and keep the reasoning in the catalogue. Avoid filenames that make a possibility look confirmed.
What belongs in the catalogue or metadata
The catalogue can hold information too long or changeable for filenames:
- confirmed and possible people;
- family relationships;
- date taken or estimated range;
- location and event;
- exact caption or handwriting;
- photographer or studio;
- source of an identification;
- confidence and conflicting accounts;
- rights or sharing restrictions;
- physical storage location.
Photo metadata standards distinguish the date a photograph was created from the date it was scanned or edited. The IPTC photo metadata guidance provides fields for descriptions, people, locations and dates. For a family collection, you do not need to populate every professional field. Use a small documented subset that your software can export and that relatives can understand.
Do not rely only on metadata stored inside one application. Keep a separate CSV or spreadsheet catalogue as a portable index.
A folder structure that does not depend on one person
Folders should reflect the collection or workflow, not a speculative family tree. One workable structure is:
- `01_masters`
- `02_edits`
- `03_sharing`
- `04_catalog`
- `05_reference`
Inside `01_masters`, you may group by physical collection: `box-01`, `album-02`, `dorothy-lane-envelope`. This makes it easy to find the original if a scan needs to be repeated.
Avoid deeply nested folders such as `Smith family / John / children / Mary / weddings / maybe Ohio`. A photograph can belong to several people and events. Let the catalogue provide those relationships.
Naming unknown people honestly
An unknown photograph still gets a complete identifier. Do not call it `unknown1.jpg`; every unresolved image would eventually have the same kind of name.
In the catalogue, use a neutral person label such as `Unknown woman A` and connect it to the item number. If you suspect an identity, record `Possible: Anna Mills` with a confidence level and source.
When the person is identified later, update the catalogue and embedded metadata. Keep the original identifier and master filename unchanged so old links and shared references do not break.
Example: from box to shared file
A cabinet card is the forty-second photograph numbered from Box 1. The back contains a studio address. A cousin thinks the woman is Eleanor Carter, but there is not yet supporting evidence.
Use:
- master front: `BOX01-PH-0042_front_master.tif`
- master back: `BOX01-PH-0042_back_master.tif`
- email copy: `BOX01-PH-0042_front_share.jpg`
Catalogue entry:
- observed: cabinet card, studio name and address;
- reported: “possibly Eleanor Carter,” identified by Ruth Carter on 10 August 2026;
- confidence: possible;
- next action: date the studio address and compare with confirmed images.
The file remains stable while the research stays honest.
Back up the catalogue with the photographs
A folder of perfectly named files is still one disk failure away from disappearing. Keep at least three copies, on at least two kinds of storage, with one copy in another location. For example: working computer, external drive and a reputable cloud account.
Include the catalogue, naming rules and a short `README` in every complete backup. A future relative should not need your memory—or your software subscription—to understand the archive.
Check backups periodically by opening a sample of files, not merely confirming that the folder exists.
A naming rules note to save today
Put this text in your archive’s `README` and adapt the codes:
Each physical photograph receives one permanent identifier. Master filenames do not change when names or dates are revised. Front and back are separate files. `master` is the unedited preservation capture; `edit` is adjusted; `share` is a smaller access copy. Identifications, sources and confidence are recorded in the catalogue.
→ Organize and number an unlabeled photo box first
The test for a good filename
Copy one file into an empty folder and imagine a relative finds it ten years from now. Can they tell which physical item it came from, whether it is the front or back, and whether it is the untouched master or an edited copy?
If yes, the filename is doing its job. The catalogue can tell the rest of the story.