Scanning doesn’t have to be this complicated.

You may be tempted to use the Simple Mode on your scanner software, yet setting up the preferences in the Advanced Mode can provide the best scan of your product on the first try. Scanning materials vary so there will be opportunities to edit the scanning options in different ways in order to get your best final file.

Not everything that can benefit your scanner is built into the software. Simple little actions and supplies can keep your scanning bed in tip-top shape that will allow the scanner to last a long life and be fruitful for you, even cutting down on production time.

	The Simple Mode may seem easier to use, but you won’t get the best scanned file possible.
	Using the Advanced Mode gives you more power over your scanner.

Scanning Survival Items

Office supply stores usually sell “Scanner Packs” to keep your station clean, but the majority of these items can be found (separately) at a dollar store for less cost (typically).

Keep a can of air nearby. Before scanning any document, blow off the scanner pane and your item to scan. This will get rid of any loose dirt or lint of any kind off both surfaces.

Pick up a lint-free cloth for dry wiping down the glass. You can quickly get rid of any little smudges or fingerprints that may have appeared on the scanning station. A must to have nearby is glass cleaner and a cloth for when you really need to clean the scanner surface.

This is when there are multiple fingerprints or that mysterious gook that came off of a product that was previously scanned. This works when the dry cloth will not do. Spray the cloth you are going to wipe down the scanner with instead of spraying the scanner directly. If the scanner is sprayed directly, fluid can leak into a little area that is hard for you to clean up or may even damage the equipment.

Close The Lid

Be sure you can close the scanner for the best scan possible. If not, I suggest putting a weight (like a book) on top of it to hold down the lid while scanning. I don’t suggest holding down the scanner lid by hand unless you can be sure that you will 1) maintain constant pressure throughout the entire scan; and 2) not move an inch.

Any shaking or shifting will show up on your scan. Gently place a large book (that dictionary you hardly use is perfect) on top of the closed scanning lid. Make sure the item is not too heavy, though; you want only enough weight to hold the lid as close to fully closed as possible while scanning.

Alignment

Align the item when placed inside the scanner bed. Make sure that the item you are scanning is aligned (whether using the top-left corner or sides). The piece should be as straight as possible for the scanner to correctly do its job. This is an easy and important tip that can save on production time.

Online Scanning Resolution

When scanning to use the image online, whether for email or on your website, scan the image to size at 72dpi. There’s no need to bog down any more computer memory or time for something that is going to be online. If you aren’t sure how large or small you will use the image (online), then scan it to the size of 300x300 pixels. Hardly ever is anything needed larger than this size online.

When scanning to actual size or the resolution you need, the scanner will move more efficiently than if scanning the material at a larger size and you further shrinking it down in another software program. When scanning to reproduce the image file onto a product (as in sublimation, for example), use a resolution of 300dpi and scan it at 100% (with sublimation, you have a little bit of wiggle room and can even usually go down to 250dpi when resizing).

If the file is needed larger than the original item, try scanning the file at 400dpi (and close to 100-120% of the actual size). Next open the file in your photo-editing program and resize it to your proper size, lowering the resolution, and increase the dimensions of the file.

Paper Trick

When scanning thin paper or anything that has printing on both sides of the sheet, you’ll notice that it scans terribly, showing items on both sides of the paper. Print out a large black box on a sheet of paper and print it out. Make the box cover as much of the white paper as possible with your printer. This paper should fit neatly into your scanner, allowing it to still close completely. No special paper is needed, just any printer paper you have loaded. You can also use a piece of black construction paper for this trick.

Place your sheet to be scanned on the scanner and then the black sheet on top. Close your scanner and now run a preview. The preview pane should now be showing only one side of the sheet. The black paper blocks the light of the scanner from penetrating the original sheet. This trick can be applied to magazines, programs (for a funeral, for example) or newspapers.

This is a scanned image of a pre-printed page. You can begin to see the dot pattern from scanning a previously printed item here.	An enlarged view presents a better view of the dot pattern.	Turning on the Descreen filter on your scanner when working from a non-original image file will give you much better results.

Moiré Patterns

If a previously printed image is scanned, a dot pattern will appear on the image. This is referred to as a Moiré pattern (pronounced More-ay and will remind you of the Eel). Use the Descreen filter when scanning. If this does not work satisfactorily, then scan the piece without the Descreen on and apply a slight Gaussian blur (Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur) to the image. A Descreen filter slightly blurs the edges, and it is not suggested to apply to text or when scanning an original image.

With a higher resolution, the filters are also more effective. If you need an image for web use but discover a Moiré pattern, you may need to scan your image at a higher resolution and then afterward in a photo program, changing the size and resolution of your file. You can be sure to be effective with this by opening your file in your photo program and viewing it at actual or 100% viewing size.

An important topic that is not covered is scanning Line Art and working with that file for the best possible output. This topic will be the primary focus of another upcoming article due to the amount of information involved. I hope you have found the information above to be helpful in your business of working with a scanner and scanning items.