Photographs: Scan and Archive
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Key
Where steps switch from one application or device to another the following notations are used to help keep things clear.
- PS - Photoshop Action
- HP - HP Precision Scan Action
- SC - Scanner Action
- EX - Windows Explorer
Setup/Prep
- Open Adobe Photoshop
- Open/Find Actions Window (Alt-F9 toggles)
- Select Actions Tab (not History)
- Expand "Photo Archive" Set
- Make sure it has 4 actions. (TODO: add sections for creating actions)
- Open Explorer window to your destination directory
Scanning
- SC: Place photos to be scanned in scanner
- PS: Select Actions:Photo Archive:ScanPhotosAndCrop
- PS: Click Play (triangle pointing right) at bottom of Action Window. This will open HP Precision Scan
- HP: Select Area to scan
- HP: Select 600 DPI (1200 for photos 2x2 or less)
- HP: Click "return to...". This will scan the pictures and return them to Photoshop
Clean up
Photoshop will split the scan into an appropriate number of pictures, crop and straighten them. When complete you should find a composite image along with all the split images. This process is not always perfect. Compare the results with the following clean up instructions and perform those that are necessary.
Remove composite picture
- Arrange the split pictures in the same layout as the composite image. If you have multiple monitors place the composite on one and the splits on the other.
- Compare the individual image to the composite and make sure they have not been "over cropped" or otherwise mangled.
- If the individual images are fine then close and do not save the composite.
Manual Crop and Straighten
Sometimes ScanCropAndStraighten does not recognize the borders on older photos. This is especially true when scanning multiple photos at once. The following steps will help in removing these borders.
Auto Levels (optional)
This step can be useful on any photos but especially
Save
- Select Actions:Basic workspaces
- Click play