THL Toolbox > Scanning & OCR > Scanning Images Guidelines

Scanning Images Guidelines

The general guidelines for digitizing images by scanning in color negatives, slides, or prints is as follows:

• Resolution: 3000 pixels on the long side. The software may then ask you to specify resolution in addition, but in fact specifying the long side is what determines the actual resolution. This subsequent question just determines what goes into the image header metadata and does not actually influence the image’s resolution.
• Bit depth: 24 bit (full color), which can also be understood as 8 bits per channel. Your scanning software may offer other choices such as 12 or 16 bits per channel, but it is important that you scan the images at 8 per channel.
• Editing: Uncorrected; may do gamma adjustment before scanning, not after.
• Color space: If you are given a choice, select Adobe RGB 98.
• File format: TIFF
• Compression: LZW is okay.
• File size: The images will probably wind up around 20 Mb per scan.
• Cropping: Please crop the scan to the size of the picture. It is a waste of space and resources to scan an area larger than the desired object.

General guidelines for digitizing grayscale images (line art) are as follows:

• Resolution: 1200 DPI is sufficient for all print and online reproduction of grayscale images
• Size: the size for the scan should match the media size within the limits of the scanner (ex. for a drawing/illustration on A4 paper, select A4 (8.5" x 11.69") for the scan and output size)
• Bit depth: 8 bit (grayscale), which can also be understood as 8 bits per channel. Your scanning software may offer other choices such as 12 or 16 bits per channel, but it is important that you scan the images at 8 per channel.
• Editing: Uncorrected; may do gamma adjustment before scanning, not after.
• Color space: If you are given a choice, select Adobe RGB 98.
• File format: TIFF
• Compression: LZW is okay.
• File size: The images will probably wind up between 100-200 Mb per scan.
• Cropping: Please crop the scan to the size of the picture. It is a waste of space and resources to scan an area larger than the desired object.

When using the Epson Perfection V500 Photo scanner in the Scholar's Lab at UVa, use these settings with the built-in Scanner software:

• Document Type: Reflective
• Document Source: Document Table
• Auto Exposure Type: Photo
• Image Type: 8-bit Grayscale
• Resolution: 1200 DPI
• Document Size: 8.5 x 11.70
• Target Size: Original
• Adjustments: None

Save as TIFF

Save the images to the desktop, then copy to an external drive and backup

Save them in sequence: Scanned_Document_001.TIFF

Provided for unrestricted use by the Tibetan and Himalayan Library