subject: Learn How to Scan [print this page] Learn How to Scan Learn How to Scan
There are a lot of features for flatbed photo scanners today. That can make your scans photos look great. While every company has its own features and names the operation is the same regardless what scanner you have.
You should always use the software the scanner comes with and get to know it. That will help you get the scan that you are looking for.
All home photo scanner have many automatic tools built into then that analyzes the image your scanning and makes adjustments to for the best scan possible. However it is still your responsibility to make sure that image you are scanning is right for the automatic tools to do their best
Always do preview scans and make your initial selection. The high speed scanner will look at the pixels inside the selection to determine the best setting.
Automatic tools can't do everything some photos are beyond the help of the automatic tools. To get the best scan for those photos require an observant eye and manual adjustment tools. On most scanner the manual an adjustment tools are hidden. This is because the automatic adjustments do a very nice job on the scans.
When you see the photo selection is correct but the image is still dark or too light. You can control the exposure adjustment manually. If you won't to light or darken an image you must change the midtones setting.
The midtones setting adjustments lets you light or darken the middle values of an image. It will leave the highlights and shadows untuch. Everytime an image needs to be darkened or lightened during a scan or after the image is scanned. You should use the midtones adjustment to do it.
If you photo is light use the bright control. That will make the pixel brighten. The pixels that are already very bright will become pure white. The detail that was in the area will be washed out. The same thing will happen when you darken the image .Darken the image with a bright control .The shadow in the photo will turn black again. You will lose detail that might be in the shadows.
When the midtones of an image are adjusted the pixels in the brighter and darker area of the photo are not affected. Only those of the pixels in between those extremes are affected. That will allow you to make image light or darker without blowing out the highlights.
There is other manual adjustment that scanner let you make like color, saturation and sharpening the photo. You do not have to adjust all of them it not necessarily.
Color in a photo has two components have and saturation hue refers to the color in the image. Saturation controls how vivid color appears. When the setting is really high value the color become over saturturated. Sometimes your photos seem out of focus. You may want to Increase the sharpen of it but don't do it. Most scanning software automatically selects the best level of sharpen. If you increased the harped can make flows and stand out or in some cases it can even create undesirable pattern.
When you scan anything that has both thin and printed on both sides. You have a good chance of scanning of what is printed on the back at the same time you captures the front. This is called bleed though can be a real problem.
In some cases you can put a sheet of black construction paper behind the image you are scanning. Another way is using your manual threshold adjust. If that don't work for you, try using your photo editor.
Try to get as much detail as possible in your scan compare scan against your original image to make certain you got as much detail as possible. If you don't like what you see rescan the image. Every software, printer and scanner is different so take your time and don't be afraid to try different thing. If it doesn't look right adjust the setting or do it over. Have some fun trying different thing when you are learning how to get better results. I hope this help you overcome some common problems that you run in to when scanning.
