If you're not going to enlarge your digital scans then don't pay to have them scanned at a higher resolution than 300 dpi. Even if you will be enlar...
If you’re not going to enlarge your digital scans then don’t pay to have them scanned at a higher resolution than 300 dpi. Even if you will be enlarging them you are probably wasting your money. 600 and 1200 dpi scanning services do not mean better scans, but they do mean higher prices. For your typical photographs 300 dpi is the wisest choice.
A photo prints surface is not designed to hold the type of resolution that a photo negative is. If you plan on enlarging scanned images you are far better off scanning the negative if possible.
Wasting money is not the only reason to scan at 300 dpi. Photo scanning beyond 300 dpi produces huge files that slow down just about any use of your scans. Editing, viewing, and working with your files will be slower, and possibly much slower. And you will probably have to change the size of your scan smaller to use it for just about anything.
Top notch photographers don’t need to be coached on scanning practices as they already understand the issues. But if you are trying to gather some information to use for your own scanning project or to purchase scanning services, I recommend the relatively extensive discussion of scanning practices by Wayne Fulton at www.scantips.com
Make sure that your scanned photos are saved as a high quality jpeg. Photos saved in a jpeg format are compressed to lower the file size. High compression causes the jpeg to loose bits of information that are gone forever. High quality jpegs have very low compression and lose very little.
Whether you rotate your own photos after scanning or the scanning service does it make sure that you dont rotate the original scans. Most photo scanners require that your photos be in a stack when you send them in without regard to their orientation. Because your photos are recompressed during the rotation process you may loose bits of information and that can reduce your image quality. So keep your master scans untouched and use a copy to rotate or manipulate.
Some photo scanning services offer automatic photo enhancement. What you need to know is enhancement, or any manipulation, can cause jpeg files to be re-compressed and cause some quality loss. Make sure your scanning service provides you with a complete set of master scans and then a copy of them for the enhancements. Don’t ever use the originals to make changes. Always use a copy. You may find that you want to work on special photos yourself. When you do, always start with a fresh copy of the master scan.
There are all kinds of software both manual and automatic available to edit your photo scans. The manual editing software offers you complete control and unlimited do-overs. The automatic versions do a lot of good to most of your images and some good to the rest. Manual enhancement should probably only be used for those very special photographs otherwise you will be bored silly. Trying to choose an automatic enhancement software can be tricky because it takes some experimentation to discover which ones actually work. If your photo scanning service provides economical automatic enhancement that may be your best bet.
If your family’s precious photographic memories have not been converted to a digital format then you need to learn more about . Pete Fontaine provides more helpful information at his web page
Traditional scrapbooking may soon be taken over by its digital cousin. The digital scrapbook craze has made huge headway into the world of scrapping. Because all digital scrapbookers posses the necessary computer skills to enjoy their hobby, it means that they can avail themselves to vast online resources. Free and low cost tools, creation software, and video tutorials are everywhere. If you need tailor made advice, technical assistance, or friendly community you’ll find it easily.
You don’t have to restrict yourself to the photos you took with that new digital camera either. Find yourself an inexpensive photo scanning service and make all of your photographs available for digital scrapbooking. There are scanning services that will scan your photos for as little as 5 cents each.
Scanning photos for your scrapping hobby has the added advantage of preserving them from deterioration due to moisture, mold, or age. Saving your photos to a DVD also allows you to store a copy in two or more places permanently shielding them from loss or damage. Scanning services make it possible to give a complete set of all your pictures to family members.
If you’ve ever wanted to build a photobook or upload your photos to a photo sharing site then you’ll have an additional benefit to scanning photos for your scrapbook. Want to build a slideshow to view on TV? You can do it online or buy inexpensive software. You can even add your own music. Want to create a T-shirt with a crazy photo on it? Just search “photo t-shirt”. It’s that easy!
The optimum resolution for scanning your photo prints is 300 dpi. Don’t accept lower and don’t pay for higher. Nothing is gained by scanning at a higher resolution than 300 dpi, and you’ll be handling much larger files. That means any use of the scans will be slower. Do make sure your scans are saved as high quality jpeg files. This means that the scans are saved with very low compression and thus higher quality. You will be able to use free photo editing software to reduce the file size for copy to use on the web, if needed.
Automatic photo enhancement can improve many of your photos. But don’t pay a lot for this service because it won’t perform miracles, and it won’t make a difference on some photographs. Insist that your photo enhancement is performed on a copy of your master scans. Manipulation of your scans causes them to be recompressed and that, if repeated, will cause quality issues. Make sure your scanning service provides both set of master scans and a set of enhanced scans.
A quick search for “digital scrapbooking” will give you immediate access to educational e-books, organizational software, online classes, templates, toys, and tools. The raw materials of scrapping are your photo scans. So find a low cost scanning service and get started!
Scanning photos for digital scrapbooking rescues them from the possibility of destruction and deterioration. makes it easy and inexpensive to share a complete copy of your family’s photographic history with each family member. Learn more about photo scanning at Pete’s website
You may be living in luxury in that 40 foot motor home or roughing it for a few weeks in a camper, but you can bring one of the comforts of home with you by having your photos scanned. Most people would never consider taking their photo albums in a recreational vehicle because of the storage requirements and the added possibility of damage while traveling. Now you don’t have to worry about storage or damage issues.
By having your photos scanned you can take a complete set of your photographs with you anywhere you go. A life time of photos can easily be stored on a DVD or two. You can accomplish this by purchasing a scanner and doing it yourself or by sending your photos to a photo scanning service. Don’t pay too much. Great photo scanning can cost as little as 5 cents per photo.
Scanning your photos puts an end to their natural aging and deterioration. Your images are permanently preserved and because they are now easy to copy, you can put complete sets of your images in different locations. This will prevent you from losing your photos to natural disaster. You’ll also be able to share complete sets of your photos with each family member.
One great way to view your photos once you have them scanned is to create a slideshow that you can watch on TV. This is the perfect project for those evenings “on the trail”. Slideshow software makes it easy to add captions to your photographs and also include your favorite music. If you’re not feeling that creative, you can easily find companies that will build a slideshow just the way you want it.
A great way to show off your scanned images is to load them into a digital picture frame. Some of the better frames come with slideshow capabilities, and can play music. The good news is that the price of digital frames is coming down, so be sure to shop wisely. Memory cards for storing your slideshows or digital photos have really come down in price. For a few bucks you can store all of your photos in the picture frame. So if you’re traveling to see family or meeting new friends on the trail, having your photos on a digital picture frame will be great.
If you have more than a few photos, scanning them yourself can end up as one of those unfinished projects. Photo scanning can be incredibly boring. So think about using one of the photo scanning services found online. You should first try to get an idea of what your needs are, and then shop carefully. Don’t pay extra to have your photos scanned at more than 300 dpi, because in the vast majority of cases it does not produce better images. Search “Photo Scanning Recommendations” by this author for more information on how to choose a photo scanning service.
Having your photographs scanned is just another feather in your cap. Not only do you have that little extra piece of home permanently with you, but you have the satisfaction of knowing that the historic record of your family’s images are permanently protected from aging, decay, and disaster. Another advantage is that you’ll be able to easily add the digital photos you are taking now to you photo collection and not have them in two different formats. Digitizing your photos makes them easy to store and reproduce. Viewing them on a TV or a digital picture frame can be fantastic. Happy Trails!
Are you considering for your recreational vehicle or to permanently protect your family’s precious memories from destruction and deterioration? Pete Fontaine provides more information about scanning photos at his website
