scan at your max resolution and use tiff not jpeg! for getter quality

when printing you will need something like 300dpi so you can do the math.

hope this helps, i am a bit sleepy

Henrik

The scanned size will depend on what you plan to do with the photos, for
example if you only want to be display them on the web /screen or if you
want to print them, and, at what size you want to print them and on what
printer.

As Henrik suggested you could scan every image at the maximum capability of
your scanner and then you've got the best quality available (from that
scanner).  You may resize the image down quite easily for use on the
web/smaller print sizes.  If you start by scanning low res for web use /
screen only viewing and you decide later to print, chances are you'll have
to dig out the original and rescan it.

The downside of scanning at max. resolution regardless of the final output
is that it will be slower (sometimes /much/ slower) to scan and the
resulting files will be much bigger.

If you are scanning with the intention to print then aim for at least
~300dpi at your final output size so:

For an 8 x 10 print
from a 3.5" x 4.25 original:

8 / 3.5 = ~2.3
10 / 4.25 = ~2.3

300 x 2.35 = 705

So a scan of ~700 dpi would yield an 8 x 10 image of ~300 dpi.

In the HP interface you may have the option to input the output size and the
res at the output size and let it do the maths for you.  This is this case
for the Epson TWAIN interface.

With regards to making them a standard size, because they are all different
aspect ratios choose to keep either the height or width fixed and let the
other side fall where it may.  So, for example you want the short side to
always be 8 inches:

3.25' x 3.25' = 8" x 8"
4.25' x 3.5' = 8" x 9.71"
5' x 3.5' = 8" x 11.43"
6' x 4' = 8" x 12"

One final thing, I'd suggest saving as a TIFF final as opposd to JPG for
print if you can cope with storing the larger file sizes.

Hope that was helpful.  Happy scanning

KC

Thanks everybody for your help and web page link.

I now have a better understanding of what I should do.

The main use for the photos that I will be scanning is for displaying on a
computer / web page , but I would like the option of being able to print the
photos.

So what I have worked out is that for the archive /master photos I will scan
them at 300 DPI using the *png format.
Most of the original photos are size  4.25' x 3.5' which will give a size of
1320 x 1042 and a file size of 2.4 Mb.
If I go to 600 DPI , then the file size blows out to approx. 7 Mb in the
*png format and as I have about 200 photos to scan , then I would need a lot
of disk space.

So The only way around it is to create the master photos and then burn them
to a CD and then copy them back to my HDD by resizing /converting them to
*.jpg format.

I think that the 300 DPI would be about the best medium , because all the
photos are old and most have a dimpled effect on the photo paper itself
which shows up less using the *.png format.

<snip>

Thanks Sandgroper for asking a question that I was interested in also, as my
summer project will be scanning all of my photos. And thanks to the group
for the answers.

An additional question from me for the group:

Costs, aside, would it be better to get larger prints made of photos before
scanning them? Ie, does the reprinting of enlargements result in a higher
"quality" image than simply scanning a normal-sized photo at a higher
optical resolution?

- Chock