Happy Chipper Publishing

 I've been given quite a few compliments on my scans and wanted to share some tips on how I am able get clear straight scans with clean white backgrounds.  Here are some steps that I use.

1) Open Photoshop Elements

Select the File menu Select the Import menu item

2) Do your scans with your scanner. But first…. some notes:

I use an Epson 4494 photo flat bed scanner, which has excellent color depth. Most all-in-one scanners do not have good color depth, which then results in poor quality reproductions of orange and pink colors. I have my scanner set the following way: Fixed size: 200 dpi, 100%, 322 x 322 (this just for the initial scan, it’ll be 316 x 316 for the final product in Elements). You can go a little bigger still if you like. Fixed crop size: Height: 41.0 mm, width: 41.0 mm (locked)- this is the crop box size. This allows us a little extra room for the chip to be within the box. Again, you can go a little bigger if you like, but this size works perfectly for almost all chips. Placement of the chip: I have made it easy on myself by putting a black sharpie marker dot on the scanner bed glass. I will always place the chip approx ½ inch to the right of this mark to make it a perfect placement in the crop box. Doing this eliminates the need for a preview followed by a zoom. Placing the chip by the dot, and having the crop box placed to the correct spot I can go directly to zoom. You only need to be adjusting the placement of the cropped box the first time you set the scanner up. Epson scanners come with “ICE” technology, and ICE scanning software. Depending on the scanner you have, your scanning software may or may not have the ability to make adjustments, and even then, sometimes the software is not the best for making quality adjustments. With Epson, I increase the levels on contrast, which also makes the image sharper and brighter. Since I want to keep the color and brightness true, I will have to back down the brightness to the realistic levels. Usually, it is about equal brightness decrease number to the contrast increase number, i.e. contrast +15, brightness –15. Do your Zoom, (not scan). If you scan, the image is sent to elements and you won’t have a chance to do adjustments with the crop box and contrast. Adjust your crop box, making sure the entire chip is inside of the lines. Adjust your contrast and brightness. If by any chance you need color adjustments, you can either do it here in your scanner software, or you can do it in Elements if your scanner software does not do an adequate job. You’re now ready to send the image to Elements for cropping, rotating and final saving → hit SCAN. As you run through the procedure for the first time just do one scan to start with. Once you are familiar with everything you’ll be doing numerous scans one after another before you go to Elements for final rotating and cropping. Close your scanning software.

3) Using Elements

Initial settings Select the “Full Edit” tab Click on an image at the bottom Select the Elliptical Marquee Tool (cropping tool) –fifth vertical icon running down left side. Select the circle shape Feather = 0 Fixed size Width: 1.55 in. height: 1.55 in. Note: These numbers will be adjusted for various chip sizes. Bigger chips, bigger numbers. Small Crown chips of 39 mm will be at 1.53 x 1.53. Once you have clicked on the Elliptical Tool, (cropping tool), click in the image window and a circle crop will appear. Increase the image size by using the center wheel of your mouse. This will make it easier to be more precise in your adjustments. Click inside the circle and drag the circle to exactly cover the chip. If there is still chip showing outside the circle, you’ll need to make the width and height numbers higher. If the circle is bigger then the chip, you need to lower the numbers.

4) Cut

Hold Control and X (windows cut function) this will cut the selected cropped circle and the chip within from the background.

5) New window

Hold Control and N (new window function) a window will appear for dimensions settings. You can make the image window as big as you like. I use width = 316 x height = 316, and resolution= 200. Don’t bother with the image name or other information…. it’s not needed. Click “ok”

6) Paste

Hold Control and V (windows paste function) to paste the chip you previously cut into the new window. You now have just the image of the chip…without all of the shadows and darker background of the previous original scan.

7) Rotate the chip

Select the rotate tool (looks like a plus sign made of 4 directions of arrows. This is the top icon of the vertical row running down the left. Increase the image size using the center wheel of your mouse. Again, this makes it easier to be more precise in your adjustments. A box will appear around the chip, as well as a little o under the chip window. To rotate the chip, click and drag that o to the left or right and the image will rotate. When you have the orientation aligned perfectly click the green check mark to apply your change. The image will then “snap” to the newly adjusted orientation.

8) Saving your image.

Select File menu Select Save for web (this will save at 96 dpi, but with all of the original scanning done at 200 dpi, the image will come out excellent, while maintaining a relatively low file size. You can of course save in various ways. A window will now come up showing you how your image will look and asking for final dimensions. Set as follows (settings will stay). Size to 316 x 316, and a check mark in box for contain proportions. Save Optimized Scan, name the scan and select .jpg. Pick your destination and hit “save”

Close the two working windows you were working on. Hit no when you are asked to save the changes. You don’t need to save those images since you already saved the final product.