Preparing to Scan for Photoshop

Sometimes the best way to use Photoshop is not to use it at all! When it comes to using your scanner, you may discover that you can do lots of things when you prepare a scan that will save you hours of work later in Photoshop. To make sure that you’re on the right track before you ever slap down an original on the scanner bed, heed the following tips:
- Start with good originals: A scanner can’t capture information that isn’t there, so make sure that you’re using the best, sharpest original available. If you have a choice between a 4-x-6-inch print and an 8-x-10-inch print, choose the larger size. Although there’s a point of diminishing returns (a really big print may only show really big grain or dye clumps), a larger original often contains more information. Scanning large images (especially at high resolutions) makes the scanning process take longer. Also, bigger image files take up a lot of space. Bigger is better, but only up to a point. Always use the sharpest, clearest original. Avoid using faxed or photocopied versions of photos or text.
- Familiarize yourself with your scanner’s software: Find out corrections that you can make in the scanner (instead of in Photoshop). Your scanner can often do a better job at tasks (such as adjusting for brightness/contrast, some color correction, and scaling) because the scanner is working with the “original” information.
Make your major adjustments with the scanner, and then use Photoshop to fine-tune your
results.
- Set up your scanner properly: If this is the first time you’re using your scanner, you need to make sure that you’ve set it up properly. Installation usually involves two steps:
- Adding the support software or drivers that let your computer talk to the scanner
- Installing the acquisition software that performs the actual image capture
- Follow the vendor’s instructions carefully: Some vendors ask you to install the scanner’s software before plugging in the scanner. Others order the setup procedure a little differenly. Doing these steps in the wrong order won’t hurt anything, but may waste some of your time when you have to do them over.
- Perform some maintenance: Make sure that your scanner glass is clean. You’d be surprised how sharp almost invisible dust spots on the glass can be when scanned. Follow the scanner vendor’s instructions for cleaning the glass and dry it thoroughly before positioning an original. Color prints, in particular, contain dyes that can be harmed by wetness or the chemicals in glass cleaners.