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Scanning Techniques. Update scanners drivers, obtain latest twain 32 drivers, do not scan images at high resolutions if your images are intended only for web use.

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Scanning Tips and Techniques

Hardware and Software Recommendations

Many new computers do not come with an optimized video display. Because of the speed at which the computer industry moves, many systems are shipped with outdated video card drivers. Whether your system is old or new, this is one area you could immediately improve to increase system performance and stability.

The first step is to visit your video card manufacturer's Website to obtain the latest drivers. This would be a good time to obtain the latest data source drivers from your scanner's Website and the latest general TWAIN_32 drivers from the Helper Applications at Jasc.com.

The second step is to optimize the color depth of your video. By doing so, you will avoid display problems such as dithering. Dithering occurs when your computer approximates colors it can't display by using dots which give the image a grainy or mottled effect. For more information on dithering, please see the Optimizing Colors for the Web page at Jasc.com.

Ancient Silicon Valley proverb says; "He who dies with the most RAM wins." It is recommended that you have at least three times the amount of RAM as the typical image size you work with. When working with Windows 95, have at least 16 Megabytes of RAM. It is also recommended you reserve at least this amount of contiguous free space on your hard drive for virtual memory and that you periodically defragment your hard drive.

Scanner Types

The flatbed variety is usually preferred over the hand held type because it can scan at a steady, optimal rate--no need to worry about scanning too fast or pulling from side to side. If portability is desired, you should consider the latter. Single pass scanners are preferred to the triple pass scanners because they can acquire at a faster rate.

Some new scanners are available with the new Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface. One of the benefits of USB is that you can plug your device into a USB port and immediately begin using it. Like SCSI, you can daisy chain USB devices. Another benefit of USB is that devices do not need additional power supply cables. To be able to use a USB device, your hardware must support it and you must have at least Windows 95 or better, with USB support.

Most scanners come with the Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI); some have a serial interface. One of the major advantages of SCSI is that you can daisy chain or link up to 8 SCSI devices together. SCSI is also faster than the serial interface. Check with the vendor before purchasing to see if the SCSI interface card bundled with the scanner is capable of managing other devices. If it doesn't, the vendor will be more than happy to sell you a SCSI card at an inflated price--shop around. At the very least, you will want a scanner or digital camera that is TWAIN compliant.

Scanning Tips

Resolution

Resist the urge to scan at high resolutions if your output is going to be strictly for the Web. Since monitors can only display at 72 dots per inch (dpi), scanning at a resolution of 100 dpi is usually sufficient. Any higher resolution will result in a much larger file size--something to be avoided at all costs. It is better to scan at a lower resolution than to scan at a higher resolution only having to resample the image size down. If you intend on printing your images, you should not have to scan at a resolution higher than 600 dpi.

Also, scanning is a system-intensive process. It's a good idea to close other applications while scanning.

Scanning Halftones (Magazines, Newspapers)

If you are purchasing a scanner and would like to scan magazine or newspaper content, you will need the ability to descreen these images. Halftones are pictures constructed with dot patterns. When a halftone image is scanned, it will produce a distracting pattern of lines called Moire. There are a couple of ways to prevent this. The best way to reduce this pattern is by using the descreen option that comes with some scanners. If you have a scanner that does not have a descreen option in its scanning software, you can minimize this effect by applying several techniques--all of which blur the image:

• Apply the Median filter in Paint Shop Pro by selecting
  Image > Special Filters > Median
  
• Soften the image by selecting Image > Normal Filters > Soften
  
• Scan at a higher resolution and then resample down. When resampling, remember to select "Maintain aspect ratio". This will keep the proportions of the image constant.
  
• Try rotating the picture 30 degrees or so and rescanning.
  

Saving

Once you have acquired your image, you will want to save a master copy. The preferred file type for most graphics professionals is the Tagged Image File Format (TIFF) because it will save the image in True Color (24-bit), it can compress the file without loss of image quality, and you can specify the dots per inch (dpi) resolution in Paint Shop Pro. If you have Paint Shop Pro 5+, you will want to save your image in the PSP file format. Once saved, you can manipulate the image as desired and save it in a format suitable for the Web. For more information about the PSP format and Web graphics formats, please see our Graphics File Formats page.