"How To" Guides > Scanning Images
Scanning Photos and Documents
Having Your Images Scanned Professionally
If you have decided to have your images scanned professionally, there are some basic things you should consider.
►
What Pixel Per Inch (PPI) Resolution is Appropriate
Several
new high speed scanners are now on the market,
and many local photo shops are acquiring these and offering special
prices on bulk scans. It takes longer for these scanners to scan
at higher resolutions, and the local photo shop employee performing the
scans may not be proficient on a new machine. See our recommendations on
the next page.
► What
File Format and Compression Level is Best
It is likely that image files will be provided to you on a CD or DVD in Jpeg format. To save space, the photo shop may compress the Jpeg files greatly, which does impact the quality of the scans and potentially future uses. The lowest compression settings result in the highest image quality.
Prices for scans vary, and you can expect to pay between 20 cents and $1.00 for a scan of a photo print of up to 8" x 10". Slides and negatives are often priced a bit higher.
Tip: Scan pricing is normally tied to volume. If you are having scanning done locally, the quality may vary from photo shop to photo shop. Therefore, it is often a good idea to ask that you get a few samples of scans or that you start by having some scans done at the smallest quantity package price. If you have a large volume scanned on the front end, and you are not happy with the results, you have not saved anything on the volume price. This way you can check the pixel count of the initial files to confirm the scan resolution, and make sure that the image files have not been overly compressed. Remember, these are your source files for future projects, and they need to be of decent resolution and quality to provide flexibility into the future.
If you are going to have your photos, slides, negatives, or even documents scanned elsewhere, you may want to consider using a company that specializes in scanning. There is always a little discomfort associated with having your images outside of your control, but the larger reputable scanning firms have developed shipping, tracking, and in-house monitoring systems that limit the risk of loss quite well.
For a sense of the services available, we suggest that you visit ScanDigital and ScanCafe, two of the largest scanning services in the business. A visit to their sites provides information on pricing, the breadth of their services, and some tips on self scanning should you go in that direction. Note that ScanCafe is less expensive because scanning is accomplished overseas. An interesting feature of ScanCafe is that, after previewing scans online, you are given the ability to decline up to 50% of the scans, and then you only pay for the scans you keep. This allows you to be a bit less organized in your preparation, as there is a reduced need to eliminate duplicates and similar images.
Costs of Scanning Your Own Photos
Beyond the cost of your time, scanning printed images
yourself is relatively inexpensive. All that is really needed is an up-to-date
computer, a flatbed scanner or an all-in-one printer, and some form of
image editing and management software. Both a decent flatbed scanner and software,
such as Adobe Photoshop Elements 7,
If you are seeking to scan slides or negatives, many scanners come with adapters, but it may be simpler and more efficient to have these scanned by someone else who has a specialized scanner. Scans of slides and negatives, which are smaller than a typical print, need to be at higher resolutions. Therefore, these scans take more time and better results are obtained with specialized scanners.
