Art Business Info. for Artists
  • Home
    • Art Business Information Index
  • NEWS
  • PRACTICE
    • Starting Out - Tips
    • Being a Professional artist >
      • Working Lives of Professional Artists
      • Artists' Side Hustles
      • Artists' Residencies
      • Artists Unions
    • Best Art Business Books
    • Learning Opportunities >
      • Art Schools in the UK
      • Art Business Courses
    • Image Management for Artists >
      • How to photograph art
      • How To Scan Artwork
      • How to back up image files
    • Law for Artists >
      • Legal Matters
      • Data Protection for Art and Artists
      • Brexit Guidance for Art and Artists
    • Business Management for Artists >
      • Risk Management for Artists
      • How to spot Art Scams / Fraud
      • Life in an Art Market Recession
      • Coronavirus COVID-19 and Art
  • MARKETING
    • How to write an Artist's Statement >
      • What is an Artist Statement?
      • Why you need an Artist's Statement
      • TIPS How to write an artist statement
      • The Language of an Artist's Statement
      • What an artist statement should contain
      • Examples of Artists Statements
    • How to write an Artist's Resume or CV >
      • Social Media summaries
      • CV for Artists
      • Resume for Artists
      • Biography for Artists
    • How to sign a painting, drawing or fine art print
    • Business Cards for Artists
    • How to write a press release for an artist
    • The Private View Invitation
    • Publicity for Juried Exhibitions
    • Websites for Artists >
      • Why websites matter
      • Options for Websites
      • Web content for Artists
      • Web design for artists
      • Keeping Google Happy
      • Writing for the Web
    • Image & Video sizes for Social Media Sites
    • How to be mobile-friendly
  • SELL ART
    • Trading Law & Regulations for Artists (UK)
    • E-commerce for artists
    • Art Exhibitions & Competitions >
      • Juried Exhibitions & Art Competitions
      • Juried Art Exhibition Checklist for Artists
      • How to cost a juried exhibition entry
      • How to make labels for an art exhibition
    • A Guide to Art Agents and Consultants
    • A Guide to Art Dealers & Galleries >
      • How to find the right gallery
    • The Artist-run Gallery
    • The Vanity Gallery
    • Art Fairs
    • Alternative Options for Exhibitions
    • How to Sell Art from Home
    • Open Studios
  • FRAME ART
    • List of Recommended Picture Framers
    • Conservation Products
    • Framing for open exhibitions and art competitions
    • Framing Videos
    • How to hang a picture
  • SHIP ART
    • How to pack artwork >
      • How to pack and ship pastel paintings
    • Packaging materials
    • How to ship art internationally >
      • Rules of Origin
      • Export Licences for Cultural Goods
    • How to ship art to exhibitions
    • How to mail art - Post & Parcel Services
    • UK & Ireland: Art Transport Services
    • USA Art Transport Services
  • COPYRIGHT
    • Copyright and artists' rights
    • BASICS: Copyright Infringement and Fair Use
    • How to protect artwork online
    • How to do a reverse image search
    • What to do about copyright infringement - for artists
    • Global Conventions on copyright >
      • Copyright in the UK
      • Copyright in the USA
      • Copyright in Canada
      • Copyright in Australia
  • MONEY & TAX
    • How to work out profit from an art sale
    • How to Price Your Art >
      • How important is price when buying art?
      • Options for Pricing Art
      • Terminology and Formulas for Pricing Art
      • Art Experts on Pricing Art
      • How artists price their art
      • The price of affordable art
    • Payments to Artists >
      • Paying Artists
      • How to create an Invoice
    • VAT for Artists
    • Tax Tips for Artists >
      • Tax on prize money
      • UK Tax Tips for Artists
      • UK: Self-Assessment Video Tips
      • USA Tax Tips for Artists
      • Ireland: Tax for Artists
      • Australia: Tax Tips for Artists
    • Insurance for Art and Artists >
      • Insurance for Art Teachers
      • UK Insurance Policies for art and artists
      • USA & Canada: Insurance Policies for Art and Artists
    • Artists' Grants & Scholarships
    • Retirement and Pensions for Artists
    • The Art Legacy >
      • Estate Planning for Artists
      • Estate Planning for Art Collectors
      • Famous Artists Estates
      • Artwork Inventory
      • After the Death of an Artist
      • Copyright and Resale Rights after Death
      • Art and Inheritance Tax
  • About + Help
    • Would you like me to help?
    • Privacy & Cookies Policy
    • Contact

​How to back up image files

Find out more about how to create and store archives of your images

How to back-up your image files
​

Have you ever lost computer files?
66% of computer users have experienced a serious loss at some point.

Do you have an image archive?

Do you use a safe method for backing up your image files?
If your computer dies, do you have an independent store where you keep
  • your important reference photos and
  • scans of available artwork or
  • art which has been exhibited and/or sold?
I'm not a tech geek (so this won't be geekspeak).

I'm just an ordinary artist trying to protect my image files - and below are some of the things I've learned about while trying to protect my image files.


Do you want to find out how other people archive their image files? If so - read on!

Why archive?
​

Basic principles for an ARCHIVE:
  • permanent or temporary - for things you don't want to lose you need permanent storage.
  • different place from your computer i.e. if your house burns down the external hard disc sitting
  • in principle you need to store in three places - on your computer, on your back-up drive, somewhere external to where you keep your computer and back-up drive (eg cloud storage)
  • you need to transfer digital files between storage mediums as technology changes and image files are updated
  • never touch the master copy - keep masters stored separately so it can't be worked on
REFERENCE:
  • Chapter 1. Basic Principles of Archiving Photographs and Documents | Archivehistory
  • Personal Archiving | Library of Congress 

Somewhere to store your images - not on your computer
​

This comes in two parts:
  • devices you can buy
  • cloud storage - the free and the more expensive
Picture

Tangible Devices for archives
​

These are real objects you can see and move about - and switch from one computer to another if you want. (Not advised unless you know the status of another computer)
​

External Hard Drives - where most people who backup keep their image files

Sixty per cent (60%) of the people who responded to my poll on Making A Mark used an external hard drive to create a backup of their image files.

People vary as to what sort of drive they want to buy and which brand they prefer. Personally I started off with Western Digital MyBooks and I bought twice the size I expected I'd need - and that wasn't a bad guess at how much more you use a hard drive compared to initial expectations

I've subsequently switched to LaCie and bought a 3GB external hard drive after a quite a bit of research.
Picture
The reality is that if you are archiving image files, you've got to archive some very large files and you'll need lots of space to do this.

How much you need probably depends on how many photographs you take. The number I take has expanded at an exponential rate since the advent of digital cameras - and I expect it will continue to do so.

So - bottom line - buy the biggest external hard drive you can afford. Twice the size of the hard disc in your computer is a good place to start!

Portable USB Memory Sticks

Some people like to use memory sticks to archive their images.

Personally speaking I never ever use them, primarily because the primary purpose of these sticks is make files portable - whereas the purpose of an archive is to keep images secure and safe in a protected place.

That and the fact that my friends and family lose theirs all the time!

I use these to plug into "unknown" laptops when giving presentations. I've no idea how good people are at keeping viruses and other nasties off them - so I never reimport images from these sticks.
Picture

SDHC cards

My preferred brand of SDHC card is ScanDisk although there are a variety of brands to choose from. I usually use ScanDisk Ultra and buy bigger size cards as they work faster when using them in my camera.

I buy a new 'big' one for each new trip and then archive the folders on it as a supplementary archive when I get back home again.

What I need to do is buy a firesafe box for my SD cards so they'll survive a fire. At the moment they're all stored in an old cloth purse which means if I'm concerned I need to get out fast I can pick them up along with my wallet and phone
Picture

Cloud storage
​

Cloud storage is an excellent way of backing up image and video archives which can get very big. 
You need to be confident about whether they suit you in terms of:
​
Picture
The free services are:
  • Google Photos
  • Flickr
Paid services include:
  • Flickr (Note: This is a service I use)
  • iCloud storage plans and pricing - Apple Support - you automatically get you automatically get 5GB of free storage but you can sign up for more. This site provides the pricing for different countries (Note: This is a service I use)
  • Dropbox Plans for Individuals (Note: This is a service I use)

Do you understand the different types of digital image file formats?
​

Do you wonder about what is the best file format for your digital images used on you website or blog? What about printing - which is the best picture file format for that?

These sites explain in simple terms the key characteristics of different digital file formats for your photos, artwork and graphics
REFERENCE:
  • Digital file types | National Archives
  • Image file formats | Wikipedia
  • The 5 Types of Digital Image Files: TIFF, JPEG, GIF, PNG, and Raw Image Files, and When to Use Each One | Ivan Expert

HOME
GO TO:
  • Office Practices
  • Art Business Info Index
​
Banner Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash
ADVERT
ABOUT ART BUSINESS INFO. FOR ARTISTS
This website aims to provide a compendium of resources about the art business for artists. Please read "PLEASE NOTE"

It helps artists learn how to do better at being business-like, marketing and selling their art and looking after their financial security.
  • HOME
  • INDEX
  • PRACTICE
  • MARKETING
  • SELL ART
  • FRAME ART
  • SHIP ART
  • COPYRIGHT
  • MONEY & TAX
  • ​​CAN I HELP?
  • CONTACT ME
Copyright: 2015-2021 Katherine Tyrrell | Making A Mark Publications
​
- all rights reserved
  • About this site 
  • About the Author
  • Privacy Policy & Cookies
If you've got any suggestions for what you'd like to see on this website please send me your suggestion
PLEASE NOTE:
1) Content and the law change all the time. It's impossible to keep up with it if you're not working on the topic full time. 
​2) I research topics carefully. However, I am totally unable to warrant that 
ANY and/or ALL information is 
  • complete and/or
  • professional and/or
  • wholly accurate and/or 
  • all links lead to the most current information (at the time of writing)​
​3) Hence all information I provide comes without any LIABILITY whatsoever to you for any choices you make. 
4) This website is FREE FOR YOU but not for me. ​Links to books are Amazon Affiliate links. Buying a book via this website means I get a very small payment which helps to fund and maintain this website. .I much appreciate any support your provide. Adverts are provided by Google AdSense - but the adverts do not mean I endorse the advertiser.
  • Home
    • Art Business Information Index
  • NEWS
  • PRACTICE
    • Starting Out - Tips
    • Being a Professional artist >
      • Working Lives of Professional Artists
      • Artists' Side Hustles
      • Artists' Residencies
      • Artists Unions
    • Best Art Business Books
    • Learning Opportunities >
      • Art Schools in the UK
      • Art Business Courses
    • Image Management for Artists >
      • How to photograph art
      • How To Scan Artwork
      • How to back up image files
    • Law for Artists >
      • Legal Matters
      • Data Protection for Art and Artists
      • Brexit Guidance for Art and Artists
    • Business Management for Artists >
      • Risk Management for Artists
      • How to spot Art Scams / Fraud
      • Life in an Art Market Recession
      • Coronavirus COVID-19 and Art
  • MARKETING
    • How to write an Artist's Statement >
      • What is an Artist Statement?
      • Why you need an Artist's Statement
      • TIPS How to write an artist statement
      • The Language of an Artist's Statement
      • What an artist statement should contain
      • Examples of Artists Statements
    • How to write an Artist's Resume or CV >
      • Social Media summaries
      • CV for Artists
      • Resume for Artists
      • Biography for Artists
    • How to sign a painting, drawing or fine art print
    • Business Cards for Artists
    • How to write a press release for an artist
    • The Private View Invitation
    • Publicity for Juried Exhibitions
    • Websites for Artists >
      • Why websites matter
      • Options for Websites
      • Web content for Artists
      • Web design for artists
      • Keeping Google Happy
      • Writing for the Web
    • Image & Video sizes for Social Media Sites
    • How to be mobile-friendly
  • SELL ART
    • Trading Law & Regulations for Artists (UK)
    • E-commerce for artists
    • Art Exhibitions & Competitions >
      • Juried Exhibitions & Art Competitions
      • Juried Art Exhibition Checklist for Artists
      • How to cost a juried exhibition entry
      • How to make labels for an art exhibition
    • A Guide to Art Agents and Consultants
    • A Guide to Art Dealers & Galleries >
      • How to find the right gallery
    • The Artist-run Gallery
    • The Vanity Gallery
    • Art Fairs
    • Alternative Options for Exhibitions
    • How to Sell Art from Home
    • Open Studios
  • FRAME ART
    • List of Recommended Picture Framers
    • Conservation Products
    • Framing for open exhibitions and art competitions
    • Framing Videos
    • How to hang a picture
  • SHIP ART
    • How to pack artwork >
      • How to pack and ship pastel paintings
    • Packaging materials
    • How to ship art internationally >
      • Rules of Origin
      • Export Licences for Cultural Goods
    • How to ship art to exhibitions
    • How to mail art - Post & Parcel Services
    • UK & Ireland: Art Transport Services
    • USA Art Transport Services
  • COPYRIGHT
    • Copyright and artists' rights
    • BASICS: Copyright Infringement and Fair Use
    • How to protect artwork online
    • How to do a reverse image search
    • What to do about copyright infringement - for artists
    • Global Conventions on copyright >
      • Copyright in the UK
      • Copyright in the USA
      • Copyright in Canada
      • Copyright in Australia
  • MONEY & TAX
    • How to work out profit from an art sale
    • How to Price Your Art >
      • How important is price when buying art?
      • Options for Pricing Art
      • Terminology and Formulas for Pricing Art
      • Art Experts on Pricing Art
      • How artists price their art
      • The price of affordable art
    • Payments to Artists >
      • Paying Artists
      • How to create an Invoice
    • VAT for Artists
    • Tax Tips for Artists >
      • Tax on prize money
      • UK Tax Tips for Artists
      • UK: Self-Assessment Video Tips
      • USA Tax Tips for Artists
      • Ireland: Tax for Artists
      • Australia: Tax Tips for Artists
    • Insurance for Art and Artists >
      • Insurance for Art Teachers
      • UK Insurance Policies for art and artists
      • USA & Canada: Insurance Policies for Art and Artists
    • Artists' Grants & Scholarships
    • Retirement and Pensions for Artists
    • The Art Legacy >
      • Estate Planning for Artists
      • Estate Planning for Art Collectors
      • Famous Artists Estates
      • Artwork Inventory
      • After the Death of an Artist
      • Copyright and Resale Rights after Death
      • Art and Inheritance Tax
  • About + Help
    • Would you like me to help?
    • Privacy & Cookies Policy
    • Contact