Scanning

Scanning is fun and easy, and most people these days have scanners so that they can convert their picture libraries into digital format so that they can share them online, via email and with various digital media such as CDs and DVDs, pen-drives and the like.

The most common problem I encounter is to do with resolution, where people are unsure which resolution (dpi) to use for certain tasks. Use too low a resolution and the image appears grainy; too high and the file sizes become enormous. One small point to bear in mind - scanning a poor-quality image with a high resolution will NOT improve the quality - you’ll just end up with a poor-quality image with a large file size.

Although not set in concrete, these are the resolutions I would use:

Images for web use - 72dpi - 125dpi

Images for offset print - 300dpi - 400dpi

Images for inkjet print - up to you but I would avoid going over 600dpi where possible

Many scanners include built-in filters for use during the scanning process (such as dust and scratches, unsharp-mask etc.) but if you have a decent photo manipulation software such as Adobe Photoshop Elements then I would not bother with the scanner’s own filters.