Here are common terms and short definitions to reference when digitizing family photos and videos:

• Scan / Scanning — Converting a physical photo, negative, slide, or document into a digital image using a flatbed or dedicated scanner.
• Capture — Recording a digital copy of analog video (VHS, camcorder tape) or photographing photos with a camera/phone.
• Resolution — Amount of detail in an image, usually measured in DPI (dots per inch) for scans or PPI (pixels per inch) for film/negatives; higher = more detail.
• DPI / PPI — DPI refers to scanner/printer dots per inch; PPI refers to pixels per inch in a digital image; both affect image sharpness and file size.
• Megapixel — Million pixels in a digital image sensor; indicates camera capture detail.
• File format — The container/encoding for images or video (e.g., JPEG, TIFF, PNG for images; MP4/H.264, MOV for video).
• Lossless — File formats or compression that preserve all original data (e.g., TIFF, PNG, WAV).
• Lossy — Compression that discards some data to reduce file size (e.g., JPEG, MP3, standard MP4).
• Bit depth — Number of bits used per color channel; higher bit depth retains more color and tonal detail (e.g., 8-bit vs 16-bit).
• Color space — Color range standard used in files (e.g., sRGB, Adobe RGB); affects color fidelity across devices.
• Cropping — Removing outer parts of an image to improve framing or composition.
• Duplicate / De-duplication — The process of finding and removing or consolidating identical or similar files.
• Noise — Random visual distortion/grain in images, especially in low-light captures or old scans.
• Restoration — Editing to repair damage, correct color, remove scratches, or stabilize video.
• Color correction / Color grading — Adjusting color, contrast, and tone to restore or stylize images/videos.
• Sharpening — Enhancing perceived edge detail in an image; over-sharpening causes artifacts.
• Archival — Long-term preservation practices (high-quality masters, stable storage, multiple backups).
• Capture device — Equipment used to digitize media (scanner, DSLR, capture card for tapes).
• Capture card — Hardware that converts analog video signals (VHS, camcorder) into digital video on acomputer.
• Frame rate — Number of video frames captured per second (fps); common rates: 24, 25, 30, 60 fps.
• Interlaced / Progressive — Video scan methods; interlaced (e.g., 29.97i) splits fields, progressive (e.g.,30p) captures full frames.
• Artifact — Unwanted distortion or error introduced during capture, compression, or editing.
• Naming convention — Systematic file-naming scheme (example: YYYY-MM-DD_Event_People_001.jpg).
• Catalog / Library — Photo/video management database used to organize, tag, and search media (e.g.,Lightroom catalog)