Scanning Guide

Below are some guidelines to use if you plan to scan your photos yourself or have someone other than Pictures  To DVD do it for you.  This is very important because good scans will assure that we are able to enhance your photos optimally for your DVD show.

1. Use a lint free cloth to clean the surface of your scanner to prevent unwanted specks on your photos. 

2. Configure your scanner to scan to JPG (.jpg) file format at no more than 15% compression.  This will ensure that we have the best quality scans to work with.

3. Turn off the automatic color/contrast adjustment on your scanner.

4. Adjust the resolution of your scan for the size of the picture being scanned as indicated below:

If your photos are:
Smaller than 4×6 – Scan at 600 dpi
4×6 -  Scan at 400 dpi
5×7 – Scan at 300 dpi
8×10 – Scan at 200 dpi

5. Save your photos using file names in the sequence you would like them to appear, such as 001.jpg for photo #1, 002.jpg for photo #2 and so on.  You can save them to different folders for the chapters that you want them to appear in.

Example: Create a folder on your desktop and name it something like “Pictures for Show”.  Inside that folder, create a folder for the chapter…ie “Early Years”. “Friends and Family”.  Save your photos to the folder you want them in by browsing your computer to the Chapter folder and save in the numeric sequence you want them to appear.  If you need more help, please don’t hesitate to contact me…or send your photos to Pictures To DVD to scan for you.  See “Get Organized”.