Acquiring Images

There are several ways you can go about getting images into Photoshop:

• Create an image from scratch by choosing File>New in Photoshop

• Open an image file that already exists on your computer by choosing File>Open.

• Download an image from a website to your computer. You can usually do this by right-clicking on the image in your browser and choosing "Save Image As..."  However, you need to be aware of copyright restrictions on any images you may which to use.  For more information, see HSL's Finding Media Objects website at http://findingmediaobjects.wordpress.com.

• Acquire an image from a digital camera either by downloading it with a cable or by using a media card reader.  To use a media card reader, remove the media card from the camera, insert the card into the card reader, and plug the card reader cable into the computer (typically into a USB or firewire port).  You can then drag the image files to the computer desktop.

• Scan an image using a slide scanner (for negatives or slides) or flatbed scanner (for prints). A procedure for a typical flatbed scanner is shown below.

Scanning Images

There are two main types of scanners. With a flatbed scanner you scan documents and prints by placing them on the glass of the scanner.  Slide scanners are used to convert scanning slides and negatives to digital format.  Since most photography is now digital, slide scanners have fallen into disuse. However they are valuable for anyone who want to digitize collections of negatives or slides.

Before using a scanner for the first time, you need to install scanning software which allows the scanner to  communicate with the computer.

The following example uses a Fujitsu flatbed scanner.   Other flatbed scanner software may look different from this example, but the concepts are the same.

5.  Set  "Image Mode." For most purposes, choose 24-bit color.

6.  Set the resolution. In choosing a scanning resolution, keep these issues in mind:

• Images on the Web are displayed at about 100 pixels per inch [ppi], depending on the computer display. If you scan the image at about 100 ppi, it will probably display on the Web at about the same size as the original.

• If you are going to crop your image or if your original is small, scan at a higher resolution to make the image appear larger.

• If you are going to print your image, scan at a higher resolution, possibly in the range of 200 to 400 ppi.

• A higher resolution means a larger file size. This gives you a better image to work with. You can "sample down" later in Photoshop if you need to decrease the resolution. 

Other settings in the scan dialog box can normally be left at defaults. If you think you will need to make adjustments to things such as the contrast or brightness, it is better to do these in Photoshop rather than in the scanning dialog box.

7.  Click "Scan." The image will appear in an untitled Photoshop window.