From the course: Motion Control 3D: Bringing Photos to Life in Three Dimensions with After Effects and Photoshop CC (2019)

Advice when scanning

From the course: Motion Control 3D: Bringing Photos to Life in Three Dimensions with After Effects and Photoshop CC (2019)

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Advice when scanning

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If you find yourself working with historical photos, these typically are going to need to be scanned. Maybe it's something from the archives, or an old book or an illustration. In this case, again, you'll need to move it into the digital environment. Now scanners aren't nearly as popular as they used to be, but you'll still often find them on the all-in-one printer options that are available. That's because folks use these to scan in documents to create PDF files, or to create a fax machine in their homes. These scanners are still quite good, but there are things you could do to better prepare the photo. First, make sure the scanner surface is clean and dry, and if you're working with a dedicated scanner, this'll have even more options for quality down the road. Then, make sure the photograph itself is also clean. A little bit of canned air and a soft cloth can allow you to blow the dust free. What you want to make sure of is that the picture itself is as clean as possible. Now, don't get the photograph wet, and if you're going to use a soft cloth, be sure to press gently. If working with historical images, you don't want to damage them. Then, place the photographs onto the scanner so that they are as straight as possible. Now with the photographs you're given, make sure you show care. Many times you're going to be working with historical images that have high value to people. I always recommend if possible, bring your scanner on site to the library, the archives, or the person's home and try to get the pictures back right away. If for some reason you're transferring photographs and taking them back to your office or your studio, be sure you show great care and deliver these back as quickly as possible to the archives so that they're safely preserved for future generations. And if you're scanning in those images, you may want to offer up the digital copies to the organization so they have those as well for future projects.

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