Is it possible to scan a photo? How to scan photos from a scanner to your computer

All tips

By purchasing a scanner or multifunctional device, a person receives not only a working tool capable of performing certain functions, but also a set of software products. They are usually supplied on an optical disc or downloaded from the Internet when registering the equipment on the manufacturer’s website. A scanning program is included with each scanner. But its functions are sometimes not enough and then third-party solutions are sought.

Advantages of individual utilities

Standard software for devices capable of scanning a document or image has, in most cases, a modest set of actions that can be performed with the resulting file. Trimming, minor adjustment, rotation 90 degrees. In addition, a typical software package from the manufacturer includes a dozen functions that the person who bought the device will never use.

At the same time, third-party solutions can do much more, perform their tasks better and may not cost anything. Their main advantages:

Standard programs for scanning documents can be used only at first, until a more functional tool is found for working with already received images or creating new ones according to given parameters.

Popular scanning programs

Among the entire galaxy of utilities available for download and installation, you can easily get confused and have difficulty choosing. In order for the program to satisfy the user as much as possible and be suitable for the tasks that he needs to perform, you must first know the most popular representatives. They are:

A brief overview of some of them cannot satisfy all the questions that a potential user may have, and therefore it is necessary to talk about them in more detail.

ABBYY FineReader

It is very expensive - for the basic version on the official website they ask for 7 thousand rubles. If you buy a license for one year, you will have to pay 3200. A complete package, equipped with automation functions and comparison of scanned fragments from several sources, costs as much as 39 thousand and a little more than half as much if you take it for a year.

The main features of the basic version are:

There were some shortcomings. Even in the most recent version of the program, they still haven’t added a decent way to read formulas correctly. The problem with hieroglyphic languages has not been completely solved. It’s bad, but compared to previous versions it’s much better; tables are processed without dedicated cell border markings. Overall, this is a good program for quickly scanning documents, especially when creating e-books. But its high price and the problems mentioned above force users to look for simpler analogues online.

Free ScanLite

Communicates with the printer directly through the driver, bypassing its utility software and add-ons. It has a single-window interface that contains all the features. The scanning process is divided into several logical stages:

Select the name under which the document will be saved.
The path is indicated where it can be found after the process is completed.
The “Scan” button is pressed.

During the process, you can observe how the document is formed as it passes over the paper version of the reading head. After everything is completed, before saving it is possible to adjust the brightness and contrast, make the resulting drawing monochrome and set the quality in which it will be transferred to the file. There are only two saving options - PDF and JPG.

Domestic application ScanCorrector

A fairly simple program for scanning documents. Stores the history of processed files (up to the last ten), allows you to correct color and saturation in both manual and automatic modes. In the latter case, the choice is made from the built-in preset that suits best.

Currently not updated and therefore may have some problems. For example, compatibility with new operating systems. In addition, it is also impossible to download it from official servers, and therefore you will have to spend some time searching for the installer on torrents or specialized sites dedicated to software.

CuneiForm scanner

One of the freely distributed programs that can compete with the quality of tasks performed by expensive products. It has built-in text recognition mechanisms, including through online dictionaries. Offers a combination of two functions:

You can download the free scanning program on the official website of the developer - the OpenOCR company. It is completely undemanding in terms of hardware and works even on old computers at good speed.

Websites and mobile applications with OCR

In addition to various programs, in the age of development of high-speed Internet, services have appeared that allow you not to waste time purchasing, downloading and installing specialized programs. All the power of the desktop versions of some tools is now available simply in the browser.

A few popular sites:

There are several mobile applications for each OS. They differ both in the set of capabilities and in the way they export and save the finished result.

The unpopular Windows Mobile, which according to recent estimates is used by less than 1 percent of all mobile device users, has one of the most interesting virtual scanning programs - Office Lens. It allows you to automatically align a text document photographed with a smartphone camera, trim unnecessary fields and recognize text. There is the possibility of multi-page export to PDF and OneNote, where you can add handwritten notes or text comments.

The application is available on two other operating systems, like any other product from Microsoft. Unlike Google, this corporation follows a more open and honest policy towards competitors.

CamScanner is an Android application that can provide almost identical recognition quality compared to large PC products. It has the ability to set the shooting quality, automatically aligns and crops. Supports multi-language scanning.

On iOS there is a mobile version of FineReader - ABBYY FineScanner. However, you have to pay for the OCR function - a premium account costs one and a half thousand rubles. Recognition works via a web connection, as does the variation with the website. Supports 44 languages and many output file formats.

Another option, Evernote Scannable, is completely free, has integration with Apple's cloud storage, and has the ability to import contacts from photographed business cards. There is a native exchange with a note-taking application from the same company.

We digitize photographs, photographic plates, X-rays or paper documents up to A4 size using a professional EPSON Perfection V850 Pro flatbed scanner with high resolution and a dynamic range of 4.0 D. When it comes to digitizing a photographic image, it is not at all the same as home flatbed scanner, even with similar detail. A big difference in the number of shades is visible - the result looks deeper, richer and fuller.

Our price calculator is at your service. The base price includes: single-pass scanning to JPEG, TIFF or BMP with 24-bit color depth, cropping, hardware scratch and dust removal Digital ICE and auto color correction (at the client’s request). Completion time: from 2 days to a week or more depending on the number of photographs. If the pictures are pasted into an album and cannot be removed, we will add a 100% surcharge. Wholesale customers are given a volume discount. Ask the manager.

How to choose the right scanning resolution;
How to retouch, colorize or process a photo;
How to restore old faded photos;
Do you want to spice up your photo album? Order a slide show!

How much does it cost to digitize photos?

Digitizing photos with resolution	Price
300 dpi	20 rubles/frame
600 dpi	30 rub./frame
1200 dpi	60 rub./frame
2400 dpi	120 RUR/frame
4800 dpi	200 rub./frame

Digitizing photos for free?!

In addition to digitization, we are engaged in the restoration of various photographs - color and black and white, of any age and condition. If you order a restoration service from us, we will digitize the original photograph free of charge and in the required quality.

Name of auxiliary service	Price
Recording to external HDD or client flash drive	for free
Recording to our 16 Gb flash drive	1000 rub./pcs.
Recording to our 32 Gb flash drive	1700 rub./pcs.
CD/DVD recording, boxing, cover, painting	90 rub./pcs.
Burning to Blu-ray Disc	300 rub./pcs.
Cassette tape repair (audio/video)	300 rub./pcs.
Custom CD/DVD/Blu-ray cover design	900 rub./pcs.
Printing a custom CD/DVD/Blu-ray cover	200 rub./pcs.
Creating a DVD Menu	150 rub./pcs.

How to order photo digitization

You can come to our studio in person. This is the most reliable way. You will be able to see for yourself how everything happens and know for sure that valuable materials will not leave our premises. We work seven days a week.
You can call a courier to any district of Moscow.
You can use one of 2,000 collection points throughout Russia.

What else can you do with photos?

In addition to digitizing paper photographs, we can offer digital conversion of photographic film - negatives in lengths or rolls. After all, if there is a choice between a printed photo and its negative, you need to digitize the source, i.e. negative - the quality of the result will be higher. Film scanning prices.

If you want to not only save your photo archive on your computer, but also view it in mobile mode, then we offer slide shows as an additional service. At the same time, about 12 frames pass on a computer monitor in a minute, and about 120 frames in 10 minutes.

Another unusual service from our Video8 Studio that we plan to present to you is live photographs in exclusive photo frames. Remember the live portraits and moving photographs in the Harry Potter fantasy? Now fiction has become reality! Contact us and you can turn static footage into an enchanting spectacle that will delight you and your guests for many years!

Why digitize old photos?

The family is filmed against the backdrop of Pushkin.
How charming for those who understand
All our stupidities and petty crimes
Against the backdrop of Pushkin! And the bird flies away.

We will be happy - thanks to the photo!
Let the short life flash by and melt away.
For all eternity we are all now in an embrace
Against the backdrop of Pushkin! And the bird flies out...

This song by Bulat Okudzhava is the perfect answer to the question why people need photographs, and even near monuments, next to stars or famous ruins... Everyone has their own preferences. Some people love safari photography: in exotic countries, they capture outlandish plants, snow-white beaches, blue lagoons, the amazing underwater world, or funny scenes at the local market. In respectable Europe, it is important not to miss the full list of attractions: the Eiffel Tower, St. Mark's Square, the famous Sagrada Familia cathedral by the architect Gaudi or the Spanish bullfight. And on a trip along the Golden Ring of Russia you can see a lot of wonderful and curious things: from the golden domes of ancient temples to the workshops of all kinds of craftsmen who have preserved folk crafts in their original form. And everywhere you can find something that is not included in the usual tourist list and will only be revealed to your attentive gaze: perhaps it is a cozy little coffee shop, an unusual museum, or just a house of a fantastic design that fits perfectly into the landscape... I built such hill houses, transformable houses once the Austrian architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser. And the whole world still admires these and other masterpieces...

Today, traveling the world with a digital camera is easier than ever. Just have time to press the button, instantly deleting unsuccessful frames and changing flash cards. And you can immediately download everything to your computer and post it on Facebook or Vkontakte. But just recently, our parents and grandparents shot everything on film. There were times when developing negatives and printing photos was also done at home, under the weak light of a red lamp, dipping sheets of photographic paper in different reagents. There was something like a sacrament in this: the contours of faces, landscapes and houses emerging from the whiteness of the sheet - a bewitching sight! A romance that digital has, alas, already lost.

Every family has preserved memorable albums with thick cardboard pages and touching carved corners, more modern albums with plastic pockets, or simply thick piles of yellowed, frayed, sometimes torn, but so dear to the heart photographs. Of course, I want to extend their life as much as possible in order to pass them on to my children and grandchildren, stretching the thread of memory between generations. And that’s why it’s wonderful when there is digitization of photographs: the opportunity not only to transfer memorable frames into digital format, but also to refresh them, removing the most harmful traces of inexorable time.

Many of you, more often or less often, are faced with the need to transfer information (text, graphics, photographs) from paper to a computer. The main assistant in solving this issue is a scanner. This can be either a stand-alone device or an MFP with scanning capabilities.

Preparing to scan from your printer to your computer

In order to begin the scanning process itself, you must have a computer and a scanner (or an MFP with the latter function) at your disposal.

Turn on the computer and printer.
Connect the MFP (or scanner) to a power source and to your computer.
Place the document, book, photograph or other paper medium from which information should be read with its front side on the scanner glass.

This completes the preparatory stage.

How to scan an image from a printer to a computer

Paint program

The presence of this graphic editor will help you carry out the procedure for transferring data to your computer easily and quickly.

Launch the Paint program. To do this, click on its shortcut (icon) on the desktop or go to “Start” - “All Programs” - “Accessories” - “Paint”.
In the upper left corner of the program that opens, go to the “File” menu or click on the white rectangle with a drop-down list (in the same corner).
In the list provided, select “Get image” – “From a scanner or camera” (or “From a scanner or camera”). If this menu item is not active, it means the scanner is not ready for operation (check the connection of the device to the power source and the computer).
A window appears on the screen in which you select the required device - your printer, the type of image to be scanned (color or black and white).
Afterwards, press the “Scan” button.
Ready. Here is a scanned image that you can edit if desired.
To save the picture, go to the “File” menu and select “Save As,” indicating the path in the directory where the resulting file will be stored. The most common saving formats are .JPEG and .png.

Using a scanning app

Install the necessary drivers for your printer on your computer. To do this, you can use the disk that came with the device, or download them from the Internet.
Go to “Start” – “Devices and Printers” (or “Start” – “Control Panel” – “Devices and Printers”).
Right-click on your printer icon and select “Start Scan” from the drop-down list.
A window opens in which you set scanning parameters: the type of source document, color or black and white image will be received, the resolution of the finished image, in what format the file will be saved.
Click the “Scan” button.
As a result, a scanned image will appear on the screen, to which you assign a name and indicate the path to place it on your computer.

Image resolution when scanning from printer to computer

Resolution is one of the important parameters of the final image. It is he who determines the detail (clarity) of the picture. For text documents, you should not set excessively high values - this is not necessary, and more time will be spent on the scanning process. And remember that you can reduce the resolution of the resulting image (in a graphics editor), but you cannot increase it; you will need to rescan the document.

Proper scanning of a photo is the key to a good result.

Cleaning your photo and scanner. Gently clean the photo of dust and dirt with a soft, dry, lint-free cloth. Do not use too much effort to remove stubborn stains as this may damage the original. If dirt is difficult to clean off, scan the photo as is; in a graphic editor you can remove excess without damaging the original.

If the old photograph is printed on embossed paper or has surface damage in the form of cracks, creases and tears, then it is recommended.

The scanner glass must be clean and transparent. Remove stains with a dry, lint-free cloth or using a special cleaner. If there is damage to the scanner glass, move the photo at an angle a few centimeters and make another copy.

Scanner settings. It is better to scan all photographs, including black and white ones, in color, regardless of whether you want to end up with a color or black and white image. Scan old photographs with stains and yellowed from time only in color, then the result during restoration and restoration will be the best. When scanning color images, you should set the highest color depth supported by the scanner hardware, preferably 24-bit or higher.

It is recommended to scan the image with a resolution of at least 600 dpi. If the photo is small, for example 3 by 4 cm, you can set the resolution to 1200 dpi. Scan large photographs, 15 x 220 cm or larger, with a resolution of at least 300 dpi.

Do not adjust or enhance the image using a scanning program; leave this work to a special graphics program. It is not necessary to crop the image, but this will reduce scanner operating time and file size. It is better to leave a little empty area around the image than to remove part of it - alignment is included in the restoration.

Saving the file. The digital image should not have scanner streaks, lint marks or stains on the glass, and the image should be as clear as a paper original. Save the image in TIFF format, setting the quality to maximum if possible. If your scanner does not allow high-quality digitization of photos or you lack experience, it is better to contact a specialized center for this service. The resulting file can be saved electronically, sent by mail, or uploaded to a special server for . It would be a good idea to create several copies on different media.

How to improve a scanned photo? Any paper photographs fade over time, and even with the most careful storage, scuff marks appear. But any damage can be removed from a scanned photograph through processing and returned to its original appearance.

When scanning old photographs for restoration, it is better to set the resolution to high. The method of printing photographs until the mid-20th century provided good clarity. This means that when scanning with high resolution, small details appear in photographs that are not visible to the naked eye: elements of jewelry, awards, clothing. A photo with good resolution will show your facial features better. And although 300 dpi is enough to print photos without enlargement, it is better to scan old photos with a resolution of at least 600 dpi. Then, when you enlarge the image electronically, you will be able to better see the details, and you will be able to restore it much better.

A digital image consists of pixels - individual dots with different colors and brightness. A resolution of 300 dpi means that one inch (2.54 cm) consists of 300 dots, that is, a square inch of an image is 300 by 300 pixels. When enlarged, a digital image resembles a mosaic, and the pixels resemble its fragments. The more “pieces” of the mosaic, the more detail there is in the image.

A fragment of a scanned photograph with different resolutions.
From left to right: 1200 dpi, 600 dpi, 300 dpi.
Original scale on top, proportionally enlarged below.

Almost all old paper photographs have cracks, stains or wear. During restoration, pixels are copied from entire areas and pasted in place of damaged ones. When there are few pixels, this limits the possibilities of restoration. Firstly, damaged pixels merge with intact ones, which distorts facial features, and secondly, there may not be enough necessary information for proper restoration. A larger number of pixels allows you not only to accurately restore a photo, but also to enlarge it when printing.

scan with normal resolution 600 dpi, 100% scale

low resolution scan at 100% scale

low-resolution scan enlarged

The scanner user manual indicates the maximum optical resolution, above which scanning is useless. The scanner will add pixels that are not in the original image using the principle of interpolation. For a good restoration, the original pixels are enough; the rest, instead of useful information, will only increase the volume.

When saving photos for restoration, it is better to choose the TIFF format. The format can be set in advance in the scanner program before scanning or after, depending on the model. Saving must be without compression. A JPG file reduces file size by losing information in the image. When saving a file as a JPG, the algorithm breaks the photo into rectangular blocks: the more information lost during compression, the larger the blocks become visible. When this happens in an area with small details, the latter are lost and blurred, tonal and color transitions become invisible: this is called a JPG artifact. However, the default scanner settings often include JPG file compression, so they must be set manually. Settings with the phrases “File format” or “quality” should be set to maximum, compression or compression should be set to minimum. A sure-fire option for scanning old photos is the TIFF format, where files are saved without loss of quality.

Photo in JPG format
On the left is minimal compression and high volume, on the right is strong compression and less volume.
Original size on top, enlarged size on bottom.

On the Internet you can find recommendations for photos such as scanning them with a resolution of 300 dpi and saving them in JPG format. This saves memory and speeds up file transfer at the cost of losing detail in the image. Consider whether it's worth giving it up for the sake of a little savings. Modern technologies make it possible to store and transmit photographs in the best quality, so saving on file size is practically irrelevant today.

Above is a photo scanned at low resolution, below is a resolution of 1200 dpi

on the left is a photograph scanned in an album and blurred, on the right, straightened and pressed against the scanner glass, below after restoration

28.05.2018 28.05.2018

LOOK EVERYONE!

WHAT IS THE ARTICLE ABOUT?

Two methods:

Scanning

Seal

Shooting is too easy. But scanning and printing images can be difficult. If you want to scan and print photos, read this easy article.

Method 1: Scan

1. Connect the scanner to your computer

Although most modern scanners connect via USB cords, some older scanners connect to the serial and parallel ports on most computers. Plug the smaller end of the USB cable into the scanner slot and the other end into the computer.

2. Turn on the scanner

Plug the power cord into the scanner and the other end into an electrical outlet, and turn on the device. If you've already connected the scanner to your computer to grab the drivers to run the scanner on your computer, you can enable each item in the order you feel most comfortable with; however, if not, prepare to turn on the scanner after logging into your computer's user account.

3. Place everything you want to scan into the scanner

Make sure the image is facing down on the scanner glass. Almost all scanners will have tiny insignia where the corner of the image must be placed. Place it with music below this area.

If your scanner has what is called an automatic document feeder, do not use it. Using these functions, in addition to not being able to recapture the finished images, will also cause the images to get stuck in the machine and the image will also be blurred. Use only a flatbed scanner to take pictures.

4. Follow the instructions in the scanner manual

as well as third party scanner software to ensure you are pressing the right buttons. Sometimes the button will be called "Scan" and other times it might be called something else entirely.

Sometimes clicking the "Scan" button on the scanner will launch your scanning software, while other times you can open your software where you can import images through the scanner and scan using that.

Do not remove the image from the scanner. Most scanners will need to rescan the selected portion and save that area (as you'll see below).

5. Crop the image you're viewing

if the scanning software you are using prompts you to preview the scan before saving the image. Make sure that any white background that was used does not show up in your finished image and remember to rotate the image if possible.

6. Save the image

Most often this will require a secondary scan of the item to scan only those areas.

Method 2: Print

1. Launch the program you use to view your photos

Sometimes this can be based on your operating system, and sometimes it's third-party software (like Adobe Photoshop), or sometimes it's a different program entirely.

2. Open the image file you saved earlier in this program

Most often this will be done with the shortcut Ctrl+O, but you will need to consult the program's documentation menu to make sure this can be done in your program, as not all programs use the same methods for opening in the Open window "

3. Preview the image when you turn on the printer (if it is not turned on)

Make sure the image is the one you want to view. Make final adjustments to the image to make the image even better. If you're not a photography expert and can trust your program to make good decisions, use the Auto Adjust setting to fix your photos in Edit mode. If you can't, you can manually adjust them using the sliders and within the program's boundaries until they match exactly the style you'd like.

4. Save the file to ensure the most recent image is printed

if you have made any changes.

5. Use the key combination Ctrl + P or any key combination where you can find the print menu

6. Select the printer you want it to print to

and any other document style specifications that may need to be established. This may include the number of copies that need to be printed, as well as the type of paper that is installed in the printer. Some printers will require you to select other options, such as borderless printing, etc., but every printer is different, so follow the directions on your specific printer to see what the printer can print.

7. Print the photo

To print a photo, use the buttons on your computer.