Digitizing Images
This technology has been available for some time. Now, in addition to the scanning of graphic images, there is reasonably good optical character recognition software that will allow scanning of text information into an editable form.
The hallmark of these devices is their ability to give a crisp clean image. The software usually provides a variety of formats to allow you to save to a graphics file for page layout purposes or an image compatible for use on the Internet.
One other thing to keep in mind is that you may not always want to take full advantage of the resolution available. Images that are to be going on the Internet can exist at 72 DPI without a noticeable degradation of their appearance on the page.
You can scan almost anything you can put on the scanner glass, such as:
- Photographs and flat art
- Drawings and calligraphy
- Line art
- Bound document such as magazines and books
Limitations
- You cannot completely scan an item that is larger than 8.5" by 14".
- You cannot scan items that weigh more than 4 pounds. Heavier items may scratch or break the glass.
- It is illegal to scan certain official and copyrighted documents.
OCR - Optical Character Recognition
You can scan printed text and convert the image to text that can be manipulated by a word processing program. To do this, you need special Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. OmniPage Pro is the OCR software available to you in the Multimedia Center Lab.
Resolutions
Scanning artwork and photographs can be broken down into four primary categories (All photos are scanned at 75 dpi):
Color
Greyscale
Halftones
Line Art
Copyright Regulations:
WARNING CONCERNING COPYRIGHT RESTRICTIONS:
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, U.S. Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specific conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be "used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research." If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of "fair use," that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.
