Scanning allows you to do so much–create digital files, make new prints of old photos or negatives, e-mail snapshots to friends, and more. If you're new to
photo scanning or just want a better understanding of photo formats and resolution, use these tips to help you scan your photos for a variety of uses.
Before you scan: stop and plan
Save time by considering how you'll use your scanned photos.
To get a top-quality photo scan, you must first determine what you eventually want to do with your scanned photo.
You'll need to decide whether the scanned image will be e-mailed, printed, resized, enlarged, or archived in order to choose the right resolution and file format.
Scanner resolution is measured in dots per inch (dpi)–the more dots, the sharper the image.
File format refers to the way that scans are saved to the computer. Examples include JPEGs and TIFFs. You can identify a file's format by the extension after the
dot at the end of the filename (such as .jpg, .jpeg, .gif or .tif).
TIFFs are ideal for archiving photos. Unlike JPEGs, TIFFs can be edited and resaved without compression loss, which means the image quality stays high.
Quick tips:
Want to preserve a bunch of old photos? Many scanners, like the HP Photosmart G4010 Photo Scanner,
let you scan up to four 4" x 6" photographs at a time.
That will make quick work of those boxes of photos in the back of your closet.
To add a professional-looking finishing touch, use the HP Photosmart C8180 All–in-One to scan and archive photos directly to CDs and DVDs–no PC needed! You can then
add a personalized, silkscreen-quality photo label with built-in Lightscribe technology.
A 300 dpi setting and JPEG file format is the winning combination for a quality 4" x 6" print from your scanned photo.
Follow these tips to ensure your scanned photo turns out to be a stunning print.
Resolution:
You'll want a higher dpi when scanning an image that you want to print.
If you want to scan an image and reprint it at the same size, 300 dpi works best.
File format:
TIFFs are ideal for printing enlargements, but a JPEG will suffice if you are printing a 4" x 6" photo.
Quick tip:
If you are printing a 4" x 6" image as a JPEG, but think that you may someday want to make a bigger print, archive a larger TIFF file of your photo. Unlike JPEGs, TIFFs can be edited and resaved without compromising the image quality.
Scanning makes it easy to print enlargements of your photos. Just remember:
Resolution:
To produce a crisp 4" x 6" print from a 4" x 6" scan, set your dpi to 300.
If you're considering enlarging your scanned image from its original size, then a general rule of thumb is to double the dpi with every doubling in size.
(For example, to produce an 8.5" x 11" print from a 4" x 6" scan, set your dpi to 2 x 300 dpi, or 600 dpi.)
File format:
To print enlargements of the photos you scan, you'll appreciate the level of detail TIFFs provide.
Quick tip:
Scanning photos for enlargement can help improve the quality of low-resolution photos that have been e-mailed to you.
You can't turn a small, low-quality JPEG into a large-scale art print, but you can improve the quality enough to give yourself a better quality 4" x 6" print.
Remember to use the best HP photo paper you can in order to optimize the quality of your prints.
To take your prints to the next level, explore the HP Photosmart B8550 Photo Printer, capable of producing stunning, gallery-quality prints up to 13" x 19"!
Scan old family photos to e-mail and share them online.
The HP Scanjet G4050 Photo Scanner allows you to scan your photo straight to an e-mail with just the touch of a button.
These days, many people enjoy scanning high school yearbook pictures or old family photos to share online. There are a few things to keep in mind when scanning photos to post on the Web or to share via e-mail:
Resolution:
A standard computer monitor is only 72 to 96 dpi, so for quality photos online, it's best to select a scanning resolution of 75 or 100 dpi.
Lower resolution means a smaller file size, and your friends will thank you when they don't have to wait 30 minutes to download your e-mail.
File format:
Smaller JPEGs (and therefore smaller file sizes) are optimal for posting and transferring photos online.
Quick tip:
Make sure the scanned image is no larger than 5" wide, or the viewer will have to scroll from side to side on the computer screen to see the entire photo.
Some HP scanners, like the HP Scanjet G4050 Photo Scanner, feature HP Photosmart Share. Just pressing a button scans your photo and attaches it to an e-mail–all in one quick step.
When e-mailing photos for someone else to print, save the photo as a JPEG–indicated by "jpg" following the file name.
When e-mailing a photo for others to print, keep in mind the quality of the photo once it's printed, not just how it appears on a computer screen.
Resolution:
Even though the image may take a while to download, your best bet is to scan the photo at 150-300 dpi so the recipient can produce a high-quality print.
File format:
TIFF files are much larger than JPEG files. Stick with JPEG files for e-mailing, especially since you've already set the resolution fairly high.
Quick tip:
Save the resized images with a different name in a separate e-mail folder. This way you don't change the original image file, and you can safely delete the resized images without accidentally erasing the originals.
Printable version
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