Helpful Tips - Scanning

Despite the fact that desktop scanners are so common today, scanning for professional printing is still an art.

Often, our technicians can improve customer-furnished images by using one of Whitehall�s professional scanners in combination with a photo application such as Adobe� Photoshop�. With these tools, we can make adjustments that will maximize the look of your halftone on the printed page.

Our scanning fees are relatively inexpensive, and might be well worth the expense when a dramatic improvement is possible. Our customer service representatives and technical staff can assist you in deciding upon the best scanning methods for your particular needs and budget.

If you decide to perform your own scanning, here are a few guidelines for optimum results on our presses.

1. Save your scan as a TIFF or EPS.

2. Save your scan at 300 dpi.

3. If you enlarge the size of your scanned image after you have imported it into a layout program, you are in effect reducing the resolution (or dpi) of that image. (As an example, if you double the size of an image that you scanned at 300 dpi, the resolution of that image is now 150 dpi). The solution is to determine the image size of your layout first, and then scan the image at that size.

4. Color photos should be scanned and saved in CMYK. If the photo will appear in black and white on the inside pages, convert it to grayscale in a photo editing application such as Photoshop.

5. Black and white photos should be scanned as grayscale.

These guidelines are by no means exhaustive. As stated earlier, the world of halftone scanning is truly a science and an art. If you have more detailed questions about scanning techniques our technical staff will be happy to assist you.