The skinny on photo scanning
How to scan images, impress editors and win friends

By David A. Pierce

I’ve read a number of articles indicating that scanning transparencies or negatives on flatbed scanners produces low-quality images. Nothing could be further from the truth!

Although scanning transparencies and negatives on flatbeds (that are capable of scans at an optical resolution of 2,400x4,800) is more complicated and time consuming than film scanners, the results can be competitive if you know what to do. This is the crux of the matter: You have to know what to do, plus when, where and why!

This article assumes that you intend to produce an 8x10 image at 300 dpi (dots per inch) from a 4x5 transparency. With a high-end printer and Kodak Ultima Picture paper, the resulting prints are similar to those produced with film.

Keep it in proportion

The first thing to understand is the relationship between a scanned image’s size and the desired reproduction’s size.

For a 4x5 to 8x10 enlargement, you might think that 8x10 is twice the size of 4x5 – 2 multiplied by “4x5” equals “8x10.” But lay it out and you’ll see that four 4x5s make an 8x10. This is important when it comes to choosing the dpi for scanning. 

When possible, scan at a resolution that will not result in interpolation when resizing. (Resampling, or changing the number of pixels in an image through sizing, uses interpolation methods to assign color values to newly created pixels.) Because interpolation methods can result in color inconsistencies, avoid having your computer synthesize or make data.

Scanning at a dpi that is too low produces poor results. A scan at 300 dpi means that, if you place a number of this sized dot in a line and count them, 300 will be in one inch. Scanning a 4x5 image at 300 dpi and enlarging to 8x10 makes the dots appear larger, producing a final image that is degraded … like a magnified newspaper photo. Scanning at a dpi that is too high increases the file size but has no negative effects on the image, so error on the side of higher resolution.

Since the 300 dpi 8x10 is at least twice as big as a 4x5, it should be scanned at a dpi density a minimum of twice the size that will be used, or 600 dpi. 1,200 dpi would be better, as it is more than three times the density of the final image.

A colorful example

Color management involves the elements of workspace and depth. Set preferences that describe your red-green-blue (RGB) color workspace – for the target of the scan and Photoshop’s settings – to “Adobe 1998.” This profile describes a large number of colors. Set your scan depth to the highest allowed. Use a depth of 48 bit or greater if available. Though Adobe Photoshop 8 is capable only of working in 16-bit color, it is better to error on the side of deeper and bigger.

Some sharp remarks

Once you clean the film and scanner, position the film and deactivate the filters in the scan software, give the command to scan and wait. … This type of high-density scan takes time! The resulting scan’s file size should be about 139 megabytes (MB).

Open the scan in Photoshop. At 100 percent, the photo will look soft. Film generally produces a soft image at extreme enlargement, as it is mushy to start with. But don’t worry … special filters allow you to sharpen your image. I recommend Fred Miranda’s Intelisharpen plug-in for Photoshop. Photoshop’s sharpening filters don’t produce good results as readily. After sharpening your image, correct its color and contrast then save. 

Bigger is better

Next, change the file size from 4x5 to 8x10. Under Photoshop’s Image menu, click “Image size” and select the following: Set document size to 8x10 with a resolution of 300 dpi. Check the “resample image” box, choose “Bicubic Sharper” and click “OK.” Change the color depth to 8 bit via the Image menu under “Mode.”

The resulting sharper image will be about 20 MB in size. Save it in the desired format. If you did everything right and in sequence you should be making “yummy noises,” as your 8x10 will look scrumptious! Save a copy of the image to a CD, and you can send it to your editor or printer.

Computers and horsepower

If you use a system designed primarily for word processing and games without at least 500 MB of random access memory (RAM) you may have time for a cup of coffee as your scan progresses – that is, if the computer doesn’t lock up! You also may experience problems working with large files in Photoshop. 

Run only essential programs to save RAM for the scanner and Photoshop. Professional imaging is heavy-duty work. The recommended system is a Mac G3, G4 or G5 with 1.5 gigabytes of RAM.

Good luck and good scanning!

Dave Pierce is a member of OWAA and MOWA and has been an imaging professional for nearly three decades. He participated in the creation of the world’s first totally digital rotogravure advertising in a program with a circulation of 70,000,000 and has had photos published in more than 25 national publications. Recently, he managed digital-imaging tech support for City Lights Digital, where he worked with acclaimed photographers and highly advanced digital-imaging systems, including Phase One, Imacon and Canon. This article is condensed from a longer piece. To read the piece in its entirety or to ask questions, contact Pierce.

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Tips and tricks to avoid pirated software
Second in a series on software piracy

By Drew McManus

Software piracy is the illegal distribution and/or reproduction of software applications or fonts for business or personal use. The Business Software Alliance estimates that software publishers lose about 13 billion dollars to software piracy every year.

Much of the software sold over Internet auction sites is believed to be pirated or “gray market.” (Gray-market products are diverted from normal or authorized distribution channels.) Since November 2003, reports of suspiciously discounted Adobe software have increased dramatically.

Spammers often deliver faulty or virus-ridden products or, even worse, entice users with cheap software offers to collect credit card numbers for identity theft.

How to identify and avoid pirated software

If an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Here are some general guidelines to avoid purchasing pirated software:

1. Visit a reputable retailer site to check the software’s market price. If there is more than a 20-percent discount on the manufacturer’s suggested retail price without Adobe rebates, then it is likely that the seller is doing one (or more) of the following:

• Trying to resell original equipment manufacturer bundle copies from hardware agreements

• Trying to pass off an educational version of software as a full retail version

• Trying to offload a product provided on CD-R with a cracked serial number

• Trying to sell a product that already has been installed on another system

• Trying to resell a product stolen from a reseller or retailer

2. If you receive an offer from a reseller and a software font doesn’t sound right, visit Adobe for a comprehensive listing of authentic Adobe software and font names

3. Check all new software: Make sure it comes with a license agreement, original disks and authentic packaging. Keep the original receipt and invoice as proof of purchase. Always register your product

4. Check the End User License Agreement before making any purchase

5. Call Adobe customer service to see if the serial number for the software you are purchasing has been registered

6. Don’t buy individual software titles that originally were bundled as part of a “collection”

7. Avoid compilations of software titles from different publishers on a single disk

8. Adobe does not and never has shipped our software on CD-R. If you are offered Adobe software on a CD-R, it is counterfeit

9. Always buy software from a reputable Adobe Authorized reseller.

As director of worldwide anti-piracy for Adobe Systems Incorporated, Drew McManus develops and drives Adobe’s worldwide anti-piracy strategy and oversees all aspects of the program.

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Taskbar tricks

The system tray is an area on the right side of the taskbar (on the Windows interface) that displays the status of functions such as speaker volume and modem transmission. Applications insert icons on the system tray to permit quick access. If you disable an icon in the system tray by right clicking it and selecting a Disable or Exit option, you eliminate it only for this session. When you start up Windows again, it will reappear.

Maybe you're the opposite of the person who wants your tray icons to go away. Maybe you want to always see all of them! If so, do this: Click Start then Control Panel. Double click on the Taskbar and Start Menu icon. On the Taskbar tab in the “Taskbar and Start Menu Properties” dialog box, find the Hide Inactive Icons checkbox and remove the checkmark from the box. Click Apply and then click OK. The tray icons will no longer disappear.

By Betty Lou Fegely

Phantom e-mails

Ever had an e-mail disappear? Recently, in Outlook Express 6.0 (OE), when I clicked off of a message in my inbox, the e-mail vanished. I’d read a new message to discover that the previously read e-mail had disappeared. Fifteen e-mails – photos for OU and job listings – gone.

This is a serious problem for someone who is meticulous about reading and filing members’ e-mails. Logic told me that the missing e-mails would appear in the Delete folder.

Nope.

I searched my 30-plus e-mail folders in OE. Not there.

On Google, I typed “outlook express - e-mails disappear” and found the answer. In the View menu, the “Hide current messages” feature was turned on. I’m not sure how this feature was activated, but such is the quirkiness of software. To fix it, in OE I went to View > Current View > Hide current messages then changed “Hide Current Messages” to “Current View.”

Presto! The phantom e-mails re-appeared in my inbox. Problem solved.

By Kevin Rhoades

Control panel shortcuts

Everyone knows how to access your computer’s control panel, right? (Find it on the Start menu, which you open by clicking “Start” on the left-hand corner of your taskbar.) That’s the long way – here’s a shortcut: Press the windows key (located between the Control and Alt keys) then “R,” type “control” then press enter. Alternately, open the Windows Explorer menu (by pressing the windows key and “E”) then select “Control Panel” in the left-hand window. Once you open the control panel, you can do neat things like adjust the speed of your mouse wheel and personalize your monitor's background display and colors.

By Katie McKalip

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Surviving a meltdown

For a long time I paid a monthly fee for a service that backed up my data on a remote server. With an external hard drive (80 GB, about $200) and 12Ghosts SuperGee program (either shareware or full version, $109), paying the fee is unnecessary, and backing up my files is easier.

Both the drive and the program paid for themselves when my computer suffered a meltdown. I didn't lose a single file. Everything was backed up on the external drive.

Besides the automatic backup function of the SuperGee program, which saves all changed files to my external drive every two hours, the HyperBackup option saves my most sensitive files – under separate names – as they change. This is terrific when working on articles. If I delete part of an article and wish to retrieve it later, finding the original is a snap.

Beyond the backup functions, SuperGee offers 29 utilities, from a pop-up blocker to a file shredder. Save time, save clicks, protect your privacy and automate your work!

Get the shareware version or go to SuperGee's Web site for more information.

By Laurie Lee Dovey, www.webimages.net

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Resources for photographers

National Press Photographers Association is the all-around Mecca for press photographers. SportsShooter.com is an online community and resource for sports photographers and other photojournalists. Poynter.org is a journalism school site and has more about ethics and First-Amendment issues.

By Bill Becher

EEK! Environmental Education for Kids

Created and sponsored by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, EEK! is an online magazine for kids in grades 4-8, but everyone can find something of interest. Read about insects, plants and animals; learn about the environment and environmental issues; find out about environmental careers and more. One section of the site, featuring activities and resources, is designed for use by teachers. Encourage kids to develop an awareness of the outdoors!

By Lisa Carter

Homefair.com

Can you afford to move or take a new job? Use the salary calculator at homefair.com to determine if your current salary can support your lifestyle in a new city or to find out how much more you need to earn to enjoy the lifestyle you have now. Select the "cost-of-living" link under "Getting A Job" then follow the steps through the calculator.

I was able to determine that if I live comfortably in Alpharetta, Ga., on $70,000 per year, I would need to make only $61,704 per year to enjoy the same lifestyle in Port Charlotte, Fla.

I think it's time to move!

By Laurie Lee Dovey, www.webimages.net

Lewis and Clark in Montana

On Sept. 9, 1805, Meriwether Lewis, William Clark and the Corps of Discovery traveled along today's Bitterroot River near the confluence of a stream. The Corps camped along the stream, which they named Travelers' Rest Creek, before following it into the Bitterroot Mountains. Nearly a year later, the party returned to Travelers' Rest and camped at the same spot to celebrate their final crossing of the Bitterroots. Travelers' Rest Preservation and Heritage Association is dedicated to preserving and interpreting Lewis and Clark's Travelers' Rest campsite in Lolo, Mont., and is responsible for the development and management of Travelers' Rest State Park. The Travelers’ Rest Web site features history on Lewis and Clark, a newsletter and a list of related Web sites. If you're driving west to the Spokane conference this summer, Travelers' Rest is an easy side trip!

By Katie McKalip