TIGERX.COM Public Internet Library: Scanning & Adjusting Images

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Scanning & Adjusting Images

The basics on web and print photos and images

Tools for creating and scanning images and photos for use with computers and/or the internet range everywhere from free to hundreds of dollars. Adobe Photoshop is the industry standard tool for both Mac & PC users. The procedures are all basically the same, but this is written specifially geared toward Adobe Photoshop 4.0.
Scanning Images
To import (scan) images in Adobe Photoshop, click on the FILE menu and go down to IMPORT, another menu will pop up and it will ask you to SELECT TWAIN 32 SOURCE. If you only have a scanner hooked up for importing images, you do not need to touch this setup. This refers to when you have a digital camera, video camera, Snappy or other photo imaging device all using the TWAIN 32 driver.
Assuming you are only using a scanner as your image importing device choose from the FILE > IMPORT menu > TWAIN 32. This will prompt your scanning software to open. You may want to choose the image resolution in that screen if you can. If this is an image for the web, make the resolution 72dpi (dots per inch). Screen monitors are only 72dpi, so anything higher than 72dpi is not recommended or necessary because it will make the file larger and take longer to load. If this image is for print use, you can choose whatever the highest DPI of your printer is (some are only 180) but most are normally 300 or 600. Higher end equipment may be 1200 or 2400 dpi. Remember, the higher the resolution, the larger the file size.
Choose or click PREVIEW icon or option. Always preview your image first so that you can be sure that it is not in the scanner crooked and/or that you are not cutting off any part of the image. Once you preview the image, you will see broken lines floating over the section or the image. This indicates the scanning area. If your image is not in this floating section, adjust the floating section so that your image is within it. Most of the time, the floating section will include the entire scanner flatbed area. Drag any corner of the rectangle or box to adjust the floating section so that the image is within the floating section. The reason for this is so that you do not scan a lot of the empty area around the image that you will have to crop out later. Additionally, it will take two or three times longer to scan if you select the whole flatbed section of the scanner, rather than just the single image. If you are having trouble manipulating the floating section, you can scan the whole area, it will just take longer.
Once the image is scanned close out the scanner software window (not the Photoshop or the program you are using to alter the image), you will be unable to alter the image until this window is closed out. You then have the image and you are ready to alter it.
Cropping
You can cut out parts of the photo you wish (to exclude empty space or parts of the photo or image that you do not need). Choose the cropping tool, the icon usually looks like scissors or "x" like icon. In Adobe Photoshop, it is the first icon on the tool bar, depress it, and you will see a menu of other tools pop up, select the one that looks like an X with crosshairs. Next you will click on one corner of the photo or image and while holding the left mouse button down, you will drag it to the other corner and let go of your mouse button. Again you will see a floating section of broken lines over the image. You can drag any corner or the little square boxes you see on the floating section. The area inside the floating area represents the area that will be kept after you hit the ENTER key, which will crop the image.
Adjusting Image Size
The image may still be too big to include where you want to on a website. If it is too big for your publication, it is fine to leave it the way it is, because you can always adjust that in the publishing program itself. But if it is for the web, you probably do not want to make the image any larger than 7" long or 5" high. That too is big, and will take awhile for it to load on your website. You do not want to keep your visitors waiting for a page and/or image to load when a small photo with a low file size will do the same job. Personally, I like my photos no more than 5" long and usually 2-3" high, but every designer has his or her own objective and use for the image. By clicking on the IMAGE menu, you will see a number of options pop down, choose IMAGE SIZE. A box of measurement options will pop up. You can adjust image by pixels, inches, centimeters or even resolution. You typically do not want to adjust the image size by its resolution unless it is to decrease the resolution. Some scanners and digital cameras import the image at a higher DPI (dots per inch) and since computer monitors are only 72dpi it does not make sense to save it at 90dpi or 120dpi or anything higher than 72dpi because it will make the file larger and take longer to load. You will also see a box checked that says CONSTRAIN PROPORTIONS. You will normally always want that box checked. What that means is that if you reduce the height of a photo, it will automatically adjust the width proportionately so the person or object in the photo does not look distorted or mis-proportioned. When you are through, click OK and you will close that window and see the changes made to your image.
Saving The Image
Click on FILE and SAVE or SAVE AS. Title the image and choose the file format you wish to save it in. You will see a number of options, but if this is for use on the web, you are only concerned with two: .gif or .jpg. If its a photo, I prefer the .jpg file format. It comes out clearer and loads all at once as opposed to a .gif with loads pixel by pixel until it comes into focus. Gifs are generally better for icons or other images, where as the .jpg format is better for photos. Gifs also have smaller file sizes than the .jpg format. If you save the image in anything other than the .gif or .jpg format, you will not be able to see it on the web. If the image is for print, you can choose .tif or .bmp or also the .gif and .jpg formats.
If you wish to save the image as a .gif, you may have to EXPORT the image to .gif format if that is the file type you choose to save it in. You can save it the same way by clicking on the FILE menu, going down to EXPORT and selecting the GIF98A an OPTIONS box will pop up and you can click OK and then name the file.
Brief Steps To Scan:
Select from the FILE menu IMPORT then select TWAIN 32
PREVIEW the image once the scanning software opens
When the image has been scanned, adjust the floating section around the image as best you can so you do not scan unnessary area around it.
Choose which RESOLUTION you wish to scan it at and select the SCAN option
Close the scanning window but not the photoshop program
Clicking on the IMAGE menu, you will see a number of options pop down, choose IMAGE SIZE and adjust the image to the size, height, or resolution you wish.
From the FILE menu choose the SAVE or SAVE AS option for your file.
Some Basic Tips
When it comes to quality, always start off with the image full size then reduce, making an image bigger will decrease the quality of your image greatly.
If you ever make a mistake on your last move, type CTRL + Z -- this will undo your last option.
Using the CTRL + - will make the reduce the full image size on the screen in increments of 33% so you can see the whole image or CTRL + + will increase the full size of the image to get a close up view. Remember, this does not change the size of the image, it is only for viewing purposes while working on it.

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