Bit Depth 12, 24, 36, 48 Specifies the bit depth you would like to
use during the scan. Twenty-four-bit
depth is the default, and is what
Photoshop expects. The higher the bit
depth, the more tonal values that will
be available in the image. You will not
be able to take advantage of all the
editing functions in Photoshop at any-
thing higher than 24-bit depth. Most
image editors can import high bit
depth scans, but usually require the
image to be downsampled to 24-bit
after minor corrections.
Color Settings Levels, Curves, Settings to automatically color-correct
Color Balance or adjust the color in an image. These
features do not affect resolution, but do
affect the color values in the image.
Print Size 4 ×6, 5×7, 8×10, 11x17, Preset sizes for scanning. This is a
13 ×19, 640×480, convenience feature mainly used by
1024 ×768, 1280×1024, Web developers who need to scan
and Letter items at an exact resolution for the
Web. Photographers do not use this
feature much because these dimensions
can be adjusted in Photoshop.- After you set the options covered in Table 12.2, scan the image, which will
appear in your image editor. Close the scanner software to return to your
image-editor software. - Save this scan with a new name as a TIFF file. You can save it as a JPEG
image, but you should avoid a lossy compression like JPEG in case you need
to edit it later. - Check the resolution by choosing Image, Image Size (in Photoshop and
Photoshop Elements). Notice that it is the same resolution you set in the scan-
ning software (see Figure 12.3). - Change the resolution to match your output. If you plan to print, the resolu-
tion should be 150–400 ppi. If you plan to email or place the image on a
Web site, the resolution should be 72–150 ppi. You might have to resample
the image (explained in the section “Digital Methods for Increasing
Resolution”).
182 ABSOLUTE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TODIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY
Table 12.2 Continued
Scanner Software
Option Common Settings Purpose