Scanning old prints is much faster when you lay four or six on the glass at once. Drop that scan here and every photo is found automatically, straightened and cropped into its own file, ready to download one by one or as a ZIP.
Last updated:
Sample scan
Finds pale photosIgnores dust
Photos found
Advertisement
Advertisement
How to use the Scanned Photo Splitter
Scan your prints on a flatbed scanner with a gap of about 1 cm (half an inch) between them, and save the scan as JPG or PNG.
Drop the scan into the tool or press Choose scan. A sample scan is loaded so you can see how it works.
Check the outlines: each detected photo is numbered on the scan. Adjust sensitivity or the smallest photo size if something is missed.
Fix orientation with the rotate buttons and remove anything that is not a photo.
Download each photo or press Download all as ZIP.
How the automatic detection works
Background color. The tool reads a thin band along the edges of the scan and takes the median color. That is the color of the scanner lid or glass, usually white or near black.
Photo mask. Every pixel whose red, green or blue value differs from the background by more than the sensitivity value is marked as part of a photo.
Cleanup. Small gaps are closed, enclosed holes (a white sky or a bright wall inside a photo) are filled, and specks of dust are removed with a morphological opening.
Separate photos. Connected areas larger than the minimum size become photos, numbered in reading order: top row first, left to right.
Straighten and crop. For each photo the convex hull of its outline is found and the smallest-area rotated rectangle around it is calculated with the rotating-calipers method. The photo is rotated by that angle, cropped and trimmed by the edge-trim amount.
Scan resolution guide for prints
Print size
Scan at
Pixels per photo
Good for
4 × 6 in (10 × 15 cm)
300 dpi
1200 × 1800
Sharing, reprinting at the same size
4 × 6 in (10 × 15 cm)
600 dpi
2400 × 3600
Enlarging to 8 × 12 in, cropping
3.5 × 5 in (9 × 13 cm)
600 dpi
2100 × 3000
Archiving older family prints
2 × 3 in wallet
600–1200 dpi
1200 × 1800 to 2400 × 3600
Making small prints usable on screens
Pixels = inches × dpi. Higher dpi makes files larger and scans slower, and a print rarely holds detail beyond 600 dpi.
Tips for better results
Clean the scanner glass first; lint and dust show up as specks and can be detected as tiny photos (raise the smallest photo size if that happens).
Prints with a white border on a white scanner lid: put a sheet of black paper behind them so the border contrasts with the background.
Scan in color even for black-and-white prints; sepia and toning are kept and you can convert to grayscale later.
Keep the original full scan as a backup until you have checked every cropped photo.
Frequently asked questions
How do I split a scan with several photos into separate files?
Open the scan in this tool. It measures the scanner background color along the edges, marks everything that differs from it, and turns each separate area into one photo. Each photo is straightened, cropped and offered as its own JPG or PNG, or all together as a ZIP.
How should I place photos on the scanner?
Leave a gap of about 1 cm (0.5 in) between prints and between the prints and the edge of the glass. Photos that touch are detected as one. Keep the lid closed so the background stays even.
What scan resolution should I use for old photos?
300 dpi gives a file you can reprint at the original size. 600 dpi lets you print up to twice as large or crop in, and is a good choice for small prints such as 2 × 3 in wallet photos. The splitter keeps the full resolution of your scan.
Why was a photo missed or cut in half?
Very pale photos, or photos with large white areas touching their edges, can look like the scanner background. Lower the sensitivity slider so smaller color differences count, or lower the smallest photo size. If a photo has a white border, the border may be trimmed away.
Does it straighten crooked photos?
Yes. With Straighten tilted photos on, the tool finds the smallest rotated rectangle around each print and rotates it upright, up to 45 degrees either way. Use the rotate buttons for photos that are sideways or upside down.
Can I use a TIFF or PDF scan?
Browsers cannot open most TIFF files, so save the scan as JPG or PNG in your scanner software, or convert it with the TIFF to JPG tool first. For a PDF scan, convert the page to JPG first.
Are my scans uploaded?
No. Detection and cropping run in your browser, so family photos never leave your device.
Are all the tools on FreeToolCabin tested for quality and accuracy?
Yes! Every tool on our site undergoes automated Q/A testing in real browser environments to ensure high precision, correct output, and zero errors. If you happen to spot a bug or have a suggestion, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will review it right away.