Re: Scanning old postcard for use on book cover

["Maris V. Lidaka Sr." <mlidaka@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message -----
From: "David J. Bookbinder" <david_bookbinder@sprynet.com>
To: "DigitalBW (E-mail)" <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com>;
"Scan (E-mail)" <scan@leben.com>
Sent: Friday, May 03, 2002 9:45 AM
Subject: Scanning old postcard for use on book cover


> NOTE: I'm cross-posting to the DigitalBlackandWhite and the Scan lists.
>
> A friend of mine has asked me to scan an old postcard she will be using on
a
> book cover. The postcard is in black and white, on time-yellowed stock. It
> will be positioned at a roughly 30% angle from horizontal on the book
cover.
> The service bureau wants a 300dpi TIFF file, and they are using a 150 line
> screen. I'm wondering:
>
> 1. Do I need to take into account the dot pattern of the postcard somehow,
> and if so, how?

Maybe - try scanning straight first.  If you end up with moire, then try
different angles as scanning at an angle will deal with or at least help
reduce moire.

> 2. Am I better off scanning the postcard at the approximate angle at which
> it will be printed, or rotating it in photoshop?

Don't rotate at all - the service bureau wants a regular image and will
rotate it themselves.

> 3. Am I better off trying to adjust for the yellowing in the scanning
> process, or do that later in Photoshop? And, if the latter, am I better
off
> scanning in RGB so I can selectively remove or lighten the color before
> turning the image into black and white?

Whatever you're most comfortable with, and perhaps in both.  In any event I
would certainly scan in RGB so that you can control the conversion to B&W in
Photoshop with all it's tools.

> 4. How much sharpening should I apply to this image before I hand it back
to
> my friend? I normally output to inkjet printers, and they seem to require
> almost no sharpening, but everything I've read indicates this is not the
> case with press work.

I don't know either - I've never done press work.

Maris


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