How best to digitize old photos. How to digitize old photos. How to digitize printed photos at home in different ways
Have you ever spent time making pictures of photos using an ordinary scanner? If so, then you know how troops, long and uncomfortable, especially when there is a whole album. But technology does not stand still and currently smartphone cameras have a sufficiently high permission to save a digital copy of your photo album.
Of course, there are already a huge number of mobile applications for scanning a photo, but most of them must be recognized, just ordinary camera apps, not scanners. Therefore, we would suggest you to take advantage of the free product of one of the best software developers.
Google has recently released an application called PHOTOSCAN, which allows you to make the process of digitizing photos easier and more convenient. What is important, you can download Google PhotoScan for devices running iOS and Android.
From many other applications for scanning Google Photoscan is different in making several pictures for each digitization process. This technique helps to cope with the glare, and also improves the quality of the scanned photo.
How it works
Remove the box of old photos. If you have previously placed them in the album, there is no need to remove them if, of course, the photo is not darkened.
Put a photo on a flat surface. Make sure it is not folded in the corners. The PhotoScan application opens the smartphone camera and asks you to arrange a photo so that it is inside the frame.
After you put the printed photo to the specified frame, you need to click on the shutter button. It starts the flash and shows four white mug in the corners of the photo. Then, as you hover the camera smartphone to each white circle, Photoscan will automatically doit, remove the glare and improves photos. After photo will pass Processing, you can manually adjust the angles and rotate it as needed.
When you finish digitizing your photo, you can save all scanned files with one touch. After scanning a photo, you will see a confirmation and button to open the Google photo application.
Additional features
For high-quality scanning, the application must have the function detection of the edges, which is from PhotoScan. Thanks to her, the application can trim the background.
Photoscan can also adjust the perspective, so there is no need to hang right above the photo in order to get a clear file without distortion. PhotoScan also has a smart function that recognizes the desired photo orientation.
You can edit the manually received file in two ways. Crop the extra sections of the photo, for example, fragments of the frame, you can use the controls of the corners. If the application could not correctly recognize the desired photo orientation, then the user can manually rotate it. Like many Google applications, Photoscan can be downloaded and used for free in all countries on both platforms.
In addition to the release of a new scanning application, the company updates its Google photo app.
The company promises that the application will propose a new tool for automatic improvement of photos and 12 new filters.
In conclusion, see the busy roller from Google, who explains why you need a Photoscan.
My scanner
So, first of all, we need a tablet scanner. Scanners are different types and quality. For high-quality digitization of photos, it is advisable to use optical resolution scanners from 2400dpi and the CCD matrix. It is strongly recommended to use a separate scanner, not any kind of MFP. Usually in such devices (MFP - a multifunctional device, printer + scanner + copier) set scanners not better quality, they are suitable only for photocopying. In some models of tablet scanners, the slidesmodule is included - the device allows you to scan the film 35mm. There are such devices from 150 cu.
2 step
Accommodation photos
Connect the scanner to the PC, turn on its power. Open the scanner lid and place a photo in the upper right corner (see Figure). Gently lower the lid. You can scan the photo using any graphic editor, as well as using the scanner driver.
3 Step
Driver window
To scan with the driver, find your scanner in the list of devices. Right-click on it and click Scan. The driver window opens. If you are going to print photos, then it is recommended to select the "Photo" scan mode and permission to the maximum. If you do not want to lose the quality of the photo, then choose the BMP format (this format takes a lot of disk space), otherwise select JPEG format (this format uses compression, so the quality loss is inevitable). However, note that selecting the maximum scan quality, you will receive files of several hundred megabytes, on the weak PCs such files will open for a very long time.
4 Step
Scan result
Scan with editors is very simple. You need to select the image from the "File" file "file" and select the desired scanner. The system will suggest saving the scanned file, give it a name and save. After that, the file can be processed in any graphic editor, such as Adobe Photoshop or PainTNet.
- When scanning black and white photos, choose a similar mode in the driver, you can also select the "shades of gray" mode.
- If you do not plan to print photos, then the resolution of the photo 1600x1200 will be enough for you (and such a resolution is enough for printing photo 10x15).
Many have retained the first old photos of grandparents. However, these photos with time may be lost, so it makes sense to digitize old photos. To carry out the digitization operation, you will need any available scanner, a graphic editor and, of course, the vintage photos themselves.
Scanning photos
You can scan a photo by any scanner. Perfectly suitable as tablet and included in the multifunctional device. Scanning begins after starting the drivers native for the scanner, which usually contains the scan utility. After warming up, the scanner will quickly work out its work and will save the image in the directory you labeled in the utility settings.
Even the most vintage photo images are well recognized by the scanning device. Before scanning, you need to set the optimal settings. First, the future image is better to store in the photo format - JPEG or JPG. This requirement will significantly reduce the size of the raster image due to the compression algorithm built into the format.
By installing quality settings, refer to the highest values. This, of course, will not reduce the size and weight of the photo image, but will retain his detailed "imprint", which we try to achieve. It must be remembered that each device (printer or scanner) work with your own color profile. Although there is a specific SRGB standard, yet the color profiles of different devices are slightly different. They differ in the coordinates of colors, so the images created, for example, on the Epson printer can be a little differently displayed on the computer monitor.
Processing in a graphic editor
Photo scanning - the first step in the digitization procedure. The second step is to process the resulting pictures in a graphic editor. Since with the help of the scanner, we received a "imprint" as it is (with damage in the photo, with extra details), we need to engage in the restoration of the obtained digital image.
To restore, you can select Photoshop, however, the cost of this application is translated for a regular user. Therefore, it is better to stop the choice of GIMP's free application, a free analog that also offers a large selection of tools to edit raster graphics.
Remove scratches and other damage
First, run the image to the editor.
During loading GIMP can warn that this picture has a built-in color profile. He will suggest it to convert to the program profile or leave everything as it is. In the second case, it is assumed that the picture will not receive color distortions, but it is better to carry out the transformation operation.
After examining the picture, we note a lot of scratches, white points of different magnitude, spotted places and other damage.
They must be removed from the surface of the photo image. We can use a number of tools offered by the editor: Stamp, therapeutic brush, stamp with a perspective. We will increase the scale, since we need to take an accurate color from similar sections of photography.
Use the tool stamp for retouching.
The upper arrow shows the color that we take as a source. The lower arrow demonstrates the area cured by scratch, which was on the back of the chair.
And here is the lower part with significant damage. It is easiest to cut off a small part.
Not in all cases, these tools can help. In some, you will have to cut off part of the photo, making it a little less in size, but removing extra details. Using a stamp, you must act neatly. The choice of color for retouching should be carried out from similar areas, otherwise nothing good will work.
Copy the visible, highlighting the desired fragment, the boundary of which is indicated by the bottom elder.
Now, create a new image by inserting a copied fragment from the buffer.
Color correction
At our disposal an old black and white photo. However, it is dominated by red-purple tones.
We turn to the gradation mode of gray and immediately see changes in the picture - it becomes brighter black and white, but with a low level of contrast. You can fix it using the brightness-contrast tool.
In the tool window, we will create the desired brightness and contrast values. To do this, we will need a little to move the sliders of the corresponding scales.
As soon as we obtain the desired result, we save the value.
Short outcome
Photo digitization is a time consuming. Especially a lot of work will be needed to invest if the photo is in not very good condition. To digitize old photoMake a scanner. Scanning photos in the best quality and save JPG or JPEG format. Next, load a picture into a graphic editor, where we carry out: cut the image, we remove the extra details, correct the color.
Have you long wanted to dig in the soil box from under shoes with old photos? At the same time, you have already been interested in how much it is in the photo laboratory. Prices for digitization photos are incredibly overestimated.
In this article we will tell how to digitize the photo on your own using a mobile phone. Naturally, better camera Smartphone or tablet, the higher the quality of the digitization of old photos will be the quality of the digitization of old photos. Thanks to the high quality of modern mobile devices cameras, you can count on quite good digitization results.
The first thing you need to do is open Google Play or Apple App Store and install the PHOTOSCAN application.
Run photoscan. You will see a short animated instruction on using Photoscan. In essence, you make four photos of each photo, moving alternately to the corners, guided by the application prompts. The then PhotoScan creates one image of an old photo.
Click the "Start Scan" button at the bottom of the screen to get started. PhotoScan will ask for permission to access the camera, allow. To scan a photo, make sure that the entire image is in the chamber area, and then press the shutter button.
You will see four large points and a large empty circle that moves when the camera is tilted. Place the circle above each point until it disappears, and then move to the next one. When all the points disappear, the photo will be digitized.
Next to the shutter button you will see a thumbnail of your photo. Click on it to open the editing screen. Here you can trim, deploy and save the photo.
When you are satisfied with the results, press the back arrow in the upper left corner, the screen will be opened on which viewed images will be opened. If everything is in order, click "Save everything" at the top of the screen. For sample saving, press three points in the upper right corner and go to "Select". Touch the desired images, then click "Save".
Surely everyone has real (not digital form) albums with old photos. I have, for example, these albums a whole bunch, there are parents and grandmothers, grandfathers and me from birth and, in general, all my relatives, many of which are already alive. To have such photos is a pleasant memory for life, agree. But photographs in printed form over time are spoiled, as well as, in principle, everything that is not in digital form on the computer. They lose colors, various defects appear. And it is very sorry when such valuable material from a personal archive disappears.
Therefore, if the photos have value for you, I recommend to translate them into a digital look. Now we will turn on in general what basic ways you can do this, consider their advantages, disadvantages. And already the most effective options, I will separately disassemble in subsequent articles.
Move the real photos in the digital view at home can be in several ways. Taken the main three:
On the resulting digitized pictures remain glare due to the brilliance of photography, due to lighting and other factors. At the same time, the glare and different other effects occur when shooting even matte photos.
With such a shooting, in addition to the pictures itself, there will also be unnecessary objects on the edges, for example, a table, a carpet, or something else that, then to get a real good photography, it is necessary to trim separately through any graphic editor.
Making ordinary pictures with a camera or smartphone, you in any case will take a picture at least a little, but with a distorted perspective, that is, the photo will be a little distorted. Again, it will be possible to fix it later, in a graphic editor.
Digitization through the usual scanner for the computer.
This option is great for those who have a scanner for a computer. I would say that this is the best option, because you can scan each photo (on the scanner, as a rule, will fit even at once 2-3 photos standard size 10 × 15) And this will give the best quality. Something then can be corrected (for example, something unnecessary around the edges) through some graphic editor, for example, photoshop. But maybe this will not have to do.
To digitize photos in this way, you need to connect a scanner to a computer (or a multifunctional device) via USB, after which you put a photo or several on the scanner glass and start the scanning process on a computer through a special program specifically for your printer model, or through the built-in windows (Section "Devices and Printers", Right click on a connected scanner and select "Start Scanning").
How to scan documents and photos I plan to write a separate article.
Digitization by shooting photos through a camera or smartphone camera (standard application).
If you do not have a scanner, but there is a good outer chamber, i.e., the mirror, "soap" (so called the usual digital camera) Or in your smartphone there is a good camera, you can create a snapshot of the desired photos.
This variant of digitization takes place and many use them, but more often the pictures come out still not as much as I would like, so far, because:
Of course, all the above disadvantages can be then removed through graphic editors or special applications and photo processing services (including on mobile devices). But why, if you can make a very good picture of the picture, without glad, already with the correct cropped edges and with the correct perspective? We look at version number 3.
Digitization through a smartphone using a special mobile application.
This method follows from the previous one, only the shooting will be carried out through the smartphone (digital fotics, throwing the Diggers, they do not fit) on which a special application is installed.
As mobile application To digitize the photo I use for myself "Photoskanner from Google Photo". There are others, but I did not consider them, because one day I got a photocker of Google, who did not have to look for everyone and replacing me.
This method will suit those who have no scanner for a computer, but there is a smartphone with a good camera, based on Androyd or iOS (availability of an application for others operating systems did not check).
Total to make a photo digitization in this way, install on your smartphone (there should be a good camera on it!) First, the Google photo application, after which you install an additional application "Photoskanner". Through the photo shop, you will only be left to put a photo lying on a flat monophonic surface into the frame and, making a snapshot, to bring the camera alternately for 4 points (prompts the application). This method will remove various glare on the digit photo.
Conclusion
In general, make a digital copy of the real photos you need quite easily. For example, it is much more difficult to digitize old cassette videos, here you have to sweat sometimes!
And for the photo the easiest option, in my opinion, after all, the scanner, because they have many and give the best quality. Well, if there is no scanner, then you probably have a digital or a mirror, then simply take a picture of the desired photos and, if necessary, edit them in Photoshop. If there is a good, top smartphone, then through the application "Scanner from Google Photo" You can translate pictures into a digit even better than the usual shooting by a conventional digital or a mirror.