Scanning

[anyte]

My scanning method is to scan the print, crop out any extra space added in the scanning process, and resize to something more reasonable for posting. I save and I'm done.

I've gotten comments suggesting that I do certain corrections to improve the appearance of my scans but I don't understand how do follow through on the suggestions. I'm not ready to take on the task of learning all the processes of a graphics program only to get better scans.

I am curious what process other people use when scanning.

 

[mikeb_z5]

Mrcallow did a great job of describing resizing and using the unsharp mask filter for scans to be posted to the web in the following thread. Its what I use and it works pretty well. BTW I use el cheapo Photoshop elements. adjusting levels I do differently for each scan though.

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

Hope this helps,
Mike

 

[Tom Hoskinson]

My scanning method is to scan the print, crop out any extra space added in the scanning process, and resize to something more reasonable for posting. I save and I'm done.

I've gotten comments suggesting that I do certain corrections to improve the appearance of my scans but I don't understand how do follow through on the suggestions. I'm not ready to take on the task of learning all the processes of a graphics program only to get better scans.

I am curious what process other people use when scanning.

You wrote: "My scanning method is to scan the print, crop out any extra space added in the scanning process..."

You should frame the picture with your scanner progam so that you scan 100% of the image and don't need to crop the picture after scanning.

I scan B&W prints as color images, usually at 600 dots per inch (dpi). I have all the settings on the scanner set so that the scanner does not perform any image processing when it scans the image.

After scanning the print, I adjust the brightness and contrast levels so that they match the print and then save the scan.

Finally, I use the Bicubic resize function in my Image Processing program to resize the image to a maximum dimension of 600 pixels. Then I save the image file.

That's basically it.

 

[anyte]

You wrote: "My scanning method is to scan the print, crop out any extra space added in the scanning process..."

You should frame the picture with your scanner progam so that you scan 100% of the image and don't need to crop the picture after scanning.

I do scan to 100% but the scanner still leaves a tiny bit of white space at either side. If I didn't get the print perfectly aligned at the top (which you can't tell just by looking or by feel) it will leave a tiny strip of white space there as well. It may be miniscule but it's distracting so I crop it off.

*edited for typo*

 

[Nige]

When you scan you usually can limit what the scanner scans scanning on the bit that you want scanned (I only wrote that like that to include the scan word as many times as I could )

Here's what I do...

Scanning Prints.

1. Clean Glass
2. Make sure the scan settings are suitable. I scan prints for web use at 300dpi unless it's a real little print and I want to get more pixels to make it bigger. Scanning softwares sharpening off (it's do agressive)
3. Do a preview scan
4. Select the area I want to scan
5. Hit autolevels option.
6. Assess if I need to manualy tinker. I might want to change the scan profile to 'open shadows'. I do usually do this as I prefer to get all the shadow detail and alter the final look in the image editing porgram (Photoshop in my case)
7. Scan
8. Hit Autolevels option in PS. Decide if that's better, otherwise undo it.
9. Bring up the levels adjustment box and move the mid point to ensure shadows and midtonesare where I want them. Might alter the black and white end points too, especially if I didn't like the Autolevels attempt at it.
10. Fix any scanned dust spots (sometimes do this)
11. Run "unsharp Mask". I'm lazy and use one setting but if you're trying for quality you should do it based on the image. I use minimal sharpening as it can introduce jaggies and artifical high contrast lines that look terrible.
12. Resize to 548 pixels high.
13. Run Unsharp Mask again.
14 Save for Web as .jpg using whatever compression is necessary to get the file size down to 100-150kb.

Film.

Pretty much the same except in step 2, I change the resolution to the scanenrs best native resolution (1600dpi). I also run step 11 twice. I scan B&W negs as greyscale cause it's much faster then the colour option that many use (I used to too). I used to have all this in an 'action' (a macro) but haven't updated it to suit the resizing height that I now use... must get around to fixing that as the action then runs in seconds from minimal buttons presses rather than doing all the steps manually (although they don't take that long.. maybe 1-2mins plus actual scan time). Did I say I'm lazy...

 

[anyte]

Here's what I do...

Scanning Prints.

1. Clean Glass
2. Make sure the scan settings are suitable. I scan prints for web use at 300dpi unless it's a real little print and I want to get more pixels to make it bigger. Scanning softwares sharpening off (it's do agressive)
3. Do a preview scan
4. Select the area I want to scan
5. Hit autolevels option.
6. Assess if I need to manualy tinker. I might want to change the scan profile to 'open shadows'. I do usually do this as I prefer to get all the shadow detail and alter the final look in the image editing porgram (Photoshop in my case)
7. Scan
8. Hit Autolevels option in PS. Decide if that's better, otherwise undo it.
9. Bring up the levels adjustment box and move the mid point to ensure shadows and midtonesare where I want them. Might alter the black and white end points too, especially if I didn't like the Autolevels attempt at it.
10. Fix any scanned dust spots (sometimes do this)
11. Run "unsharp Mask". I'm lazy and use one setting but if you're trying for quality you should do it based on the image. I use minimal sharpening as it can introduce jaggies and artifical high contrast lines that look terrible.
12. Resize to 548 pixels high.
13. Run Unsharp Mask again.
14 Save for Web as .jpg using whatever compression is necessary to get the file size down to 100-150kb.

Film.

Pretty much the same except in step 2, I change the resolution to the scanenrs best native resolution (1600dpi). I also run step 11 twice. I scan B&W negs as greyscale cause it's much faster then the colour option that many use (I used to too). I used to have all this in an 'action' (a macro) but haven't updated it to suit the resizing height that I now use... must get around to fixing that as the action then runs in seconds from minimal buttons presses rather than doing all the steps manually (although they don't take that long.. maybe 1-2mins plus actual scan time). Did I say I'm lazy...

Too ... much ... terminology ... does ... not ... compute.

If you're lazy and you do all that, what does that make me.

 

[Nige]

hehe! it looks worse than it is.