Help Desk and
Academic Computing

Scanning

Below are basic and advanced scanning instructions.  Basic scans can be done in the Library Lab; for advanced scanning, go to the Heimbold Digital Media Lab.

Basic scanning instructions for Library Lab Macs:

1. Double-click on the Macintosh HD icon on the desktop.
2. Click the Applications folder, then click the Photoshop CS folder.
3. Double-click on the Photoshop CS icon to open Photoshop.
4. On the Menu bar, click File, then go to Import.
5. Click the scanner name to open the Scanner Import window.
6. Click Preview. Here you can select an area to scan, change the brightness and contrast, and depending on the scanner, apply filters and effects as well.
7. To adjust resolution, color, film type, and other settings, click on Options in the Scanner Import window.
8. Click Scan.

Basic scanning instructions for Library Lab PCs:

1. Click on the Start button.
2. Go to the Programs folder, then to the Adobe Photoshop CS folder.
3. Click on the Adobe Photoshop CS icon to launch Photoshop.
4. On the Menu bar, click File, then go to Import.
5. Click the scanner name to open the Scanner Import window.
6. Click Preview. Here you can select an area to scan, change the brightness and contrast, and depending on the scanner, apply filters and effects as well.
7. To adjust resolution, color, film type, and other settings, click on Options in the Scanner Import window.
8. Click Scan.

Advanced Scanning instructions for the Digital Media Lab:

We have facilities for high-quality digitization of small, 2-dimensional images. If you need a digital image of something large or 3D, use a digital camera.  We have two slide scanners with trays to fit various slide formats up to 4″ x 5″. We also have four flatbed scanners, which can accommodate larger slides as well as paper, etc.

1. Launch PhotoShop (Dock->My Applications->Adobe Photoshop). Bring up the Scanner Import window (File->Import->scanner name).
2. Click Preview. You can select an area to scan, change the contrast and brightness, and on some scanners, apply scratch-removal filters and other neat tricks.
3. In the options of the Scanner Import window are the following settings which are of interest:

• Resolution/DPI – High quality art will need 1200dpi or greater. Lower resolution is usually fine, but remember that you cannot add data later.  Color – 24-bit color is fine for most purposes.

• Positive/Negative and Film Type – The scanners can compensate for whatever color scheme your film uses, as long as you enter the correct type.

• Note that using higher resolution or more color information will mean that your scan will take longer. If you need low-quality images soon, reduce these settings.

4. Click Scan.

Tags: digital media lab, faculty, heimbold, labs, learn, staff, student