A digital file can be created by scanning a print, a negative or a slide. Once a digital file has been created it can be worked on in a program such as Adobe Photoshop or any other photo editing program. The following steps are designed to help you get started in the photo editing process with the best quality scan.

     The most important first step is to make sure the scanner is clean. Avoid having to do extra work later by starting with a clean scan surface. Most scanners can be cleaned with Windex. Make sure the glass surface is free of dust and finger prints.

     When preparing to make a scan ask yourself what the scan will be used for. Scanners have a lot of different settings depending on your needs.  In this case we want to make a high resolution scan that can be used for retouching and ultimately create a quality print. 

     Take a look at what will be scanned, is it a print, a negative, or a slide. Set the scanner accordingly. A special scanner will be needed to scan negatives or slides.

      Set the scanner to create the scan as either a JPEG or a TIFF file. A TIFF file is an uncompressed file which gives the clearest pixels to work with. If the scanner doesn't designate the type of file that it will create then wait until the scan is sent to the photo editing program and save it as a TIFF file.  

     The following settings are guidelines for scanning. We recommend that you play around with your scanner to find the optimal settings for your needs.

35mm negative

35mm slide

2 1/4 negative

4x5 or smaller print

      The file should have a large pixel count. When we talk about pixels we generally refer to the number of pixels in width and length. The most important number is the longest length, which will be the largest number. That number should to be between 3000 pixels and 6000 pixels. No larger then 7000 pixels because it's not necessary and becomes too hard to work with. Think of pixels in relation to grain, the more pixels the finer the grain.

     The smaller the item that is being scanned, the higher the resolution you want. This is so that the file being created has a large pixel count. The larger the item that is being scanned the resolution size can be decreased and you still have a high pixel count.

     Remember that pixel count is what's important not file size or image dimensions.

    Save digital files in either Grayscale or RGB mode. We recommend saving in Grayscale mode when working with black and white images. RGB stands for Red - Green - Blue and is a file mode designed for color images. An RGB file will actually have 4 layers one for each color and one for grayscale.  A black and white image doesn't use the red - green - blue layers so by saving the image in Grayscale it cuts the file size by about 2/3 that of a RGB file without changing the pixel count or the quality of the file. 

     Now that you have a high resolution scan you can begin retouching in Adobe Photoshop or any other photo editing program.