Before you edit any old or irreplaceable photo, make a copy first and work on that copy, so a mistake, a bad edit, or an app crash never touches the only version you have.
What you need
- The digital photo you want to edit
- Somewhere to save a duplicate (the same device is fine)
- A consistent way to tell the copy apart from the original
Why this matters for scanned photos
This matters most for scanned or restored photos, where the digital file you’re about to edit might be the only copy that exists of a physical original that’s faded, damaged, or long gone. Editing apps don’t always make undoing changes easy once you’ve saved and closed a file.
How to set up the copy habit
- Duplicate the file before opening it in any editor. On a phone, most gallery apps have a Duplicate or Make a copy option in the share or more-options menu. On a computer, copy and paste the file in its folder.
- Rename the copy clearly. Add something like -edit or -working to the copy’s filename, so the original and the copy are never confused later, even after both have been open a few times.
- Keep the original completely untouched. Don’t open the original file in an editing app at all if you can help it — open the renamed copy instead, so there’s no risk of accidentally saving changes over the original.
- Do all your editing on the copy. Make every adjustment, crop, and restoration edit on the -edit version, saving as you go if your app requires it.
- Store the original somewhere separate once you’re done. Move the untouched original into a clearly labelled folder (like Originals) so it’s not sitting next to working files where it might get overwritten by mistake later.
- Back up both the original and the finished edit. Once you’re happy with the edited version, make sure both it and the original are included in your regular backup, not just the one you’re using day to day.
Check you have two versions
Look at your files afterwards and confirm you can see two versions: an untouched original (check its file date and size match what it was before you started) and a separately named edited copy.
If you’ve already saved over the original
If you’ve already edited and saved over an original with no separate copy, check whether your editing app or operating system keeps a version history or an undo-beyond-closing option — some do, though many don’t, which is exactly why this habit is worth building now.
Next step
Once this habit is in place, it’s worth applying to your wider editing workflow — see Batch-edit a set of scanned photos the same way for doing this efficiently across many photos at once.
Sources and date checked
General digital-file-safety practice based on standard photo-editing workflow advice; not tied to a specific app. Checked 22 September 2026.