Scanning

CS 102

Mar. 28, 2001

Scanning is the process of making an electronic copy of a print image such as a photograph. We have one PC set-up to scan using Paint Shop Pro and a scanner program named ScanWizard. You scan images, saving them on your network drive in JPEG format or GIF format. You can then edit your scanned images using PaintShop Pro on the main Lab PCs.

The first thing I suggest you do is create a Scanner folder on your G: drive or your folder on the S: drive. Save all your scanned images there and use Paint Shop Pro there. When you're ready to use an image in one of your Web pages, copy or drag the image from your Scanner folder to the folder containing the Web page. This organization will ensure that your Web folders don't become too cluttered.

Using the Scanner

The scanner is a delicate instrument. It's the only one we have. Please be gentle with it and don't put books or other heavy objects on it. The object glass needs to be kept very clean, so do your best not to touch it. The scanner PC should be used only for scanning. Use the main lab PCs for editing images and other work.

Scanner Instructions:

1. The scanner PC runs Windows 98, so logging on, etc. is a little different from Windows NT. Log onto the computer from the Enter Network Password dialog box. Type your name, password, and domain. In case you've forgotten, you domain is GCADMIN . If you're asked to enter a Windows password, use your network password again. If you are asked any questions about network drives, please click Yes or OK.

2. Turn on the scanner. The power switch is on the right rear of the scanner.

3. Carefully place your image on the scanner bed. ``Ground zero'' is the lower left-hand corner. The image should be placed face-down, as if you were using a copier. Orient your image so that its top is closest to you.

4. Open Paint Shop Pro 5 --- there is an icon on the desktop, otherwise, go through the Start menu.

5. From the File menu in Paint Shop Pro, choose Import, then Twain, and then Acquire. Wait a few seconds for ScanWizard to start and open its preview window.

   (If Paint Shop Pro can't seem to find the scanner, see the next section for instructions on restarting the computer.)

6. The Preview window should now be open. Open the View menu and choose Show Settings Window, if it is not also open.

7. In the Settings window press, the Reset button. A Reset window will open. Ensure that all the check boxes are checked and press the Reset button in the Reset window.

   (If the Reset button is not visible, click the small arrow in the lower right-hand corner of the Settings window.

   Ensure that Descreen is set to None and that Channel is set to Master.

8. Go back to the Preview window. Press the Preview button and the scanner will take a preview scan.

9. Press the Frame button (second button in). You should now drag a frame around that part of the image you wish to acquire. This allows you to crop your image.

10. Turn you attention back to the Settings window. Make sure that Type is set to Millions of Colors. You use the Resolution to adjust the final size of your image (when scanning images for the Web, a higher resolution does not give a sharper image). Make sure that the units are set to dpi (dots/pixels per inch). Also, make sure the units of the ``Output'' part of the window (below resolution) are set to Pixels.

    You have to think here in terms of pixels rather than inches. You will probably have to experiment at first until you get the hang of it. As a very rough example, using a 14 inch monitor at 640 by 480 resolution, an image that is 200 pixels wide will appear about 3.5 inches wide.

    If your image frame is 3 inches wide (there are horizontal and vertical rules in the Preview window) and you scan at 100 dpi, then your final image will be 300 pixels wide. (It's just the product of width in inches and resolution in dpi.) The resolution can be set as high as 300 dpi. (300 dpi is usually overkill --- a 2 inch wide image scanned at 300 dpi won't fit onto most monitors!) I generally capture images using resolutions between 30 and 90 dpi. Sometimes I use 120 dpi and once in a great while I use 150 dpi. I only go higher if I want to chew up a lot of bandwidth!

11. Let's finish up in the Settings window. Ensure that the check boxes for Auto Contrast and Color Correction are checked.

12. Close the Settings window. In the Preview window press the Scan button. The framed part of the image will be acquired and transferred to Paint Shop Pro. After the image is acquired, ScanWizard automatically closes.

13. Back in Paint Shop Pro, save your image. Make sure you save your image into your Scanner folder and not the local hard drive!!! You should save the image as type JPG --- the JPEG format or GIF --- the Compuserve GIF format.

14. If you have another image to scan, return to step 3, skipping step 4.

15. When you're finished scanning images, close Paint Shop Pro.

16. Logout: press the Start button and choose Shutdown. From the Shutdown dialog box, choose Close all programs and... . Press Yes.

17. Turn off the scanner.

18. Make sure you take all your images with you!!!

Restarting the Computer

Occasionally, the computer won't seem to find the scanner. Restarting the computer usually corrects this problem. To restart:

1. Make sure the scanner is on.

2. Close all open programs such as Paint Shop Pro.

3. Press the Start button and choose Shutdown.

4. In the Shutdown dialog box choose Restart the Computer and press Yes.