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Scanning for Family History by Ann Kerr

Types of digital images used in family history:

  • Photographs

    • People: past and present
    • Places: ancestral churches, log cabins, homes, graveyards, etc.
  • Objects
  • Slides (Must have source to reflect light.)
  • Negatives (Use invert on HP scanner.)
  • Typed stories or information (OCR Optical Character Recognition)

Scan using text under output type then copy and paste to PAF. Can use on histories that you copy at library, then scan at home.

  • Memorabilia
  • Oil paintings and charcoal drawings

  • Documentation Files

    • Family bibles
    • Diaries, letters, etc.
    • Public records
    • Church records
    • Gravestones

Ways to Scan

  1. Scan directly into acquisition software.
  2. Scan into image editing software. (There are many programs. One usually comes bundled with your scanner. At the center, we are using MGI Photo Suite III. Adobe PhotoDeluxe is on two computers.)

Either way, put item face down in scanner and choose preview from the file menu. Select area to be scanned. Make any adjustments you wish (refer to this handout.) Then choose save as if scanning directly from acquisition software. Choose Return to ______ if scanning from image editing software.

Things to consider before scanning:

Resolution

Suggested Resolutions:

75-100 Image to display on the Web, send e-mail or use in PAF and Legacy

150-200 To get a standard size photo

300-400 2X enlargement

600-800 4X enlargement

1200 8X enlargement

Note for OCR scanning: Don't scan at more than 300 or it will start reading dust motes.

Sharpening

Nearly all images are improved with sharpening. HP does it for us automatically. You can choose Sharpen Level from the Tools menu if you want to do more or less.

Size Settings

If you plan to enlarge the original or a portion of it, set the image size larger.

If the size of the file generated is an issue (you want a smaller file size) and archival quality is not needed, set the image size smaller.

The lightness or darkness of the original source and the size you are going to reproduce it at for display need to be considered.

Color Settings:

Black & white: Used for scanning text, some maps and line drawings or diagrams.

Grayscale: Used for scanning black and while photos to supply sufficient contrast and detail.

Color:

  • 256 colors creates the smallest image files for color photos.
  • 24-bit color: called true color because it produces more shades and colors than the human eye can distinguish
  • 36-bit color: 4 billion colors
  • 42-bit color produces billions of colors but also produces the biggest files

Exposure: Adjust for light and contrast. Not covered in this class.

Formats for Saving

GIF (Graphic Interchange format) Allows animation and fade-in, effects on the Web. Used frequently in the Internet because of its ability to make the background of an image transparent.

TIFF (Tag Image File Format) Does little compression and is a lossless file format. The format of choice for archiving. It creates huge files and is not acceptable for Internet use. (Considered your own storage limitations when using this format.)

JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group)

Does good compression on image file sizes for continuous tone images like color and grayscale photographs. Adequate quality for display purposes. Used extensively on the Web and for sending pictures via email.

Golden rule of Image Archiving:

Make more than one copy.

Save in more than one file format.

Store in more than one type of storage media.

Store in more than one location
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