scanned images from magazine look bad...

Trichome wrote on 6/8/2003, 9:43 PM
I scanned some images at 300 dpi from a print magazine for use in a V4 project. The images seem to have lost some quality, slightly pixelated and for me, unusable.

I would be willing to rescan them but there are many, and I'd like to get it right this time...

Any advise on correct settings would be appreciated for the .png/.jpg that look crystal clear when brought into V4.
TIA!

Gary

Comments

Chienworks wrote on 6/8/2003, 9:46 PM
You're probably getting a Moire pattern from scanning images that were already printed as half-tone. What i usually do for magazine images is to scan them at 2400dpi and then reduce them to about 10%. This helps blend the printed dots together and soften them.

Since you want to avoid rescanning, i'd suggest using a slight blur filter and reducing them 50% in a photo editing program, then bring them into Vegas. You'll take a resolution hit, but they'll probably look a lot better than they do now.
hugoharris wrote on 6/8/2003, 10:01 PM
Also, look for a "reduce moire" option in your scanner's dialogue window. I have a Canon N670U and this does the trick for me.
josaver wrote on 6/9/2003, 2:17 AM
If you don't have the remove moire option, you can use this trick:

Give some angle (25 to 60 degrees) to the picture and scan. It removes the pattern or moire that is produced for the printing system used. You must try some different angles, and when you reach the correct , the pixelated pattern disappears.

Josaver.
Grazie wrote on 6/9/2003, 2:19 AM
Jo - that is soooo obvious - neat fix - Thank you!!

Grazie
mikkie wrote on 6/9/2003, 10:08 AM
In an image editing prog usually use some combo of despeckle, reduce moire, reduce noise, and various types of blur depending on what's avail. GEM plugin from ASF can work well. Don't be afraid to try using more then one filter - once you hit on a good combo set up a script/action/whatever to allow batch processing.

In Vegas don't forget the reduce interlace filter which can add a bit of blur. Also might not hurt to set the properties for the image files on the timeline to your project settings, which can sometimes prevent some resampling in Vegas, or force resampling for that matter.
TorS wrote on 6/9/2003, 10:28 AM
About Josaver's trick: Yes, it is good, but you have to watch closely, because it migh as well introduce moire where you otherwise would not get it.
Anyway, I suppose you could do the same thing in Vegas: rotate your scanned image slightly (pan/crop) and see if the moire goes away.
Tor
bakerja wrote on 6/9/2003, 12:59 PM
Most newer scanners have filters for this built into the scan engine. Usually has presets for magazine, newspaper, etc.

JAB
Trichome wrote on 6/9/2003, 9:43 PM
thx for all the suggestions!!!
G
BillyBoy wrote on 6/9/2003, 10:04 PM
Also a excellent how-to and tutorials on scanning can be found here:

http://www.guides.sk/scantips2/index.html#menu
josaver wrote on 6/10/2003, 2:39 AM
The problem occurs at the scanning time, rotate the image on Vegas not reduce the pattern. But if it's moire is another thing.

Some scanning software has filters to despekle, reduce moire, etc, but sometimes it don't work, it depends on the printing system used, and sometimes you must use newspaper settings for amagazine scan or viceversa.

Josaver.
mikkie wrote on 6/10/2003, 9:37 AM
If someone wants to play a bit, stuff I've done (for other reasons) that might hold some possibilities:

Snap a picture of your PC monitor - really. Take a picture of the mag photo. Print the scanned image and scan or photo that. Scan separate colors in separate passes (RGB) (something astronomers do). Photoshop has some often ignored settings for print patterns per color that can be played with. Think of the scanner as a camera, and invent your versions of the filters commonly used, ie. a piece of slightly frosted glass, cut up a black nylon stocking (defusion). Along the same lines, put the picture to be scanned slightly out of focus by raising it, possibly with a thick piece of plexiglass.

have fun