Scanning

[honu]

I'd like to save my old slides & then manipulate them w/PE2. But, I'm not sure about scanning settings that will allow PE2 to do its thing, but at the same time not take up more space than is necessary. Anyone have experience with this? My scanner is an Epson 4180. I'd like to be able to print the slides at 8x10, so what rez is adequate? Any other hints along these lines are appreciated!

Thanks!

[Chuck S.]

Honu, a 35 mm slide is about 0.9 inches by 1.4 inches. To get a really good 8x10, you need something over 200 pixels per inch in the print. That would say you need about 1500-2000 pixels per inch in your scan - a bunch.

[Grant]

Honu

I am not sure what size slides you are talking about whether they are 35 mm or say 60 mm square. So I will offer a more generic approach to scanning.

You do know what size you wan to print to so that is a beginning. In fact for scanning that is always the beginning knowing what size you want to end up with. In printing a good rule of thumb is to print somewhere between 200 to 300 dpi. Move up or down from that starting point depending one how critical you are. In the case of say 200 dpi and wanting to end up with an 8"x10" print you will need to have 1600 X 2000 Pixels (dpi times inches).


It you are starting out with 35 mm image 1" X 1-5" and you scan at 1600 dpi (1600 pixels / 1") you will end up with 1600 x 2400 pixels. if you are using 60 mm square film then (2000 /(2 2/4)) = 889 dpi.

The trick is know what you want to end up with and know the size of imaging you are scanning. Once you get your head into the math it is not all that hard.

Grant

[Chuck S.]

Grant, I'm glad you elaborated; my answer was way too cryptic. Fortunately, my math was in the ballpark.... :)

[Grant]

Chuck

As an engineer you exude math.

Grant

[Chuck S.]

Oh, boy......maybe I oughta take a shower, huh?
:lol:

[Grant]

Yup ... Calculus still stinks ....

Grant

[Chuck S.]

Just think where we'd be if Newton and Leibniz had that attitude...!

:P

[honu]

Thanks for the help. Actually, these are 35mm slides -- sorry I forgot to mention the size. Saved as a 6 x 10, BMP, 300 dpi, the first file is 15.8 MB. Converted to a JPEG (just to Email, not to archive) it's down to 683K. I haven't printed either of these out (I don't have a printer), so I can't say about the quality. On screen, they look gorgeous, of course.

Thanks again for the help!