Scanning Public Domain Images Into Your Computer

I have really picked Julie’s brain on working with images.  She shared some very good tips for Scanning Public Domain Images Into Your Computer:

Before I started researching PD and I had NO IDEA then how many thousands of gorgeous images were available that I could have been using in my kits! Public Domain was mysterious and scary and that’s only because I didn’t have the knowledge I do now and didn’t know how “simple” the rules really are.

I would be happy to teach you to digitize images!

Do you have a scanner? A good one? If not, that’s the first thing you’re going to need. I have my scanner connected to PhotoShop so when I scan something, I select File/Import in PhotoShop and my scanner is right there. Hubby does that part of things so I have no idea how to teach you to do that. It’s ideal though and if you have a techie to do that for you, I would recommend doing so.

The first thing I would do if I were you is look through your manual and learn how to change the dpi for scans. Then scan an image.

Scan it at 72 dpi, at 300 dpi and at 600 dpi. Then zoom in to 100% on each one (in Photoshop). That’s just to show you the difference in quality – and it’s a huge difference. 72 is suitable for web viewing but not much else.

Anything that a customer may want to print should be 300 dpi minimum. And digital designers will check everything at 100%.

To zoom in to 100%, hold down your Ctrl key and while holding it down, press the + key until you see 100% at the top of your file. (I use keyboard shortcuts a lot so that’s the easiest way for me to tell you how to do most things…I would have to look up the manual way).

Download this page here to see the full image ==>> Santa Sam

Have fun!

Julie

http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheOldDesignShop

Thanks so much for all your help Julie…

Next up – I’ve got a new toy for working with Public Domain images and I’ll share the details.

UPDATE – 9/21/2011

I got a nice note from Linda about Scanning:

Debra, I read the tips on scanning public domain materials and have only one addition/amendment that could go there.

When scanning the old Children’s books, I’ve found that scanning at anything above 200dpi results in a mess of pixils that will ultimately have to be smoothed, so I use “Scan a Color Picture” in 200dpi, and they come out clear or as clear as they are going to come out until I work them up a bit. I don’t have PhotoShop and use a mid-range editing program by Adobe that came with my older All in One printer. It also has a scanner, and I recently bought a Canon Pixma MG5120 which does a much better job of scanning with less editing afterward.

This info is just another tip for those scanning very old pages/pictures into computer. The books I’m working on are anywhere from 1920 back to 1917 with the 1917 being the worst one to scan hands-down! The 200dpi Scanning of a color photo gives me pages that once edited a bit to get out the yellow or any markings, are ready to be either worked up further for making prints with or CD ready to go into shop to be sold.

Thanks for all your help and assistance as it is greatly appreciated!

I have 3 prints out in shop now that were scanned at 200dpi and then I fairly well repainted them to close pixels and give a new fresh look to the very faded, yellowed and generally smeared pictures. Will be adding more as I go. The ones there are from 1918 Raggedy Ann Stories by Johnny Gruelle. Link to shop is and shop section is “Special Items”:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/blackamethyst

Linda

Thanks so much Linda – we need all the help we can get!