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Digitization: Scanning

Flow chart outlining the workflow for scanning using the EPSON scanner.

Archival Quality Scans

When scanning for patron requests or digital collections, create archival quality scans whenever possible. These preservation (original) copies will be saved as TIFFs in their corresponding collection folder in ArchPhoto. Please use the following standards when choosing resolution for your scans.

Source Resolution
Photographs 600 dpi
Documents 600 dpi
Mounted slides and 2x2 transparencies 4800 dpi
Negatives 2400 dpi (minimum)

Scanning with the Epson 12000XL

  1. Log in to your profile on the iMac.
  2. Create a folder for your project on the desktop.
  3. Turn on the scanner. Wait for the green light to stop blinking.
  4. Open Epson Scan 2.
  5. Adjust main settings:
  • Mode: Document Mode or Photo Mode

Document Mode settings menu    Photo Mode settings menu

  • Document Source: Scanner Glass     

Document source settings dropdown menu to select scanner glass or transparency unit.

  • Document Type: Reflective
  • Image Type: 24-bit color for color scans; 8-bit grayscale for black and white photographs; Black and White for documents with text or line art

Dropdown menu for selecting the image type. Choices include 24-bit color, 48-bit color, 8-bit grayscale, and 16-bit grayscale.

  • Resolution: 600 dpi
  • Scanning Quality: High
  • Scan Settings: Do not select
  1. Adjust Advanced Settings if needed. The only advanced setting regularly used in Special Collections is Descreening for scans of print materials, including yearbooks, magazines, newspapers, and postcards. This should only be used for copies of scans not meant for preservation purposes.*

Advanced settings with descreening set to high

  1.  A few final settings:

Final settings before scanning, including image format, file name, and folder selection. Also shows the "preview" and "scan" buttons.

Dialogue box for setting a file name.

  • Folder: The desktop folder you created
  1. Place your document or print face down on the scanner glass and align it in the upper left corner with the triangle. The top edge of the document or print should be against the left edge of the scanner glass.
  2. Click "Preview." A temporary scan of your document or photograph will appear to the right of the settings dialogue.

Epson Scan 2 full user interface with an example of a preview scan to the right.

  1. Click and drag to select the area of your preview you would like to scan. Select the entire document or photograph, and leave a border if possible.

NOTE: For yearbooks, newspapers, and other materials from which patrons may request a single image or article, scan the entire page. You may crop the patron copy. For more information on editing patron scans, see the "Photoshop Tips" box below.

  1. Click "Scan."
  2. If you are scanning multiple items, repeat from step 8, adjusting settings as necessary. Close the Epson Scan 2 software and turn off the scanner when you are finished.

*A note on descreening: The descreening setting built into the Epson Scan software essentially blurs images to reduce moiré patterns that result from the halftone printing process. This setting reduces image quality and may blur text on newspaper, yearbook, and magazine pages. University Archives sometimes descreens images produced for patrons and for display purposes. Descreening should not be used for preservation copies of scans.  This effect can also be applied selectively to images printed in halftone using Gaussian Blur in Photoshop. See the section on Photoshop below for more information.

  1. Log in to your profile on the iMac.
  2. Create a folder for your project on the desktop.
  3. Turn on the scanner. Wait for the green light to stop blinking.
  4. Open Epson Scan 2.
  5. Adjust main settings:
  • Mode: Photo mode

Epson Scan 2 main settings.

  • Document Source: Transparency Unit

Epson Scan 2 main settings with document source dropdown menu for scanner glass or transparency unit.

  • Document Type: Color positive film, color negative film, or black and white negative film

Epson Scan 2 main settings with dropdown menu for document type (color positive film, color negative film, or black and white negative film).

  • Image Type: 24-bit color for color scans; 8-bit grayscale for black and white photographs

Epson Scan 2 main settings with dropdown menu for image type.

  • Resolution: 2400 dpi minimum for negatives; 4000 dpi for mounted slides and 2x2 transparencies
  • Scanning Quality: High
  1. A few final settings:

Epson Scan 2 final settings, including image format, file name, and folder selection. Also shows "preview" and "scan" buttons.

Dialogue box for setting a file name.

  • Folder: The desktop folder you created
  1. Remove the top screen from the scanner.
  2. Insert your slide or negative into the appropriate attachment mount.
  3. Place the attachment mount on the scanner glass with the emulsion (matte) side of the film facing UP. The top edge of the material should be facing the left edge of the scanner glass and the right edge of the attachment mount should be flush with the top edge of the scanner glass.
  4. Click "Preview." A temporary scan of your negative or slide will appear to the right of the settings dialogue.
  5. Click and drag to select the area of your preview you would like to scan. Try to leave a border around the image if possible.
  6. Click "Scan."

If you are scanning multiple items, repeat from step 8, adjusting settings as necessary. Close the Epson Scan 2 software, replace the top screen and attachment mounts to their appropriate spots, and turn off the scanner when you are finished.

Scanning with Epson Perfection V550 Photo

For smaller scanning projects, you may use the Epson scanner connected to the Digital Processing Station in the Archives workroom.

  1. Log in to the computer with your UBIT username and password.
  2. Turn on the scanner by pushing the button on the right side of the scanner.
  3. Open the Epson Scan software.
  4. Make sure the software is set to Professional Mode.

EPSON Scan Professional Mode options menu.

  1. Adjust Original settings:
  • Document Type: Reflective
  • Document Source: Document Table
  • Auto Exposure Type: Photo or Document
  1. Adjust Destination settings:
  • Image Type: 24-bit Color for full color scans, 8-bit Grayscale for black-and-white
  • Resolution: 600 dpi
  1. Adjustments (optional):

Adjustments menu in Professional Mode in Epson Scan. Includes Unsharp Mask, Descreening, Color Restoration, Backlight Correction, and Dust Removal settings.

  1. Place your photograph or document face down on the scanner glass and align with the arrow in the top right corner.
  2. Click "Preview." A temporary scan of your document or photograph will appear to the right of the settings dialogue.

  1. Click and drag to select the area of your preview you would like to scan. Select the entire document or photograph, and leave a border if possible.
  2. Click "Scan." A dialogue with a few additional settings will appear.

File Save Settings dialogue for Epson Scan.

  • Location: Select "Other" and click "Browse." Navigate to your working folder.
  • File Name: Name file according to file naming standards, leaving the number off the end. Set Start Number to the number of the item in the folder, if applicable.
    • NOTE: If you do not want a number at the end of your file name, you must rename your file once your scan is complete.
  • Image Format: TIFF
  1. Click "OK."
  2. If you are scanning multiple items, repeat from step 8, adjusting settings as necessary.
  3. Close the Epson Scan software and turn off the scanner when you are finished.

Scanning with SilverFast

  1. Log into your iMac profile.

  2. Turn on the scanner.

  3. Place the film in the appropriate holder with the emulsion (matte) side facing DOWN.

  4. Insert the film holder into the scanner through the dust cover.

  5. Press the IntelliScan button to launch the SilverFast software.

  6. In the Controls Dock, select the following:

    1. The material to scan (positive, Kodachrome, negative)

    2. The output color and bit depth: 24-bit color or 8-bit grayscale

  7. Under Scan Dimensions

    1. File name: Enter the file name according to the file naming standards

    2. Path Location: Browse to the desktop folder you created.

    3. File Format: TIFF

    4. Format: "Custom"

    5. Preset: 2400 dpi minimum

  8. Click "Scan."

If you are scanning multiple items, repeat from step 4. Close the software and shut down the scanner when you are done.

Scanning with Bookeye

  1. Log into your profile on Poetry's computer.

  2. Turn on the Bookeye scanner.

  3. Click on “Scan To Net” icon on desktop.

  4. Go to Send tab and select File Format, and change it to TIFF.

  5. Go to Quality tab and select 24 bit color for any color scans. Also under Quality, select DPI and change to 400 or the highest possible resolution. Again, under Quality, go to Scan Mode and select High Quality.

  6. Go to Size tab and select the mode: Flat, Glass Plate, Folder, Book, or V-Mode. If you are scanning a book and will be using the cradle, select V-Mode.

  7. Also under Size, you can select Finger Removal Mode, which will crop out your finger if you have to hold the pages of the book down.

  8. Go to Orientation tab, and if you only need to scan one page of a book at a time, you can select Split Image Left or Split Image Right.

  9. Place item on scanner.

  10. Click “Scan Now”.

  11.  If the image is acceptable, click Save button. Another box will open at the bottom.

  12.  This file will now show up in the Downloads folder of the computer.

  13.  Create a folder on the Y Drive > SpecCollReadingRm (the only folder both Poetry and Archives have access to) and move all of the scans from the Downloads folder to the new folder you have created. When you are done scanning you can move those images over to the. correct Archives folder and delete the scans from SpecCollReadingRm.

  14.  If the image is to be saved as a PDF, right click on the scan. A box will open with the option to “Convert to Adobe PDF.” Select this option.

  15.  If there are numerous images and you wish to combine them, click “Combine Supported files” and drag images into the box.

  16. When you are finished, turn off the scanner by going to the System menu and selecting "System Shutdown." Close the application and log out of the computer.