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Requirements & Tips for Scanning:
We have developed this tutorial in hopes that it will help you in scanning and sizing photos for use on the web. There is a huge difference between scanning for output to
print media (paper) and scanning for output to a computer
monitor for use on the WWW when viewed through a browser.
When you are scanning for the Web, it is very important
to keep the file size small (under 20k) so that they load
faster.
Scanning
Resolution
Always render for SCREEN RESOLUTION never for paper. So that means 72dpi is your final output NOT 300 dpi.
Dpi mean Dots Per Inch.
Color
Photos
When scanning color photos, scan them in 16 million colors (true colors). Color photos compress better and also render
better quality as JPEG images at 16 million colors rather
than GIF images at 256 colors.
Black
& White Images
When scanning outlines (floorplans, plats) or any other black and white images, scan them in grayscale (sometimes
called "sharp black and white photo" or "256 grays"), not
black and white (sometimes called "bitmap" or "line art"
or "drawing"). You'll get much cleaner lines with grays.
As with photos, the final file should be only 72 dpi in resolution, no matter what resolution you used to scan it.
Resizing
the Image
Once you have the scanned image open in your graphic program, resize the image. If you are using Paint Shop Pro, go to
the top menu and click on image resize. That will open up
a resize options box, click on custom size, and enter the
new size in the text boxes. Make sure the maintain aspect
ratio checkbox is checked. The recommended size for images
for our listing service is 350 pixels in width. Just type
in 350 on the width box and the height of the image will
automatically be scaled down. For vertical shots, change
the height of the image to 350 pixels. The resulting file
should be under 20k in size. No one appreciates using a
14.4 modem to load a huge image and not abiding by these
simple rules will keep people from returning to your site.
Saving
the Image
Save the image as a JPG with compression set to "good" or "medium" or "60ish" depending on the program you are using.
File size is crucial, since many of our viewers are using
modems from half the world away, and bandwidth is a luxury.
Smaller is better. Try for less than 20k when the file is
compressed. We will not accept a file larger than 20k. JPGs
give you larger images in smaller files.
Black and white or grayscale images must be in "gif" format. When doing a file save as, if you can't find "gif" in the
list of file types, thats probably because the image is
in 16 million colors. To save a file as a gif, you must
decrease the color depth to 256 colors first. To do this
in Paint Shop Pro, go to the menu and click on colors, decrease
color depth, and select 256 colors.
Please note there is no way we can possibly cover all photos, so you will need to use Other Image photo or one of the
other codes to get as close as possible to your photos.
Scanning Programs:
You will need a graphic program and a scanner connected to your computer to get started on scanning images. The
best inexpensive program (downloaded as shareware) is Paint
Shop Pro. You may also purchase this program at a local
computer store for about $50.00. Short learning curve required.
This program will accomplish most of what you need for basic
web graphic work. We use this program for almost all of
our scanning projects as it is fast and accurate in rendering.
For
a comprehensive description of using Paint Shop Pro to scan
and prepare your images for uploading, follow the steps
outlined in our online Paint
Shop Pro Scanning Tutorial (this link will open a new
window - simply close it to return to this site).
The best all round graphic program is Adobe
Photo Shop, which retails for about $600. It has a fairly
steep learning curve and is only necessary if you have artistic
ability and the need to develop high level graphics. Excellent
how to tutorials abound on the net for creating nifty things
with Photo Shop.
A more modest choice with all the same features is Corel
Photo Paint 5 Plus or 6. Retails for about $149 Also
a fairly steep learning curve is involved here but it does
almost everything Photo Shop does for a whole lot less money.
There is a great Corel Photo Paint forum on the net at www.corelnet.com.
NOTE: You may email your properly formatted and named photos directly to our webmaster OR upload them to the site using the Photo Upload Program available to you after you login to list or modify a property.
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