SCANNING
Scanning
Different makes/brands of scanners have different controlling
software, however; the basic procedure for scanning with
different brands will be similar. They may call things by
different names/words. i.e. mine uses the word "acquire"
where another uses "obtain".
My scanner is a "Mustek MSF 6000CX Long Flatbed". The software
it uses for pictures is called "Microfrafx Picture Publisher LE".
For documents it uses "Word Linx", but I have not learned to
do documents.
Most people new to scanning make the mistake of doing the
pictures entirely too big. They may be so big as to have
scroll bars on bottom and on the sides. And may have so many
KBytes that they take forever to send over email. Although
the higher dots per inch (dpi), the better the quality of the
picture it also is true that the more dpi the more Kbytes.
We try to keep the Kbytes on the low end by lowering the dpi
"scaling" to the low end. This makes the picture in the
neighborhood of 80 to 300 Kbytes. Don't get excited now.
This will be compressed when saved. i.e. 167Kbytes will
become 7Kbytes and 300Kbytes will compress to about 15Kbytes.
Below will be an actual walk thru of a scan of a picture as
I now do it. Your scanner may call things by other names
and may not have exact features as mine, but will be similar.
1. Raise lid, place picture in the top right corner.
2. Turn scanner on. Mine is plugged into a supply box with
several switches - printer, speakers, scanner, master.
3. Go to start - programs - Micrografx Picture Publisher LE.
Click. (Your software may be something else).
4. In picture publisher LE I go to file, then aquire, click.
5. Here I get a window called "Mustek Flatbed Scanner Set Up"
with last picture scanned showing on left and other things on
right. To get the picture I put in the scanner I now select
"prescan".
6. The scanner makes a whirring type noise and the picture
appears in black and white with some moving dashes making a
square or rectangle somewhere in sight. Each side of the
shape made by these things is moveable by left clicking on
it and dragging. You use this to frame the part of the
picture you want. Use it to crop out what you don't
want, i.e. sometimes you will want only upper body view
and may want to remove excess nothing from above heads
and bring the sides of the picture in to just show the
main objective. I just clicked and held the left line
and put it where I want the left side of picture to end.
Same with right, and with top and bottom line.
7. Now several options are available to set up the
picture prior to scan. First in scan mode, I select
color. Next is dpi. To go up or down with dpi the
size, width, length and Kbytes will go up or down
accordingly. I now go to unit and make sure the
selection is pixels. Now back to resolution and I
select the lowest mine will do which is 72 dpi.
I set "scaling" at 100% which is lowest mine will go.
8. At this point the readings below are as follows:
Width 421 pixels (this pic is wide as it's couple side
by side) Length 261 pixels, Size 315 Kbytes.
9. Now I look to the right and click "scan". Wait
while the scanner does its full cycle, making noise
ect. When it stops, click X at the top right of scanner
set up window, it closes and the picture appears in
another window. I see its too dark. I go to top of
this window and click "image" and select "effects",
then "gamma correction". Move to 1.6 on all 3 colors,
then preview. Looks good, I select apply, then ok.
10. The picture now looks good, but is untitled.
I click "file" at the top and select "save as".
Now a window appears called "image browser". In
file name it says "tif" and in type it says "tif".
Change file type to "jpeg" using the arrow selection.
Put cursor in the "file name" and hit backspace until
the box is blank. Now type the name you want. 8 letters
is the limit here. This picture is from MsShaggiem
and is pic of Ladybug and hubby Bob so I name it msladbob.
Then way at bottom, almost hidden on this computer I select
"save". A little dial comes up with a hand going all way
around. This is the picture being compressed as it is saved.
Then a window appears called "jpeg" options. I just select ok.
Then click X on the picture publisher window.
11. I turn scanner off, remove picture and write on the
back of it the name I gave it.
12. Now third picture is saved to my harddrive in C:PicPub
as msladbob and has been compressed from 315 Kbytes to
16 Kbytes and can be attached to email or uploaded to
a web page.
The above info was for a 5 yr old scanner. Many new scanners
will work perfect with one button push, then you must make
adjustments prior to saving.
Now your homework assignment is go practice with your scanner. *S*
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