Community Newsletter: Q&A: What is the fastest and best method to scan photos into a computer?
- 9/29/08 10:23 AM
Ethics & Business
by Iggyo - 9/29/08 10:14 AM In reply to: Ethics & Business by paretmrkAND in a pleasant, understanding tone no less.
Photo scanning on the cheap
by mjd420nova - 9/19/08 5:37 PM In reply to: What is the fastest and best method to scan photos into a computer? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I use an HP Scanjet 3500. It cost only $50, and allows me to scan at up to 2400 DPI and four 3 X 5 photos at once. I don't recommend using that high a resolution as it takes a long time but the software allows you to use resolutions as low as 75 DPI, which is good enough for web publishing or e-mails. I also use PhotoShop to break out the individual photos from each scanned field. This makes it quick and allowed me to input large numbers of photos in a short period. I still use a real 35MM camera and for the important shots taken with it, I scan them at 1200 DPI and then can print them out at a kiosk or my own photo printer if additional prints are needed. Scanners are cheap and simple to use, look for what fits your budget and the photo software programs are very economical too, so pick what you like or go with a popular name if you like it. There are hundreds of manufacturers of the hardware and an equally large number of software titles so you should be able to find what fits your budget.
Canon DR-2580C
by Aaden4 - 9/19/08 5:41 PM In reply to: What is the fastest and best method to scan photos into a computer? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
About May, 2000, we got an HP flat-bed with sheet feed and did a number of photos laying them down by hand, which is only about 1 per minute, very slow. We did scan in several hundred pictures
About February 2006 we got a Canon DR-2580C. It scans almost 30 pages a minute into 100% (lossless) JPEGs at 300 DPI. It will do up to 600 DPI, but this slows it down quite a bit. (Single AMD at 2500 MHz with 2 GB RAM.) The Canon has a feed-through flat option for stiff stuff, but we haven't scanned many photos on it. Does *wonderful* on office documents!
Now, almost three years later, you should be able to do even better than the Canon! ;^)
Best way to get image(s) into computer
by txjlynn1 - 9/19/08 5:41 PM In reply to: What is the fastest and best method to scan photos into a computer? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I use a HP PhotoSmart Scanner /printer combo. I place my image to be converted on the scanner; Open HP PhotoSmart Essentials program (icon on my screen at all times). It has an option to obtain image; select scanner and the machine does it all. All scans go to a directory I created (or default of "recent scans"). Simple, easy to do. I then have a variety of image editors to use depending on how I want to use the images.
Some additional considerations about the question.
by sfanara - 9/19/08 6:14 PM In reply to: What is the fastest and best method to scan photos into a computer? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
This could be a good time to remind those who are asking for help to be as detailed (though concise) as possible when formulating a question.
The community gave several great alternatives all extremely valid and helpful, some even ingenious, but having more details would have allowed to pinpoint more accurately an ideal solution for the problem.
J.Lang points out that could go the extra mile and spend some money, but without breaking the bank, also it sounds like scanning the images through a document feeder was not a viable solution because of low quality results.
So it may help to know:
- How many images?
- Will it be a one-time deal?
- At what resolution will they need to be scanned?
- Will they be stored and in what format?
- Will they be used for printing?
- If printing is involved, what is the min/max media planned?
- What is realistically the budget allocated for this process?
- In what kind of business will the photos be involved?
- What are the timeframe in shich you want to accomplish the scan of all photos?
- What volume of scanning do you (if any) foresee in the future?
Since there are several possible solution from very inexpensive to more professional and costly ones, by answering the above questions you will help to narrow down the choices of hardware and methodology for accomplish what you need.
Best!
Using a 3-in-1 Epson printer
by tianhua1993 - 9/19/08 7:10 PM In reply to: What is the fastest and best method to scan photos into a computer? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I have a 3-in-1 Epson printer, with the model of EPSON Stylus CX3900 Series. When the program is run, it can scan up to 5 photos at one scan, taking that all your photos can fit into the scanner. It doesn't matter what the orientation is, it will automatically detect the photos, and save them at the click of a mouse. Hope that this had helped you!
What is the fastest and best method to scan photos to PC?
by Aoman - 9/19/08 7:29 PM In reply to: What is the fastest and best method to scan photos into a computer? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
First, you get a four drawer steel filing cabinet. Then, you get a few hundred manila folders, the kind with little tabs on them where you can write little indexing codes.
Then you put your photos inside the manila folders....
OK? I think you should have an idea of what alternatives are available by now.
If you do not want to stand over a flatbed scanner all day, then you will have to rry and find someone who does, and hire them.
Good luck!
Aiman
scanning
by desertsurfergirl - 9/26/08 8:29 PM In reply to: What is the fastest and best method to scan photos to PC? by AomanI came across this problem when I was scanning all the photos of my children as they were growing up. I wanted to scan the photos for each child and give them with a digital frame.
It's time consuming for sure. The first question is what size photos? If they are the standard 4x6 you can easily arrange groups together on a good flatbed(brand doesn't matter, it's either fast or it isn't) and scan the lot. Otherwise it's the scan one at a time labor intensive thing. There are many companies who offer to turn your photos into digital on a cd some are expensive some not so bad.
The next question is how many photos?
I found that group worked well and place the photos very close together, since I would need to do touch ups and other things I could separate them with my digital darkroom program.
While it took some time it wound up being only two days total. So initially it wasn't too bad. Your darkroom program(photoshop etc) can help you.
Hope this helps
Bulk Photo Scanning
by Zouch - 9/19/08 8:14 PM In reply to: What is the fastest and best method to scan photos into a computer? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Hi J.
interesting question. It's all a matter of scale really. If you literally have just a few hundred photos to scan, you won't want to invest a lot of cash in a high volume scanner but if you have, or are likely to have, an ongoing requirement, then the investment may be worth it. Is scanning the subject of the business start-up you mention? If so, then that puts you firmly in the investment category.
If it's just home scanning, once of, for a few hundred photos, the cost of a decent home flatbed photo scanner will probably be less than USD 200. But it will take you a long time, even if you can fit multiple pictures on the platten and chop them up later with your photo editing software. But if it is a one off requirement, that is probably the way to go. You could also consider using one of the many bureaux services available, to bulk scan your photos on to CDs or DVDs. How much is your time worth to you?
If you go down this route, I'd recommend Canon scanners, though to be honest I've not looked at them for a year or two - I have a Canon 8400F, now obsolete but a superb scanner, that does photographs specifically, in addition to the usual paper sources but also positive and negative film stock. I would definitely recommend you go for a dedicated scanner, not a multi-function machine (Scanner/printer/copier) it will take more desk space but the quality is way better.
If you've got repeated requirements or you want to do it semi-commercially, you need a commercial quality auto document feed (ADF) scanner. Leading players are Kodak, Canon, HP, Fujitsu. Believe me, the plethora of options is mind boggling. The very low end, you are probably looking at USD 1000 and USD 2000 - 3000 mid range. Here in the UK we have a number of ECM exhibitions covering automated document management, the best known probably being AIIM. The scanner people are always there in force with a cross section of their offerings on demonstration. If there is such an exhibition in your area, I'd strongly recommend you go along for a visit.
Finally, a word about resolution. The highest is always best, yes? Well, no, actually, it depends on the photographs you wish to scan. My 8400F has a maximum output resolution of 3200 x 6400 dpi but I have some old (as in 1940s) family photos, where the grain on the photo paper is larger than that. The scan quality is much better for those at 1200 x 1200!Modern film stock, or digital photo ink is much better than that but for most purposes 2400 dpi is adequate, though I do have some very high quality prints, where 4800 dpi would be useful.
Then, what are you going to do with the scans? If you are only going to display them on a PC screen, 75 dpi on a regular screen or 150 dpi on a high resolution screen is adequate for most purposes. If you want to reprint them, you'll need 600 dpi or better 1200 dpi for A4 to produce an original quality print.
There are probably more questions than answers here but hopefully, it will give you an idea of what to look for.
Answer re What is the best way to scan multiple photos
by Rick75230 - 9/19/08 11:17 PM In reply to: Bulk Photo Scanning by ZouchI'm gonna look at this from a different perspective. You say you want to start a business. That isn't the type of business you start "from scratch". Playboy claims they don't airbrush their photos. Years ago I had a co-worker who did similar calendars, etc., on the side. He said, "Of course they do!" I asked him how he knew. He said, "Anyone who is experienced in photography can easily tell, although the average person can't. Among other things, sometimes they reprint a negative but they accidentally reverse it and they don't airbrush the reversed image."
My point is that you might think you are doing or will do a great job, but a lot of your potential customers will expect much higher quality than you have the skills to produce. I have only done a few images and I can easily tell when an image is tilted *half a degree*. No one has mentioned things like Moire patterns, which can require deliberately blurring parts of the image.
If you already had the scanning and photography skills to produce a professional-quality product timely (in quantity), you would not be asking *here*. There are trade magazines for companies that do "document imaging", and you would go directly to them or to forums of either the trade journals or the imaging equipment or software vendors.
I'm not being nasty, just realistic. I have designed over 20 websites, and although I can critique a website with valid points, my own websites simply are not commercial quality because I lack the necessary graphic arts "vision". I occasionally get people telling me they like a particular website and I did a fantastic job, and they sometimes even ask me to do a website for them. I tell them straight out that although *they* may think my sites look nice, I *do* know enough to realize I *cannot* produce a professional quality product, which is why I don't do web development professionally.
The same applies in your situation. It sounds like you just don't have the necessary skills to routinely produce a professional quality product in a reasonable amount of time. Have you ever done photography professionally or worked for a professional photographer such as a portrait photographer or worked at a company that prints high-quality images (e.g., National Geographic)? You probably need to develop good photography and image-manipulation skills before considering going into business.
Related to that, some businesses are national, some are regional, and some are local. Your type would mainly be local. If you are in Chicago, for example, chances are most of your customers would be from the area, rather than Maine, Alabama, etc. The problem is that there is a relatively small "core" of companies that regularly use those types of services, e.g., advertising agencies and independent film-makers. If you screw up for one of them, word will get around pretty quickly, and no one else will send you work.
Quick scanning made easy
by elxelxelx - 9/19/08 9:50 PM In reply to: What is the fastest and best method to scan photos into a computer? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
In a production environment this may not be suitable, but for quickly "scanning" photos that do not need to be pro quality, consider using a (minimum) 8 megapixel digital camera. There are many that are quite suitable and some that really shine for this purpose. I have used a Casio Exilim 850 that comes pre-programmed do handle color correction and has manual features that permit a variety of exposure requirements as well as cropping. The camera has remarkable latitude and is small enough to use both on a smaller tripod as well as hand held when on-the-go. It is fast and accurate and I "scan" with it often. To transfer to PC, I just remove the SD card and move it to the computers card reader.
Of course there are many other cameras available with similar features that would also be quite suitable for this purpose. Shop around for best price,pixel,and feature set.
Good luck!
Patience is a virtue--especially for quality photo scans
by alswilling - 9/19/08 10:34 PM In reply to: What is the fastest and best method to scan photos into a computer? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
That is the truth of the matter.
Another truism is, "You get what you pay for."
That is especially true if you want quality photo scans for reproduction, retouching, and repair.
I have worked in a publishing house, where I did photo scanning for publications as well as for retouching, repair, and restoration. I learned from that experience and working in retail sales and as a machinery fabricator and installer that customers expect professional results from a business professing specialized work in a specific area.
The cardinal rule in any business is, "Exceed the customer's expectations."
A good policy to adopt is to do every job as though you were the paying customer, and give your customer the quality product that you would expect for your money.
In the type of business that I understand you want to set up. The scanner and other photo reproduction tools, photo editing software, computer, and printer will be the tools of your trade. High quality equipment should be your top priority, not an afterthought.
You might not be able to see the difference in quality by looking at it on the computer screen, because the computer screen is only between 90 and 120 ppi resolution, while a print quality image is a minimum of 300-325 ppi (pixels per inch). If the image is being enlarged a great deal, such as from a wallet size to an 11x14-inch portrait, the scanning resolution can be 1200 ppi or higher in order to keep the image from pixelating during the enlargement process. When the image is printed is when you will see the difference that resolution makes in the quality of the finished product.
To deliver professional results, you are going to have to resolve yourself to using a good quality flatbed scanner designed for high-resolution scanning of photos, negatives, and transparencies (slides, if you will).
The higher end, commercial machines are designed to scan photos at high-resolution much more quickly than lower end scanners made for home use. The size of the scanning area should also be a consideration. A scanner with a 12x17-inch bed (11x16-inch scannable area) will allow you to scan multiple images (4 borderless 4x6 and 5x7 prints) at once, whereas an 8.5x11-inch scanning area will allow you to only scan two 4x6 or 5x7 photos at once. It will also yield truer color rendition and clearer, higher resolution scans than lower priced home models. As familiarity with the software and the scanner becomes instinctive and automatic, you will be able to scan more images per hour and get excellent results every time.
In a professional environment, it is not unusual for the business to have one person dedicated to just scanning images. Someone who knows the scanner and who has a professional quality machine can scan a wallet size photo and turn it into a clean, clear, color balanced 11x14-inch portrait and visa versa. Someone who knows the scanner and its software can scan a lot of photos in an eight-hour work shift.
On several occasions, I have been in the position of spending two or three days just scanning, then turning around and spending at least as many hours cropping, resizing, and cleaning up (retouching) the same photos, depending on the condition of the original photo and what the customer wants done.
Expect to pay between $1,500 and $5,000 for a professional quality 12x17-inch flatbed scanner, and accept the fact that quality work does not happen instantly, and it doesn't happen at all if you try to rush through a job by cutting corners.
In this instant coffee and microwave oven era, where people want everything now and want something for nothing (high quality output with minimal or no input), there are still some things that just plain take time.
The long and short of it is that there is no compromising quality for quantity if you want repeat business and expect to attract new customers and grow as a business. A pleased customer will come back and bring new customers with him or her. A dissatisfied customer can ruin a business. There's an old saying, "Good news travels fast, but bad news flies." Believe it.
try this
by tnpapo - 9/19/08 10:34 PM In reply to: What is the fastest and best method to scan photos into a computer? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
use a digital camera with a tripod and place your photos on wall of something and take a picture and down load it on a sd card or to your computer, see how that works!
Scanmyphotos.com is very tough to beat
by Almadenmike - 9/19/08 11:19 PM In reply to: What is the fastest and best method to scan photos into a computer? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
It was unclear to me if the question concerned just personal photos or the possibility of opening a local photo-scanning business. In both cases, I agree with several others here that scanmyphotos.com is an excellent, efficient and inexpensive way to go. And David Pogue, the New York Times' high-tech reporter and gadget guru also agrees. check out his August 13 "State of the Art" column: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/14/technology/personaltech/14pogue.html
My experience with this company was totally positive.
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