Archive Images - Scan vs Photocopy?

[BA1385]

Hi there,

I'm currently making a documentary and one of the interview subjects needs to send over a large collection of physical visual material (photos, letters, record covers etc).

What is the best method of delivering this material? I assumed scanning would be best (and would negate the need for me to re-scan them)?

If scanning is best how can I make sure they are scanned at the optimum quality? What are the necessary qualities needed in a scanner that will ensure they are of the highest fidelty?

The film has been shot in 4K, does anyone know what resolution I will need for the images?

Also, what is the best method to get LP covers transferred to digital copies? Are there any scanners large enough for this purpose or would they have to be photographed? If I contact record labels might they have some original masters of the artwork perhaps?

Thanks if you can help!

 

[ItDonnedOnMe]

Scanning will certainly be the best option quality-wise.

4k is 3840px by 2160px - so that's the minimum resolution you'll need to fill the screen completely.

Reflective scanner software usually is set by dpi, so you'll need to do some math based on the original image size to figure out the minimum dpi you need. Take the width and height in inches and multiply each by the dpi to get the total pixels in each dimension - and increase the dpi until both dimensions exceed the matching 4k dimensions. So...

8x10 photo:

8 * 400dpi = 2400px
10 * 400dpi = 4000px

5x7 photo:

5 x 550dpi = 2750px
7 x 550dpi = 3850px

4x6 photo:

4 x 650dpi = 2600px
6 x 650dpi = 3900px

Have them scanned to an uncompressed format (TIFF is common) rather than jpeg.

If you expect to do any zooming or cropping you'll need to plan ahead for that and scan them at a higher resolution. Multiply the dpi you calculate above by the factor you want to zoom in - 2x, etc.

LP covers could be a challenge as they are too big for most desktop scanners. You could scan them twice, left and right sides of the cover, then splice them back together in photoshop.

Alternately you could shoot them with a high-res DSLR on a copy stand - 4k works out to about 8 megapixels so almost any modern DSLR will give you enough resolution to work with. If you're doing a lot of covers this will certainly be the quickest option once you've got a copy stand set up.

You might also be able to find a service bureau that has a large format scanner, or already has a copy stand setup for large format reproduction.

Record companies might have digital copies of the originals, depending on the popularity of the album, but they may or may not be high enough resolution for your needs. If you've got access to all the albums already it's probably fastest to do something like a copy stand setup.

 

[BA1385]

Thanks very much for the info.

Please can you tell me if a typical (or higher-end) consumer level scanner would produce similar results to getting the images scanned professionally or would there be a distinct difference in quality?

Obviously I would like to acquire the images at the best possible quality but I may be able to get someone to do it for free at their home which would be preferable if the quality is the same.

 

[ItDonnedOnMe]

I don't think you'll see a significant difference in having them scanned professionally if you've got someone with a decent desktop scanner who knows what they're doing with it. I have one of the Epson Perfection Photo line from a few years ago and it does a great job - the latest models in the $200 range are comparable. The more expensive models primarily benefit you when scanning transparencies - for reflective scanning they are overkill.