Help scanning a picture

[sonja]

Hi all,

I'm trying to scan in some 4x6 pictures that I would like to use as full bleed pages in a Deluxe book. My old scanner didn't give high enough resolution, so I got a new scanner, and while better it's still not quite good.

Long story short - I tried scanning the 4x6 picutres at a super-high resolution (2400 dpi), and when I then edited it in photoshop elements to be an image with the right dimension at 350 dpi, it was still grainy and blurry. My scanner allows me to select the output dimensions and resolution, so I set that to be 11.75" high, locking the width and at 350 dpi, and it's still grainy and blurry.

I'm running out of ideas and am wondering if anyone has a suggestion. The photos (our wedding shots) are great quality and taken by a professional, and I'm at a loss as to why I can't scan them in and have them look good at a larger size. Do I need to go back to the negatives?

Any help would be appreciated,
Sonja

[irusan]

Getting a quality scan isn't too tough as long as you ensure you have some basic settings configured.

I'd be happy to help with suggestions, but before I do, I need to ask if you either have written permission from your photographer or a transfer of copyright from him/her?

The photographer has the copyright to the images from the moment (s)he clicks the shutter. Without written permission or transfer of ownership, the prints cannot be legally scanned and printed. In fact, any commercial printer will refuse to print them since they can be held liable for copyright infringement.

I do apologize if that sounded harsh; it wasn't meant to. It's just very important to understand who has copyright and the financial ramifications of infringement.

But, if you do have the permission to do so, let me know and I'd be happy to help.

Rob

[sonja]

According to my photographer, we share copyright on the images. I emailed her the other day asking her for any hints or tips, and she was as helpful as she could be given that she shoots mostly film. If it helps, we also have the complete set of negatives.

[Cruiser]

I apologize for jumping in here irusan but I'm now scanning negatives using the latest version of VueScan. The problem I have is also grainy pictures when the negatives printed to 8" x 10", they were clear and sharp. Any suggestions you can offer about scanning either prints or negatives would be appreciated by all of us. Thanks...

[sonja]

I'm almost wondering if it's a software thing in some way.

When I scanned in my images, and looked at them in Photoshop elements, the photos looked a lot worse than when I looked at them (at the same size) in Paint Shop Pro or even Microsoft Office Picture Manager. I was really surprised by this, so you might want to check a second program and see how it looks there.

[Cruiser]

I'm using Photoshop CS3. My problem is that the program I'm using has to be tweeked to scan at a much higher resolution and dpi to get a decent scan then I have to downsize it to fit my 350 dpi and file size. I'm hoping someone can chime in and help us "scanners" out a bit.

[irusan]

Thanks Sonja!

First, since you have the negatives, I would scan those. A print is, at best, a copy of the original and you are attempting to make a copy from a copy. Even though the print may be really good, there are some issues with scanning prints that may be affecting your outcome. So, if your scanner is capable of scanning negatives (not all can do it well), then I would definitely scan those.

1. Scan as high as the resolution allows you to. You can always down size the image with good results but you can't (with some exceptions) upsize it.

2. Use the scanning software that came with your scanner. Typically, I'll be the first to tell you to upgrade or replace the included software, but this software is going to be designed for that specific scanner and the best results occur will occur when you use it.

3. Save the scan as a TIF instead of a JPG. This will increase your file size but you will end up saving the file as a JPG at the end of your workflow - just not at the beginning.

4. Set the color space for the scan at Adobe RGB (if the software allows you). Since this is the preferred color space for the MyPublisher press, then you should start out in this as well. The less conversions you need to make between printing factors (like color model, etc.) the better the results.

5. Most scanning applications let you choose the type of media you are scanning, Make sure you select "Photograph" and, if possible, make sure you select the appropriate type of paper (satin, gloss, lustre, etc.) that the photograph is printed on.

6. Your scanning software will (or should) include instructions on how to calibrate your scanner. It's pretty easy and step by step. Alternatively, depending on your budget, I would suggest getting a ColorChecker card (http://www.xrite.com/product_overview.aspx?ID=820) from GretagMacbeth. Scan this in and you can use it to set the correct levels in Photoshop after you scan.


Another alternative, albeit a pricey one, is to have your negatives scanned on a drum scanner. These scanners will give you a very high quality scan and provide you with a file that's large enough for all your needs.

In fact, as an example, I needed to get a 55" x 33" print made from a 35mm slide, I had it the slide scanned and my print service was able to print it at that size at 300 dpi. The image fit on a DVD... barely.

But, to get back to the original method of scanning, the critical part will be to ensure you are getting the colors right. With that in mind, I would strongly recommend the ColorChecker card.

Rob

[Hoyadad]

Genuine Fractals, a plug-in for Photoshop, does a really good job at resizing photos. I use a 1D Mark II and I resize my photos to get 20x30 posters from Costco and they look great.