 Nikki Schwerdfeger |
Best tools for copying old picture album What is the best set up for scanning, clean up and copying to CD's an old family albumn? Everyone wants the same pictures and it will take hours for the final copies. I have a PC, will be buying a new scanner (perhaps with negative adaptor) and maybe a new printer. We have been leaning toward the new Epsons. My son wants us to buy a MAC dedicated to photography like he is using at school. Is it worth the extra $$$ for a new Mac? We will have the scanner for a long time and will work it hard over the next two months.
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doug Nelson |
You may be surprised how little you need. UNLESS you have the negatives for these family snapshots, you wouldn't need an expensive scanner with a negative adapter. The 35-mm adapters don't give you quite enough resolution, anyway. A flatbed capable of 1200 ppi will do the very tiny pictures, but 600 ppi will be more than enough for most of your scanning. For sizing and cleanup, Photoshop LE will do fine, as would Paint Shop Pro. Hardcore graphics people seem to prefer MACs, but many photography pros use PC's. A MAC would not in any way make your family album project easier (or harder), just a little more expensive. Check out scantips.com for how to scan, size, touch up and print photos.
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Nikki Schwerdfeger |
Thanks Doug. I appreciate the response and the web site. I have been putting things off too long and my Mother, now 89, is starting to forget things. We also do lots of 4-H work and need 8 x 10's made of our print pictures. Do you think 1200 ppi will be enough for that? My son just got a Pentax ZX-7 and is not wanting to go digital, yet. He also does some shots for the school yearbook and is just learning the ends and out of developing. I'm sure we will be digital in the near future.
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doug Nelson |
A small print from the processor, let's say, a 4 x 6 that you want an 8 x 10 from: Scan it at 600 ppi. In your photo editing software, size it out to 8 x 10. (You'll have to chose the 8 OR the 10 dimension; 4x6 isn't proportional to 8x10). You'll see the resolution drop to about 300, which is perfect for true photo quality printing. Don't be mislead, as many people are, by the dpi figures the printer makers feed us. You always input LESS resolution into the printer than it gives you back. You won't need 1200 ppi to scan prints for reprint unless you occasionally get some of these old 3-inch family photos.
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