Ramblings of a Grouch

Now we have scanned our original in to the computer and saved the file, there is one more stage before we can get to the interesting bits. This is how I proceed at DigitalMemoriesonline

Unless you are extremely lucky, the image you scanned in will not be perfectly straight. However, most photo editing software has the facility to draw a 'guideline' on the screen - a horizontal or vertical line which, though not a part of the actual image, helps to rotate the image to a true vertical or horizontal orientation. Photographs of people are easiest to straighten - a line through the centre of the forehead ~ nose ~ chin should be kept vertical. Similarly, a line through the centre of the eyes should be horizontal, provided the photograph was shot 'straight on' at the face.

A cautious approach should be taken with buildings and scenery. A roofline ought to be horizontal, a window frame vertical. But look out for signs that the photo was not taken square to the building (one end may recede into the distance), or that the scene is on a hill. Lining up 'verticals' in such cases will result in a seriously skewed photo. In cases like these it is best to judge the image by eye alone, or else use the borders of the original as guides.

Photoshop has a very handy tool for straightening an image, conveniently(?) hidden beneath the Eyedropper tool, called simply 'Ruler'. Select this tool and use it to draw a line on the image to indicate the horizontal (or vertical) you need for the finished image. Then go to the Image menu, Rotate Image, Arbitrary. Click OK and your image will be rotated exactly the right amount. This is a very quick method and virtually foolproof, especially if the line is drawn along a horizon or down the centre of a face. The line disappears after the image is rotated.

If your software doesn't support guidelines then it is possible to use the window in which the image is displayed to good effect. Hover your mouse over the side or bottom of the window until it becomes a double-headed arrow, then drag the edge of the window in. It is then possible to use the edge as a guide whilst rotating the image. Click the 'Maximise' button at the top right of the window when done to show the image full screen.

And finally crop the image. After scanning there will probably be areas beyond the photograph showing. After rotating the image you will certainly find the corners need 'trimming'. These parts need to be croppped out - they serve no purpose and they take up memory which will be needed when we get to restoring the image.

I Usually crop a short distance away from the main image to allow room for a border. If I decide a border is not necessary when the restoration is complete then I simply crop the excess out. If the original has a border then leave it in - it can be a useful guide to see where crease marks start, how stains have affected the main image and even how the whites and blacks in the image have discoloured.

Once you have straightened and cropped, save the file with a new name. I tend to name the scan something like 123456_Scan.jpg and the cropped version 123456_Scan_01.tiff. It is important to note the file type when you save - a jpeg file is in compressed format, and re-saving as a jpeg will degrade the quality. Saving in the tiff format results in a large filesize but retains the quality.

Next, we will get on with the fun part!

Until next time ...

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