After you’ve properly prepared your scanner, set up the software, and so on (see the preceding section), you’re ready to scan your image.
Image scanning options
As with digital cameras, you may have some choices in your method for acquiring an image. Indeed, some scanners have three or four different options for grabbing pixels. Here are some of the most common:
- One-touch panel: Most scanners these days have one-touch keys that automatically scan an image to a particular destination, such as an image editor (like Photoshop) or your printer (in “photocopier” mode). Press the right button, and you’re off. Frequently, this action launches a one-touch panel on your computer, with limited options that save you the trouble of manually making choices. Use this stand-alone mode when you’re in a hurry and don’t need a lot of control over your scan.
- Simplified interface: Many scanners offer a simplified interface with only a few controls, such as scan area selection, scaling, resolution, and perhaps some brightness and contrast controls. These interfaces are great for beginners, and often are available as both a stand-alone program and a Photoshop Import menu option.
- All-business interface: A more advanced interface has lots of controls, zoomed previews, complex brightness/contrast features, color correction features, and other options. Available as stand-alone programs, these interfaces make good day-to-day choices for use within Photoshop and are accessible from the Import menu.
- Graphics pro interface: A few more-expensive scanners have an interface that graphics professionals will love, including niceties such as mini-densitometer features, extensive correction of color and tonal curves, and other sophisticated options. If you need this choice, you’ll know it, and you won’t want to live without it.
Scanning an image
To grab your image, follow these steps:
1. Launch your scanner’s acquisition software, either as a stand-alone program or, preferably, from within Photoshop by choosing File➪Import.
2. Place the original face down on the scanner glass.
Make sure that the image is oriented square with the guide marks at the top, bottom, or sides of the scanner. If the original is small, place it in the center of the scanner where the light tends to be more even. Don’t worry too much if it is slightly crooked, because you can easily straighten the image using the cropping tool. If the image is too large to fit on the scanning bed, you can scan the image in two pieces and then connect them using Photoshop. Simply create a new file equal to the total size of the image. With the Move tool, drag both pieces onto this new canvas. Match up the seam and use the retouching tools, such as the Clone Stamp tool, the Healing Brush tool, and so on, to touch up any flaws between the two pieces.
3. Click the Prescan or Preview button in the software to see a preview of the original.
You may need to choose whether your original is line art, grayscale, or full color, or the scanner may identify the type for you automatically.
4. Set the scan boundaries.
Your software may preselect the area for the final scan, or you may want to use its selection tools to set the scan boundaries yourself.
5. Apply any correction, sizing, or scaling controls you want to use.
Follow the vendor’s instructions carefully.
6. Choose a destination for the scan (printer, e-mail, image editor) if appropriate and/or select a resolution.
Resolution is the number of samples per inch (spi), often referred to as pixels per inch (ppi) or dots per inch (dpi) with less-than-perfect accuracy.
Choosing the proper resolution is extremely important.
7. Click the Scan button to acquire the image.
8. Save the image under an appropriate name.
Image scanning options
As with digital cameras, you may have some choices in your method for acquiring an image. Indeed, some scanners have three or four different options for grabbing pixels. Here are some of the most common:
- One-touch panel: Most scanners these days have one-touch keys that automatically scan an image to a particular destination, such as an image editor (like Photoshop) or your printer (in “photocopier” mode). Press the right button, and you’re off. Frequently, this action launches a one-touch panel on your computer, with limited options that save you the trouble of manually making choices. Use this stand-alone mode when you’re in a hurry and don’t need a lot of control over your scan.
- Simplified interface: Many scanners offer a simplified interface with only a few controls, such as scan area selection, scaling, resolution, and perhaps some brightness and contrast controls. These interfaces are great for beginners, and often are available as both a stand-alone program and a Photoshop Import menu option.
- All-business interface: A more advanced interface has lots of controls, zoomed previews, complex brightness/contrast features, color correction features, and other options. Available as stand-alone programs, these interfaces make good day-to-day choices for use within Photoshop and are accessible from the Import menu.
- Graphics pro interface: A few more-expensive scanners have an interface that graphics professionals will love, including niceties such as mini-densitometer features, extensive correction of color and tonal curves, and other sophisticated options. If you need this choice, you’ll know it, and you won’t want to live without it.
Scanning an image
To grab your image, follow these steps:
1. Launch your scanner’s acquisition software, either as a stand-alone program or, preferably, from within Photoshop by choosing File➪Import.
2. Place the original face down on the scanner glass.
Make sure that the image is oriented square with the guide marks at the top, bottom, or sides of the scanner. If the original is small, place it in the center of the scanner where the light tends to be more even. Don’t worry too much if it is slightly crooked, because you can easily straighten the image using the cropping tool. If the image is too large to fit on the scanning bed, you can scan the image in two pieces and then connect them using Photoshop. Simply create a new file equal to the total size of the image. With the Move tool, drag both pieces onto this new canvas. Match up the seam and use the retouching tools, such as the Clone Stamp tool, the Healing Brush tool, and so on, to touch up any flaws between the two pieces.
3. Click the Prescan or Preview button in the software to see a preview of the original.
You may need to choose whether your original is line art, grayscale, or full color, or the scanner may identify the type for you automatically.
4. Set the scan boundaries.
Your software may preselect the area for the final scan, or you may want to use its selection tools to set the scan boundaries yourself.
5. Apply any correction, sizing, or scaling controls you want to use.
Follow the vendor’s instructions carefully.
6. Choose a destination for the scan (printer, e-mail, image editor) if appropriate and/or select a resolution.
Resolution is the number of samples per inch (spi), often referred to as pixels per inch (ppi) or dots per inch (dpi) with less-than-perfect accuracy.
Choosing the proper resolution is extremely important.
7. Click the Scan button to acquire the image.
8. Save the image under an appropriate name.
Image Scanning Essentials
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