Ramblings of a Grouch

There are hundreds of settings that can be tweaked to create a scan, but I like to keep it simple:

• Scan Area - Set the scanned area just beyond the borders of the photo. This allows uneven edges to be straightened and gives room for an even border to be applied later. Don't worry if the scan is not dead square as it can easily be straightened on screen.

• Resolution - Usually 600 dpi (dots per inch). The final restoration will be printed out at 300 dpi, but scanning at a higher resolution helps retain detail whilst working on the image. (Remember it's easier to remove information than to add it).

• Colour Mode - RGB Colour. Although I normally convert the scanned image to black & white before working on them, scanning in colour is far more versatile. For instance the original sepia tone is retained to provide a reference colour for the final image.

  Another important advantage is that a colour scan is actually made up of 3 separate scans - red, green and blue. Each of these colour channels shows the image detail in a slightly different way and so they can be adjusted to get the best starting point for the restoration. (More on this in the next article).

• Other adjustments - None. It's possible to adjust for brightness, contrast, tone, colour correction and a whole lot more when scanning. My advice is - don't. The image preview in the scanner control panel is a small and not particularly accurate representation of the final scan. Most adjustments can be better made in Photoshop (or other image editing software) where the image is larger and you have more control.

  The only exception I would make is to use the 'Descreen' mode if I am scanning a newspaper photograph - a little detail is lost but the ink dots which make up the image can be virtually eliminated, along with the 'wavy line' (or Moire fringe) interference patterns using this mode.

And finally the scan can be made. And immediately saved to provide a reference point. Or a new starting point should everything go horribly wrong.

I then keep the original photo in a cardboard folder on an adjacent desk well away from stray coffee mugs so I can refer to it (with a magnifying glass if need be) without touching it. Far easier than working with a cotton glove on!

Until next time ...

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