Publication quality scans

Greetings

I am putting together a website that needs to include publicity photos
that can be downloaded and used for the creation of high quality
glossy 4-color advertising brochures.

I have attempted to create these scans using a relatively inexpensive
HP scanner, but even to my untrained eye, it is obvious that the scan
is not good enough to produce camera ready artwork for glossy 4-color
printing.

Some questions:


Is it better to scan from negatives, slides, or prints of the photos?

Is there a standard resolution for this type of printing?

What is the preferred file format for this type of photo?

Are there companies that can do the scans and provide them to me on
disk? Is this a service I could expect to find in a typical city?

Does somebody like Kinko's do this sort of this? Should I go to a
printer?


Thanks in advance for your help.

Tim






http://timberens.com
A Website for Guitarists
Learn something...Have some fun
timb at erinet dot com

Tim Berens wrote in message ...
Greetings

I am putting together a website that needs to include publicity photos
that can be downloaded and used for the creation of high quality
glossy 4-color advertising brochures.

I have attempted to create these scans using a relatively inexpensive
HP scanner, but even to my untrained eye, it is obvious that the scan
is not good enough to produce camera ready artwork for glossy 4-color
printing.

Some questions:


Is it better to scan from negatives, slides, or prints of the photos?

Is there a standard resolution for this type of printing?

What is the preferred file format for this type of photo?

Are there companies that can do the scans and provide them to me on
disk? Is this a service I could expect to find in a typical city?

Does somebody like Kinko's do this sort of this? Should I go to a
printer?


Thanks in advance for your help.

Tim

http://timberens.com
A Website for Guitarists
Learn something...Have some fun
timb at erinet dot com

There are Photo labs that can drum scan negatives and slides for 4 color
reproduction.

You need to give more details about the size of the 4 color final print.
Ask your printer what they require for the final image.

One answer I can give is, always use the original image for your scan.
The best scan from slides or negatives are with a Film Scanner of about 2700
to 4000 dpi resolution. You will not get production quality from a flatbed
scanner unless the original image is a 4" X 5" or 8" X 10" transparency or
Print.

Got to http://www.scantips.com and read Wayne Fulton's tips on how to get
the most from a scanner..

--
CSM1
http://www.carlmcmillan.com
--

""You will not get production quality from a flatbed scanner unless the
original image is a 4" X 5" or 8" X 10""
Ah, I really take exception to the above statement.
It usually is not recommended but does work with the following solution -
http://www.tom-elliott-photography.com/hp-scanner.html
and even I first suggested using this solution for fast and dirty comps, if
I paid attention to the reproduction resolution requirements IT DID WORK. I
now have a MICROTEK 5900 with a built in 4x5 transparency adaptor and have
had no quality issues. Even when showing to experienced 4 color
producers/printers/designers (I am primairily a photographer) they could
offer no suggestions as to improvements. When I then told them the tech side
of the brochure they were amazed. Regardless of method as long as the final
photo/illustration was sharp and the correct resolution/size the
reproduction was good.
However when given the time/budget (clients still paid for the above
solution) I have only had to go to the quality of a PRO PHOTO CD done with
the Kodak photo cd to get excellent results. Again, paying attention to the
size, 4x5, 5x7 etc, and resolution 300 dpi or better, the results were
professional.
Size/resolution of the final is the single most important thing to pay
attention to.
Other than that, have fun.
Yours,
Tom

"Tom Ellliott" wrote in message
.. .
""You will not get production quality from a flatbed scanner unless the
original image is a 4" X 5" or 8" X 10""
Ah, I really take exception to the above statement.
It usually is not recommended but does work with the following solution -
http://www.tom-elliott-photography.com/hp-scanner.html
and even I first suggested using this solution for fast and dirty comps,
if
I paid attention to the reproduction resolution requirements IT DID WORK.
I
now have a MICROTEK 5900 with a built in 4x5 transparency adaptor and have
had no quality issues. Even when showing to experienced 4 color
producers/printers/designers (I am primairily a photographer) they could
offer no suggestions as to improvements. When I then told them the tech
side
of the brochure they were amazed. Regardless of method as long as the
final
photo/illustration was sharp and the correct resolution/size the
reproduction was good.
However when given the time/budget (clients still paid for the above
solution) I have only had to go to the quality of a PRO PHOTO CD done with
the Kodak photo cd to get excellent results. Again, paying attention to
the
size, 4x5, 5x7 etc, and resolution 300 dpi or better, the results were
professional.
Size/resolution of the final is the single most important thing to pay
attention to.
Other than that, have fun.
Yours,
Tom


Hello Tom Ellliott:
I did say "You will not get production quality from a flatbed
scanner unless the original image is a 4" X 5" or 8" X 10" transparency or
Print."
Notice I said Transparency. Assumes that the flatbed has a transparency
adapter.

Which is what you are claiming. Flatbed scanners have plenty of resolution
for good quality scans of materials of that size.

A Photo CD is manufactured by a professional lab and is a high quality scan
of film. Production quality can most definitely be obtained with drum
scanning of 35 mm film.

You are not going to get production quality from a flatbed scanner with 35
mm film. (Even from a 2400 dpi or 4800 dpi one). To scan just 1" x 1.5" out
of a 8.5 inch sensor is using just about 17% of the sensor plus the focus is
not as sharp as it could be.

--
CSM1
http://www.carlmcmillan.com
--

Thanks for your help!

Tim




http://timberens.com
A Website for Guitarists
Learn something...Have some fun
timb at erinet dot com