Scan picture quality as JPG

  • Thread starter Thread starter Edward A Thompson
  • Start date Start date
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Edward A Thompson

I have an Epson cx5200 scanner, scanned a comics book cover, looks
great.

Now when I scan additional covers, the 'preview' looks exactly like
what I want, but when I save the REAL scan, the quality is not great!

I have the latest drivers. Not sure what I have done.
I use full size scanning at 300 DPI, increasing DPI is not the issue
(old one was 300).

Any suggestions? The only thing I changed was a got a new video card
(Radeon 9600xt). Would that effect the scanner? I have reloaded the
TWAIN driver since.

Help!
 
Edward A Thompson said:
I have an Epson cx5200 scanner, scanned a comics book cover, looks
great.
Now when I scan additional covers, the 'preview' looks exactly like
what I want, but when I save the REAL scan, the quality is not great!

I have the latest drivers. Not sure what I have done.
I use full size scanning at 300 DPI, increasing DPI is not the issue
(old one was 300).
Click to expand...

(300 dpi should be fine.)

What is the quality problem -- fuzziness? colors? weird artifacts?
Have you scanned anything else in the interim, and how is the quality on
that?
Probably some of the numerous settings that Epson TWAIN hides from you got
changed. Try different "image type"s -- at the top of the TWAIN panel,
there's a wide button labelled Image Type, and to its right a drop down menu
with options like "color photo" and "color document" and "illustration".
These are predefined types, and the button lets you fine tune them (or see
in more detail what each 'type' does). Try different pre-defined types as
a start. Color document might be good, since that has 'de-screening', and
you're likely to want that (it helps prevent problems from the regular dot
pattern of printed illustrations).

Also, your subject line indicates you think saving as jpg file might be the
problem. Until you've got it debugged, then, save as a noncompressed file.
Once you're satisfied with the basic result, then experiment to see what jpg
'quality' number gives the results you want.

One general hint -- slip a piece of black paper behind the cover.
Otherwise, you might get some bleedthrough from the backside.
Any suggestions? The only thing I changed was a got a new video card
(Radeon 9600xt). Would that effect the scanner?
Click to expand...

Is the 'old' scan, the one that looked great, still available? If it still
looks good with the new video card, I can't see how that would be the
problem.
 
What is the quality problem -- fuzziness? colors? weird artifacts?
Have you scanned anything else in the interim, and how is the quality on
that?
Click to expand...

Fuzziness. Here are the examples:

The good one:
http://ed4becky.dnsalias.org/images/UncannyXmen406.jpg
Sharp. Slick like a magazine cover

Current scans look more like this:
http://ed4becky.dnsalias.org/images/XmenUnlimited3.jpg
Grainy, some coming out looking lake pictues made with x's

Trie dthem all. Not sure what I have done, but yout theory is a good one..
Also, your subject line indicates you think saving as jpg file might be the
problem. Until you've got it debugged, then, save as a noncompressed file.
Once you're satisfied with the basic result, then experiment to see what jpg
'quality' number gives the results you want.
Click to expand...


I am using BMP for now.

The REALLY frustrating part is that the pre-scan looks like EXACTLY what I want!
Not grainy, very sharp.
 
Are you using the fully automated mode or the manual mode?
In manual mode you should be able to select the type of media you are
scanning. If so then select something like color new print or
Brochure. Play with these. Also take a look at
http://www.scantips.com .
 
Manual.

Scantips helped - I am fighting the traditional moire pattern problem.
I have descreening on already, which is supposed to be the solution.


I just wish I could save the prescan which doesn't seem to have the problem.
 
OK, for some reason I do not uderstand, lowering the dpi to 96, or even
150 REALLY cleaned up the image!
 
You were scanning at such a high DPI that the individual dots of the
printing press were showing.

The max resolution you should scan a magazine or comic book is 300 DPI or
less.
 
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