Scanning Old Photographs

If you ve read Chapter 14, Image Capture and Digital Photography, you are aware of the many types of input devices available to scan images. Before scanning an old photograph, you ll want to examine the image closely. Observe the darkest and lightest areas of the image and see whether there is detail within these areas that needs to be preserved. If so, you might want to adjust the contrast by using the scanner software s brightness and contrast features. Don t expect to correct the entire image. Adjust the image just enough to capture the details. You can later make more refined adjustments in Photoshop. Observe the digital image carefully . If you haven t captured the detail you want, rescan it at different settings. You can also make multiple scans of the same photo at different settings and composite the best parts of each image into a master image. This technique, though labor- intensive , will enable you to combine the enhanced detail of the highlight, midtone, and shadow areas into one optimal image.

Scanning at higher resolutions helps preserve detail. Scan the image at 300 pixels per inch or higher on a flatbed scanner. If the image is especially small, increase the scale and the resolution. Avoid exceeding the scanner s optical resolution if possible. For example, if the scanner s optical resolution is 600 dpi, you can scan it at 300 dpi and 200% size .

There is no advantage to scanning a black-and-white photograph in RGB mode; that will only produce an image with a larger file size. In most cases it will require desaturation to eliminate discoloration. If there are stains on the image, scanning it in RGB will exaggerate them. For best results, scan the photo as a 16-bit grayscale to maximize the tonal range. After repairing it, convert it to an 8-bit grayscale before printing. If you later decide to add color or a sepia tint to the image, you can convert it to RGB mode (Image ’ Mode ’ RGB Color), and adjust it by using the Image ’ Adjustments ’ Hue/Saturation command. (See Chapter 17, Modifying and Mapping Color, and Hands On 7, Restoring a Color Photograph, which follows this chapter.)