How to Scan Pictures to a Computer

If you have some pictures you want to scan, there are a few tips that you should be aware of.  As long as you prepare correctly, scanning pictures to your computer will be fairly simple.  Read on to learn about the four tips that will easily help anyone's scanned pictures look great.

1. Choosing Your Pictures:

What you must remember about pictures is that the scanned result will look like the original photograph in terms of scratches and fold marks.  And in some cases, the scanner will tend to highlight these unsightly flaws.  This is why you need to be careful when choosing your pictures.

So once you have found photos that are in good shape, use a cloth--lint-free preferably--to wipe off any fingerprints.  And the pictures you scan should also be brightly colored and sharply contrasted because many times the quality of picture scanned by a flatbed scanner will be diminished during the scanning process.

2. The Resolution:

Whether you decide to use the scanner you have at home or professional-grade equipment, the resolution you choose can make or break the end result.  All scanned pictures are measured according to the DPI unit, or dots per inch.  A clearer image will have a higher number.

A good rule of thumb to remember is that 300 DPI is generally an optimum choice for those using home scanners.  Although at 300 DPI the prints will not be very large, the images will be clear up to the size of 5 x 7 and not take up a lot of memory.  However, if you want to make bigger pictures, it is best to put them on a CD and take them to a professional service.  Smaller resolutions are perfectly find for images displayed online.

3. The Format:

The format of a photo's file is just as important as its resolution.  The majority of scanners will allow you to choose .JPEG and .TIFF; there are advantages to both.  If you want to archive a picture or print large photos of high quality .TIFF is definitely the way to go.  Although .JPEG files still print nice pictures, they are slightly compressed and work better for posting online.  Remember: a .TIFF file can be changed to a .JPEG, but a .JPEG cannot be converted to a .TIFF.

4. Seeking Help:

Thankfully, the scanners used today work more efficiently than those made several years ago; however, modern scanners still have limitations.  Those who wish to scan a lot of pictures, especially pictures with high resolutions, will achieve better results using professional equipment as professional equipment usually has a higher resolution.  Using them will not be too expensive since most scanning services only charge a couple of cents per photograph scanned.  If you do not have much experience scanning pictures and do not have the time to learn, paying a service to do it for you is a better use of your time as well as your money.

Photo Credits: joanna8555

Originally posted 2010-05-24 03:35:14.

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dots per inch, dpi, flatbed scanner, jpeg files, photograph, resolutions, Scanners, tiff

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Computer Tips, Music Photos and Documents, Scanners

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