old pictures

Joined: 23 Sep 2006 Posts: 6

I am working with old black and white pictures of my parents and family from the 50's. I just have the basics of personal computer, printer and photo shop elements 4.

I have scanned the photos at my local Kodak picture maker and really wonder if I should scan the pictures the same size as the original or larger and then reduce when I print at home. Which way gives me the best quality?? large size scan then reduce or same as original?? would be reprinting at the 4 x 6 size and some smaller.

Also what paper do you recommend for home use to get best black and white look of the old photos?? My printer is HP lazer jet and find that the brigher higher quality paper doesnt give me the same look as original.

thanks.

Joined: 15 Sep 2005 Posts: 109 Location: Womelsdorf, Pa

When you scan the pictures you want to do so at the highest resolution you can, this way you have the option of printing any size you desire in the future. From here any reduction in size will simple lead to a sharp image.

I'm sure that with elements you can do most of the work needed to retouch the images and "bring them back to life" as I assume your trying to do.

To get nice black and white prints from any home lazer jet is pretty difficult. I would recommend going to an online retailer and getting the prints done there. Mpix, adorama, ect all have options for black and white prints that I have been very happy with.

On another note, if you are looking for help retouching the photos don't hesitate to look for that help here in the forums, there are many very good photoshoppers here.

Good luck!

Joined: 09 Sep 2006 Posts: 114 Location: Boston, MA

here is the formula we use for scanning.

first decide where this is going..print, web, presentation.
file for the web need to be 72ppi, print res is 300ppi

Decide how big you want the final product to be.
Ill use 5x7 for examnple

the equation is this AxB / c = scanner resolution

so to get " A " you take the long side of what your final image size will be ......in this case 7" and multiply it by" B" the output res...Im choosing to make a print so im going to use 300pp...so You do
7x300= 2100

Now I divide that ( 2100) by the long side of what you are scanning "C"

lets say your scanning a 5x7 print... so 7" is the long side.. so now we do

2100/7 and we get 300ppi as our input res... the res you will be scanning with.

So to recap

AxB/C= scanner resolution

I scan 120 negs mostly so here is what I do

I want to make a 10x10 print @ 300 ppi

I take 10" x 300ppi = 3000

I now divide that by the long edge of my film which is 2.25"

so 3000/2.25=1333.3R which is what I might use as my scanner res... I know now that at 1333 i can get a full res 10x10 print.... Most likely Id use 2400ppi since I may want to print bigger or have a little more room to edit, but you get the idea.,...

Hope this want confusing, its very easy[/b]

Joined: 23 Sep 2006 Posts: 6

Most of your reply was a bit too technical for me. I'm just using the Kodak scanner that is available just about anywhere--walmart etc. So I don't know anything about the specs of a Kodak scanner.

Thanks anyway.

Joined: 23 Sep 2006 Posts: 6

I'm thinking you guys are way out of my league and what I'm trying to accomplish with the old photos. I do appreciate the reply anyway.

Is there some other sites that are more along the line of a do it myself...by that I mean I'm not attempting to get professional results with what I have to work with in terms of computer and printer etc.

See ya.

Joined: 09 Sep 2006 Posts: 114 Location: Boston, MA

that formula is so that you can tell the kodak scanner how big you want the final print to be....for a 5x7 print try to have a scan that is @2400ppi or at least 20-30 megs large in TIFF file format....... I dont know type of scanner it is and what the interface is so I cant tell you specifically.....Ask someone who works there and go from there.