Datasheet

27
Working with Digital Images
1
FIGURE 1.22
The Adobe Bridge Photo Downloader
Scanners
You can scan negatives, slides, and other transparencies with a film scanner, or you can scan prints
with a flatbed scanner. Some film scanners will do batch scans, which can save loads of scanning
time. If you have a lot of slides or negatives, you may also find reasonably priced services on the
Web that offer mass film scanning.
Keep in mind that the quality of the scanner, as well as the resolution at which you scan, makes a
difference in the quality of the scanned image. Of course, the larger the print, the better. Also keep
in mind that a print is a step removed from the original. If your prints are 4 x 6 and you have a
good-quality film scanner, you can probably get a better result by scanning the negatives.
Check scanner reviews on the Web to get an idea of scanner quality, or if you have a scanner, do
some scans of your own and compare them with scans from other scanners and/or photo CDs to
get an idea of the scanner’s quality. Pay special attention to shadow and highlight detail. Check the
image quality with prints from a good printer rather than on-screen if your scanned images are
destined for print.