What’s the best way to scan, save, and organize important family documents, such as birth certificates, passports, and titles to property?

扫描，保存和整理重要的家庭文件(例如出生证，护照和财产所有权)的最佳方法是什么？

By Jill Duffy

由 吉尔·达菲

In an emergency, the last thing you want to do is search for paperwork. The same can be said in moments of high stress or grief. Ideally, all the important documents you could ever need would be easy to find and easy to access. How do you do that?

在紧急情况下，您最后要做的就是搜索文书工作。 在高压力或悲伤的时刻也可以这样说。 理想情况下，您可能需要的所有重要文档都将易于查找和访问。 你是怎样做的？

The best way to put important documents at your fingertips is to go paperless by digitizing them and then save those electronic files to a place where you can retrieve them from a computer, tablet, or smartphone. In many cases, you should save physical copies of the papers, too, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make a digital copy as well. There are so many advantages to doing so.

使重要文件触手可及的最佳方法是将它们数字化以实现无纸化 ，然后将这些电子文件保存到可以从计算机，平板电脑或智能手机中检索到的位置。 在许多情况下，您也应该保存论文的物理副本，但这并不意味着您也无法制作数字副本。 这样做有很多优点。

First, you end up with a backup copy, which is incredibly helpful if something ever happens to the originals. Second, you can retrieve the documents anytime and any place as long as you have a secure internet connection. Third, when information is digitized, you can search for it using keywords rather than wade through piles of paper. Finally, it’s much easier to share an electronic file with a lawyer, financial adviser, or family member who needs it, rather than sending faxes or photocopies.

首先，您将获得一个备份副本，如果原件发生任何事情，这将非常有用。 其次，只要您有安全的互联网连接，就可以随时随地检索文档。 第三，当信息被数字化时，您可以使用关键字来搜索它，而不必费力地堆放在纸上。 最后，与需要该文件的律师，财务顾问或家庭成员共享电子文件比发送传真或影印本容易得多。

What are some important family documents you might want to digitize? What’s the best way to scan and store them so that they’re secure, easy to find, and always available when you need them?

您可能需要数字化一些重要的家庭文件？ 扫描和存储它们的最佳方法是什么，以使其安全，易于查找并在需要时始终可用？

数字化文件示例 (Examples of Documents to Digitize)

You don’t need to digitize everything. While there might be some potential value in saving every utility bill or every credit card statement, what’s the likelihood that you need them and can’t access them from your online bank account or utility provider?

您无需将所有内容数字化。 保存每张公用事业账单或每份信用卡对帐单可能有潜在价值，但是您有可能需要它们，而又无法从您的在线银行帐户或公用事业提供商访问它们吗？

Focus instead on documents that you’re likely to have to reference at some point (tax returns, for example) or which you would really benefit from having a backup copy. Some examples are:

相反，应将重点放在某些时候可能需要参考的文档(例如退税)上，或者从备份副本中真正受益的文档。 一些例子是：

• Documents related to major life changes: birth certificates; adoption papers; marriage, divorce, domestic partnership certificates; immigration certificates and forms与重大生活变化相关的文件：出生证明； 收养文件； 结婚，离婚，家庭伴侣证明； 移民证明和表格
• Passports, drivers licenses, and identification cards护照，驾驶执照和身份证
• Health reports, including vaccine and immunization records健康报告，包括疫苗和免疫记录
• Pet records宠物记录
• Official education transcripts and graduation certificates正式教育成绩单和毕业证书
• Titles and deeds to property财产所有权和行为
• Lease and loan agreements租赁协议
• Tax returns报税表

Family photos may come to mind, too, but they require a totally different process for scanning and saving. With a document, you don’t need a high-resolution image, but with photos you do. Plus, with photos, you have to account for color, sepia tone, or grayscale, which usually isn’t an issue with standard documents.

家庭照片也可能浮现在脑海，但是它们需要完全不同的扫描和保存过程 。 使用文档，您不需要高分辨率的图像，但是需要照片。 另外，对于照片，您必须考虑颜色，棕褐色或灰度，这对于标准文档通常不是问题。

If you have historical family documents that are more akin to family photos, perhaps because they’re antiques or have sentimental value, then you’re probably better off handling them more like photos. For any documents that are extremely delicate or high-value, consider reaching out to an archivist for help, or read some tips from the US National Archives.

如果您拥有与家庭照片更相似的历史家庭文件，也许是因为它们是古董或具有情感价值，那么最好将它们像照片一样处理。 对于任何极其精致或高价值的文件，请考虑与档案管理员联系以获得帮助，或阅读美国国家档案馆的一些技巧 。

如何将重要文件数字化 (How to Digitize Important Documents)

Let’s look first at how to scan a document and turn it into an electronic file.

首先让我们看一下如何扫描文档并将其转换为电子文件。

You do not need a tabletop scanner to get professional-looking results. All you need is a smartphone with a mobile scanning app, a high-contrast surface (i.e., if your paper is white, the surface should be dark), and decent lighting.

您不需要台式扫描仪即可获得看起来专业的结果。 您所需要的只是一部带有移动扫描应用程序的智能手机，一个高对比度的表面(即，如果您的纸张是白色的，则该表面应该是深色的)以及适当的照明。

To scan a document:

要扫描文档：

1. Place the paper on a high-contrast surface. Make sure you have ample lighting. Being near a window during daylight helps tremendously.将纸张放在高对比度的表面上。 确保您有充足的照明。 在白天，靠近窗户很有帮助。
2. Lay the document flat. Most scanning apps correct minor imperfections, such as creases and upturned corners, but if you can get the document to lay flat, that’s ideal.将文件平放。 大多数扫描应用程序都可以纠正较小的瑕疵，例如折痕和上翘的角，但是如果您可以使文档平放，那是理想的选择。
3. Launch the scanning app and position your phone parallel to the document. Most scanning apps have automatic edge detection, so long as you make a reasonable effort to frame the page within the on-screen guides.启动扫描应用程序，然后将手机与文档平行放置。 大多数扫描应用程序都具有自动边缘检测功能，只要您做出合理的努力就可以在屏幕上的指南中构图页面。
4. Most apps scan the page automatically, but in some cases, you may have to tap to complete a scan. The app will then prompt you to repeat the process if you want to add more pages to the same file大多数应用程序会自动扫描页面，但在某些情况下，您可能必须点击以完成扫描。 如果您想向同一文件添加更多页面，则该应用程序将提示您重复该过程

Many great scanning apps are free or offer a free tier of service. ABBYY FineScanner and Microsoft Office Lens are two great examples. In cloud storage and note-taking apps (which you might already have), document scanning is included. That’s true for the Dropbox mobile app, for example, and the Evernote mobile app.

许多出色的扫描应用程序是免费的或提供免费的服务层。 ABBYY FineScanner和Microsoft Office Lens是两个很好的例子。 在云存储和笔记应用程序(您可能已经拥有)中，包括文档扫描。 例如， Dropbox移动应用程序和Evernote移动应用程序就是如此。

If you want the ability to edit the documents you scan, for example, to turn a sheet of paper into a Microsoft Word document, then you need a scanning app that includes OCR and conversion to editable text.

如果您希望能够编辑要扫描的文档，例如将一张纸转换为Microsoft Word文档，则需要一个包含OCR并转换为可编辑文本的扫描应用程序 。

安全存放文件的位置 (Where to Store Documents Safely)

Do you already use a cloud storage service or file-syncing service, such as Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive, for storing and backing up important files? Then it probably makes sense to use the same service to store your family documents.

您是否已经使用云存储服务或文件同步服务(例如Google Drive或Microsoft OneDrive )来存储和备份重要文件？ 然后，使用相同的服务来存储您的家庭文件可能很有意义。

There’s no shortage of cloud storage solutions. All the options mentioned so far-Dropbox, Evernote, Google Drive, OneDrive-are perfectly good options. Most importantly, because they’re so popular, scanning apps often give you the option to export your digitized documents directly to them; or they offer their own integrated scanning function.

云存储解决方案不缺。 到目前为止提到的所有选项-Dropbox，Evernote，Google Drive，OneDrive-都是很好的选择。 最重要的是，由于它们非常流行，因此扫描应用程序通常使您可以选择将数字化文档直接导出到它们。 或者它们提供自己的集成扫描功能。

Whatever service you choose, make sure that it encrypts your data and make sure that you use a unique and long password for the account. A password manager is your best friend in this regard.

无论选择哪种服务，请确保该服务加密了您的数据，并确保您为该帐户使用唯一且长密码 。 在这方面， 密码管理器是您最好的朋友。

如何组织数字家庭文件 (How to Organize Digital Family Documents)

Depending on the extent of your family’s documents, you could create a series of folders and subfolders within your storage service for organizing them. It can be time-consuming, however, and people often start out down one path for sorting and organizing before realizing halfway through that it isn’t going to work.

根据家庭文件的范围，您可以在存储服务中创建一系列文件夹和子文件夹来组织它们。 但是，这可能会很耗时，而且人们通常会从一种分类和组织的方式开始，然后才意识到无法使用它。

So, a quick and easy way to do it is by year. Start by making 10 folders and naming them for the last 10 years. For example, you’ll have folders called 2020, 2019, 2018, and so on. Once you reach 11 years back, add “and older” (or something similar) to the folder name. In other words, your oldest folder would be called “2010 and older.”

因此，一种快捷简便的方法是按年进行。 首先制作10个文件夹，然后命名最近10年。 例如，您将拥有名为2020、2019、2018等的文件夹。 达到11年后，在文件夹名称中添加“ and old”(或类似名称)。 换句话说，您最早的文件夹将被称为“ 2010及更早版本”。

Now you can sort the digital papers into a folder and know roughly where they are. For identity cards, use the year of issue. For transcripts, use the last year of attendance at the school. If you have too many files in any folder, just make a subfolder according to theme, such as “2020 Tax Documents” or “2019 Medical Records.”

现在，您可以将数字文件分类到一个文件夹中，并大致了解它们的位置。 对于身份证，请使用发行年份。 对于成绩单，请使用上学的最后一年。 如果任何文件夹中的文件太多，只需根据主题创建一个子文件夹，例如“ 2020税收文件”或“ 2019医疗记录”。

What about the names of the files? I find it makes sense to give the file a good name when I first scan it, usually because I’m scanning a document for a reason. If a doctor asks me to submit a copy of my vaccination records, I give that file a clear name before I submit it.

文件名呢？ 我发现在第一次扫描文件时给文件起一个好名字是很有意义的，通常是因为我扫描文件是有原因的。 如果医生要求我提交我的疫苗接种记录副本，请在提交之前给该文件明确的名称。

If you’re scanning huge batches of documents at a time, focus on getting them into the correct folder by year, and definitely create subfolders to help you make sense of what you have. That way, you don’t have to sink too much time in renaming files, but your documents are still in reasonable order for when you need to find something.

如果您要一次扫描大量文档，请集中精力按年将它们放入正确的文件夹中，并明确创建子文件夹以帮助您了解所拥有的内容。 这样，您不必在重命名文件上花费太多时间，但是在您需要查找某些内容时，文档仍然处于合理的顺序。

保持目的 (Keep Your Purpose in Mind)

Always keep in mind the purpose of digitizing your documents. For very important documents, the purpose might be to have a backup copy, in case something happens to the originals. For other kinds of papers, the purpose might be to make the files easily accessible the next time you have to send them to someone else. Keep your purpose in mind to guide you when it comes to naming and sorting the files in particular. As long as you keep that in mind, you can tackle this project easily and end up with great results.

始终牢记将文档数字化的目的。 对于非常重要的文档，其目的可能是拥有备份副本，以防原件发生问题。 对于其他类型的论文，其目的可能是让您下次必须将文件发送给其他人时，可以轻松访问这些文件。 在命名和排序文件时，请牢记目的，以指导您。 只要牢记这一点，就可以轻松解决此项目并最终获得丰硕的成果。

Originally published at https://www.pcmag.com.

最初发布在 https://www.pcmag.com 。