I just bought the LS-2000 slide scanner. I have a printer capable of printing 720x720 DPI and 1440x720 DPI. When I go to the scanner managing software, and select an output size of 8x10, No matter what I do, I can't set the output resolution to more than 320 DPI, anything higher than that appears in red, and is not accepted. How can I make a scan at 720x720 DPI for my printer. I want to print a 8x10. Also what would be the setting for the 4x6. I need the exact steps of setting my scanner. I am a computer professional, but this little device gives me a world of troubles, when it comes to setting it up. Thanks a lot, and please reply via E-mail,

Igor Shpak i_shpak@ix.netcom.com

-- Igor Shpak (i_shpak@ix.netcom.com), May 31, 2000

Answers

The scanner software (either NikonScan or SIlverfast) does the calculations for you.

You specify an output size (ie 10"x8") and the software scales the resolution accordingly (ie 320 dpi).

The scanners max scanning resolution is 2700 ppi.

For a full 35mm slide this = approx 3600 x 2800 pixels

To relate this to a full 10"x8" output it works out at 360ppi

I guess that because you have ended up with 320, you've cropped the image slightly.

Unless you are using very expensive printers, 300ppi is probably the maximum output resolution you would need. Don't confuse this with the printers 720/1440 dpi output. Each of the printer dots is either Cyan, Magenta, Yellow or Black. So to get a realistic colour a number of these dots need to be 'blended' across an area in order to achieve the colour represented by a single pixel in your scanned file.

The rule of thumb is to use an image resolution (Pixels Per Inch) approx 1/3 the value of the output printer's dpi (with a maximum of 300)

Hope this helps, Have fun with your LS2000, i'm still over the moon with mine which i bought about 3 weeks ago.

Martin

-- Martin Ellis (inca@globalnet.co.uk), May 31, 2000.

Igor, Martin gives good advice. You don't mention what type printer you're using, but guessing from the output resolutions you mention I would say you are using an Epson. You must remember that the terms used are different. We have been conditioned to look at an image in a photo editing program (Photoshop, PhotoDeluxe, or whatever) with a resolution expressed in dpi. That is totally wrong when thinking about print output to an inkjet printer or to a digital offset press. DPI is an ink printing term only. Images in a photo editing program are actually pixels per inch (ppi)! If you are outputting to a 720dpix720 dpi printer any resolution over 240 ppi is nothing but wasted file space. If you are going to 1440dpi then 300 ppi is normally adequate with 360 ppi being the upper limit. ANYTHING above that is nothing but wasted file space. I have a 42 inch Encad inkjet plotter and it is not unusual for me to output a 40 inch by 80 inch print at a resolution of 100 ppi. Archiving images--I archive all of my images at home and at work as 300ppi images at 3000 pixels on the longest dimension. I find that from this I can do anything I need to do. It gives me an image of approximately 19 megabytes and I can get about 33 of them on a CD. From this I can adjust output to various print sizes or for the web. I have come to love the CD burner! I'm getting long winded here. If I can help with any other questions: fred.deaton@msfc.nasa.gov

good luck fred

-- fred (fdeaton@hiwaay.net), May 31, 2000.