First time scanning

[Gregorick]

So I have a bunch of magazines which aren't currently on the site and I thought I should start returning the favour and upload them here. I have a pretty good scanner from work as I work from home but just wondering what software you guys use to make your scans look so good? Any tips on best ways to do a whole magazine?

[kitsunebi]

The scanner you use is the most important factor, really.  Which is not to say I don't spend the majority of my time creating a scan doing post-scan editing in Photoshop (the only software I use).  But a bad scanner is going to make a bad scan, and no amount of Photoshop wizardry will make up for it completely.

As you say you've got a good scanner, you're most of the way there already.  You don't have to have Photoshop to edit images - there are other programs out there that can do the job and probably cost a lot less (or are free, even) though I'm not qualified to recommend any myself. 

Speaking personally of Photoshop, while I may do spot editing on a page-by-page basis, macro edits like adjusting blacks/whites/colors/brightness/etc can be applied to every page with the click of a button by setting up an action set including said edits, along with things like re-sizing and saving the files.  When you're editing hundreds of pages, every repeated action that you can avoid doing manually each time will add up to a big time savings, so action sets are a lifesaver.

The only other thing that first time scanners sometimes don't realize is that in order to get a good scan, you're going to have to debind the magazine. So bear in mind that your mag will be destroyed in the process.  While you CAN scan a bound mag on a flatbed scanner, it will look pretty terrible, and as such, you won't see any examples of such low-quality scans on this site (that's what the Internet Archive is for. )

(And for your own sanity, I hope that the scanner you have access to is an ADF, since scanning on a flatbed scanner is beyond tedious.)

[slider1983]

While you CAN scan a bound mag on a flatbed scanner, it will look pretty terrible, and as such, you won't see any examples of such low-quality scans on this site (that's what the Internet Archive is for. )

I scan without removing staples and mine for the most part have turned out alright.

[kitsunebi]

I stand corrected.  I've never seen one of your scans, so I didn't realize - though I'm pretty sure I'm correct that no one else who has mags here (or fellow site Retromags for that matter) uses a flatbed scanner on bound mags.
What I should have said was, I've never seen a good scan of a bound mag that doesn't involve significant cropping of the gutter side of the page (I'm talking full-sized mags here, not sub-100 page pamphlets).  It's possible they exist.  Certainly it IS possible to scan a stapled mag on a flatbed and get passable results if if it has relatively few pages and there aren't any images or text printed all the way to the gutter's edge, which will allow that distorted part of the page to be cropped away without being noticeable.  But it's impossible to get an undistorted scan of a completely flat page all the way to the edge simply because it's impossible to make the page completely flat from edge to edge while still bound.  It's not a matter of putting more weight on the scanner lid, it just isn't physically possible.  The thicker the mag, the more curvature there will be.  And if the mag is squarebound, forget about it.

Of course, even if you could manage good results on a flatbed, I wouldn't recommend it.  The sheer amount of time it takes, combined with all of the extra editing required, is extremely likely to turn any prospective scanner off from the venture entirely.  There's a reason that not one scanner out there with any kind of consistent output uses a flatbed scanner.

I think the bottom line is that people who make digital magazines for the most part are people who appreciate and want to read digital magazines.  They should look at their digital creation as the new standard, with no further need to hang onto the paper original.  People who can't detatch themselves from the paper version should consider themselves collectors and are probably not suited for becoming scanners.  Sometimes you've just gotta break those eggs to make that cake.

[slider1983]

I stand corrected.  I've never seen one of your scans, so I didn't realize - though I'm pretty sure I'm correct that no one else who has mags here (or fellow site Retromags for that matter) uses a flatbed scanner on bound mags.
What I should have said was, I've never seen a good scan of a bound mag that doesn't involve significant cropping of the gutter side of the page (I'm talking full-sized mags here, not sub-100 page pamphlets).  It's possible they exist.  Certainly it IS possible to scan a stapled mag on a flatbed and get passable results if if it has relatively few pages and there aren't any images or text printed all the way to the gutter's edge, which will allow that distorted part of the page to be cropped away without being noticeable.  But it's impossible to get an undistorted scan of a completely flat page all the way to the edge simply because it's impossible to make the page completely flat from edge to edge while still bound.  It's not a matter of putting more weight on the scanner lid, it just isn't physically possible.  The thicker the mag, the more curvature there will be.  And if the mag is squarebound, forget about it.

I agree with some of your points. For me it's more access. Sure I like buying magazines but I'm selling mine while preserving them. I wouldn't say I'm a collector in that sense, more a preservationist who likes to preserve mags physically as well as digitally.

When I first started I was producing some poor stuff due to lack of experience. As I've improved my output using a flatbed scanner without taking out the staples has got pretty good, in some cases perfect.

The real problem the OP should consider is scanning bookazines. Those are a real pain as they are much more difficult to get good results from, especially as you reach the centre. There's a lot of trial and error involved. Without de-binding standard magazines however I don't have an issue.

[kitsunebi]

There you have it, OP. A couple of different pieces of advice/opinions.  To further my previous cake analogy, why not take a look around and sample the available cakes.  Find the one you like best, and consider using that one's recipe when making your own.

Mind you, if the scanner you have access to is an ADF (as all of the best scanners are), this discussion is moot and your decision has already been made for you, since debinding will be 100% necessary.

[Kiwi]

I've used, and still possess, a flatbed A3 scanner along with Fujitsu A4 & A3 ADF scanners and the ONLY thing I scan on my flatbed now are the cardboard covers used on hardback books. Period!!

I'd rather cut my toenails with a blunt knife than deal with feeding 100+ page magazines through the flatbed one page at a time. The fact they also don't process the gutters of unbound magazines properly is totally secondary to the monotonous aggravation of wasting over an hour of my life scanning one magazine. In my mind, the reduction in time spent is well worth whatever small amount of money I'd get back selling the magazine on the local auction site anyway. Heck, I've even cut up $100+ books to scan so debinding magazines really doesn't worry me at all.

Different strokes for different folks though.....

[kitsunebi]

I'd rather cut my toenails with a blunt knife than deal with feeding 100+ page magazines through the flatbed one page at a time. The fact they also don't process the gutters of unbound magazines properly is totally secondary to the monotonous aggravation of wasting over an hour of my life scanning one magazine.

Haha, well put. And however much of a life gets wasted feeding pages one at a time into a flatbed, the time involved is tripled (at least) if you're trying to manage a scan of a bound mag. 

Most first-time scanners who try their hand scanning a full-size magazine on a flatbed give up before finishing even one magazine.  It's THAT monotonous.  I started on a flatbed as well (most do since they already own a crappy flatbed scanner/printer combo of some sort) and before I finished a single scan I decided I'd have to shell out the cash for a quality ADF scanner if I wanted to continue.  The only thing I use the flatbed for now is stuff that's impossible to feed through the ADF like cover discs and the like.

[slider1983]

Most first-time scanners who try their hand scanning a full-size magazine on a flatbed give up before finishing even one magazine.  It's THAT monotonous.

I guess I have a lot of patience. 

[kitsunebi]

A lot of something.

Kidding aside, as slider1983 has said, it is possible to produce decent, readable scans on a flatbed (though you'll probably need to be dealing exclusively with stapled mags, and stuff over 200 pages will be crazy hard to scan).

But you will always get better results AND save heaps and heaps of time by debinding the mag first and using an ADF scanner.  So the only benefit a flatbed has is if you simply can't bear to debind the mag.  Which for some, is certainly a dealbreaker. 

Of course, the OP's question was actually specifically concerning which SOFTWARE we all use to make our scans look good.  I answered that I use Photoshop, but I know Kiwi doesn't and others probably have their own different software they prefer as well.  But I can say that no software, Photoshop or otherwise, will be able to disguise a scan of a bound mag as anything else when it comes to pages that have images extending across facing pages.  Just put any scan of a bound mag into 2-page viewing mode and you'll see what I mean.

So what are your priorities?  I don't think anyone who has tried it both ways will disagree with the following:
Highest quality and most efficient use of time = debound
Compromised quality (could be minimal or massive depending on the time/effort involved when scanning) and very time-intensive = bound

[Gregorick]

Thank you all so much for these responses. Doing a bit of trial and error when I get a chance (am dealing with work+christmas+pregnant partner so bear with me!) and have just fully scanned my first magazine so will be editing a bit and then will upload it. I did go with removing staples and it made life so much easier so thanks for that tip! Will keep playing about till I get it right.

[slider1983]

A lot of something.

Kidding aside, as slider1983 has said, it is possible to produce decent, readable scans on a flatbed (though you'll probably need to be dealing exclusively with stapled mags, and stuff over 200 pages will be crazy hard to scan).

I think you're correct. I was comparing Nipedly's scan of GamesMaster Presents bookazine over the one I submitted and I can understand why Kiwi chose his. I need to look at the whole scan just to make sure but definitely the middle sides look better.