Need help scanning old photos

[laurenm]

I have an HP4180. I scan a lot of old photos for my family but also as part of

my day job, I do A LOT of scanning of really old and some not so old photos,

clippings, etc.... I have had this scanner a few years and had thought it did

pretty well but now I wonder if I could be doing a much better quality job.

 

Just this week, I have been scanning some magazine photos (long story, but no

copyright infringing here) - if I just copy the photo it comes out ok. If I scan

it, the scanner picks up all the fine patterns in the magazine paper and

enhances them. How can I get the scan to come out more like the copy? Or should

I invest in a better quality scanner anyway? I am concerned about the quality of

the scans of family photos that I think I am archiving and preserving.

[laurenm]

The HP chat technician (whom I swear is not a person at all but a computer) has suggested a new usb cable. does that sound like it could be the problem?

[patricklavoie]

The problem is not really a problem, if you scan form magazine what youre scan is seing's call moiré screen (not sure is the rigth term in english) is the dot from the way magazine are print.

 

To minimize that you can use multiple tool, the 3 easiest one will be those one;

 

1_put the magazine page to scan at a perfect angle of 45 degree using a (dont know the englisg word) little half moon plastic tool that have degree on it. Then is Photoshop turn the document back straitgh. Tat should get ride of or at least reduce effectively the scan pattern.

 

2_use the included tool in most modern scanner normally call (???) that have setting for newsprint, magazine, art book..its a tool that again will reduce the pattern, but it will also add some blurriness to the file.

 

3_or if you already scan a lot of them, you can use a MEDIAN or DESPECKLED under NOISE in Photoshop.

 

A new USB cable? did HP sold cable LOL its seem like a strange suggestion?!

[patricklavoie]

also removing / turning OFF any artificial sharpeness at scan time could help.

[custom film holders for fl]

Do some searching on techniques for descreening and moir頰attern. Your scanner is plenty good enough for that type of scanning.

[custom film holders for fl]

The computer doesn't like my extra symbols, so try moire pattern.

[laurenm]

Thanks all. Why does it look ok when I just make a copy but the scan makes these patterns? It did look better when I turned off sharpness but then the image was not very sharp of course. The scanned version is also not printing the colors as brightly and saturated. - i know for that i can just saturate the image more.

 

I have noiseware and I guess could play with that some also but figure it will reduce the sharpness of the image.

 

Patrick, do you mean to turn the image on the scanner but not actually have it lifted off the scanner? I'm kind of confused

 

Doug, I'm glad to know my scanner is good enough for this type of scanning. I'm sure by 'good enough" you mean it is "good"? as in, I want to have pretty good quality scans

[patricklavoie]

a big part of the scanning process is the knowledge of the oprerator indeed..that whe cant judge without seing anything and knowing more.

 

I have seen bad scan form a drum scan and amazing scan from a home scan..its all depend.

 

Im not sure i get your question..when i say putting your image at a 45degree angle i meant just that. instead of placing the image perfectly corner to corner to the glass of your scanner you give it a turn at a 45 degree angle, so your image is flat on the glass but crooked..at a 45 degree angle..get me?

[laurenm]

Hi Patrick, yes, I get it now. I found this site

 

http://www.scantips.com/basics6c.html

 

which may help me. In skimming it sounds like there are many techniques to try -some at time of scanning and some after? so if I have already done all of my scanning, I may still be able to fix them without having to re-scan them all?

I still don't understand why the pattern doesn't show when I make a color photo copy? I guess it doesn't matter if I understand it though.

 

I appreciate your responses - if I don't get back to you right away its because I have to leave for work - but will check back in tonight and try out some of these techniques

[geoff_foale]

I think the cunning little device that Patrick mentioned is a Protractor. Haven't heard the 45 degree method before but will give it a try. The only problem would be having space to turn a large image.

 

The poor copy problems with some original images is due to the fact that newspaper/magazine photos are produced from a series of very small dots. Look at the image under magnification. Some types of paper and printing methods allow very small dots (screen) while others like newsprint only work with larger dots. A bit simplified but that's basicly how printing works.

 

That is why you need to apply different settings of Screen to suit the original printing method in order to remove the dot problem when scanning. You may well be able to save your scanned images using the previous advice.

[patricklavoie]

Thanks Geoff, yes it is.

[mendel_leisk]

Vuescan has some print descreening options. It likely supports your scanner but do check. You can see how it does with the demo before buying. If you do buy it I would suggest get the Pro version.