Can Only Recipes read handwritten recipe cards?

Yes. Photo import reads printed and handwritten recipe cards and cookbook pages, then writes out the name, ingredients and steps. Faded pencil and unusual abbreviations are where it is most likely to guess, so check those lines against the card.

Is photo import free?

No. Importing a recipe from a photo is a Premium feature, with up to 10 photo imports a day. On the free plan you can type a card into the free recipe formatter and save the result.

Does it work with recipes that span two cards or pages?

Photo import reads one image at a time. For a recipe on the front and back of a card, import the side with the ingredients, then add the rest of the steps by editing the recipe, or photograph both sides laid next to each other in one shot.

What image formats can I upload?

JPG, PNG and WebP images up to 10MB. On a phone, the web app can open the camera directly so you can photograph the card without saving it first.

How to Digitize Family Recipe Cards

Step 1: Gather and sort

Pull every card, clipping and cookbook page into one place before you start. Sort them into the recipes you actually cook, the ones with sentimental value, and the rest. Start with the first two piles: a family recipe nobody can read anymore is worth more than a magazine clipping you can find online.

Ask the relatives who wrote them, while you can. Notes like "a good handful" or "bake until it smells right" are much easier to turn into numbers with the cook standing next to you.

Step 2: Photograph each card

A phone camera is enough. A scanner gives a flatter image but takes far longer for a box of cards. For a good photo:

Lay the card flat on a plain, dark surface so the edges stand out.
Use daylight from a window instead of the flash, which washes out pencil and causes glare on glossy cards.
Hold the phone directly above the card, not at an angle.
Photograph the back as well whenever there is writing on it.
Keep the original photos in a shared album or cloud folder. The handwriting itself is part of what makes the card worth keeping.

Step 3: Turn the photo into a recipe

A photo is a backup, not a recipe you can search or scale. To get the text out, you can type it, or let an app read it.

Type it up (free)

Type the card into the recipe formatter exactly as written, abbreviations and all. It sorts the text into an ingredient list and numbered steps. Typing is slow, but it is also the moment you notice what is missing, such as an oven temperature or a pan size.

Import the photo in Only Recipes (Premium)

Sign in to Only Recipes on the web and choose to add a new recipe from a photo.
Upload the picture of the card, or on a phone, take the photo directly. JPG, PNG and WebP images up to 10MB work.
Only Recipes reads the printed or handwritten text and writes out the recipe name, ingredients, steps, and times and servings when the card has them.
Compare the result with the card line by line, fix anything it misread, and add the notes your family always gave out loud.

Photo import is a Premium feature with up to 10 photo imports a day, which works through a full recipe box in a week or two of evenings.

Step 4: Fill in what the card leaves out

Translate old measures. "Oleo" is margarine, a "scant cup" is a little under a cup, and a "moderate oven" is about 350°F. The measurement conversions cheat sheet covers the rest.
Add who it came from. Put "Grandma Rose, 1970s" in the description. In ten years that line will matter more than the recipe.
Tag it. Holiday, weeknight, dessert: tags are what make a digital recipe box faster than the shoebox.

Step 5: Share it and keep the originals safe

Once the recipes are digital, share them with the family so the collection does not live on one phone. With Only Recipes Premium you can invite family members as collaborators who add, edit and organize recipes with you. Then store the original cards somewhere dry and flat, out of the kitchen, in acid-free sleeves if they are fragile. If you want a physical copy to cook from, print a fresh card with the recipe card maker and keep the original out of harm's way.