Slide Scanning Tips
Slide Scanning Tips
Have you been stumped by the blurred images when you scan your slides or negatives of some of your best shot pictures? It could be because your scanner’s default JPEG settings are not set correctly, which can reduce the pixel quality of your scans. Thus the next time when you need to scan any images, spare a thought at the JPEG "compression" level, which has a great bearing on the quality of the scanned snap shots.
To get started, you have to know two important factors on the image files in JPEG format. Once you get the hang of this step, fine tuning the quality of the image would be as easy as 1-2-3!
1. Compression of JPEG Files
Typically graphic designers and professional photographers use TIFF image files, which are relatively big. These files could run up to 500 MB file size or more, which makes a humongous lot of data in digital format. Most photographers prefer big data images as these are easier to edit and enhance using special effects.
However, for ordinary users, TIFF files would mean slower transmission and greater data storage needs; moreover, the redundant digital data would do nothing to increase the general quality of the picture as well. So, to clean up the useless data and to enhance the picture quality, compression methods are used where the TIFF files are cut down to as small as 5 MB from their original size of 500 MB that too without compromising on the picture quality. Thus, compression would help you to come up with short and sharp digital images that are easier to upload and transmit. The best part is that these images won’t choke your computer storage.
2. Compress the JPEG as Per Your Needs
While scanning your slides or photos in JPEG format, the scanner will give you a choice to adjust the compression levels of the digital images. However, in some cases the default settings of the scanner will be set at a higher level and an overly compressed JPEG image will lack clarity and details. Even if you had scanned the images at 4000 DPI, you could lose out on clarity if the slide is scanned in a high compression mode.
3. Changing the JPEG Compression Level While Scanning
To find out the settings to change the compression levels of the scanner, just browse through the user’s manual of your scanner as the setting change methods differs from scanner to scanner. In some scanners, the option to change the compression levels of the JPEG settings are given along the save scan option. Just click the “JPEG Option" box to fine tune the compression level and it is done.
For instance if the default compression level is 6 out of a level of 10, it will give you a compact file size but not high quality pixels. In case you are concerned about the richness of the images, you will have to change the compression to 1 out of 10. Now that you know the simple compression tips of scanned images, you would indeed be astonished at the quality change in the richness of the scanned image.