Chronicles of The Chronicle: 2

Just when you think it's safe, things happen. I sent some sample issues over to the imaging service for trials. The size of the project required scanning on a commercial ADF scanner. Scanning on a flat bed scanner would take too much man-power and way too long. Scanning on a Planetary Scanner was an option, but most bureaus who use these tend to charge big bucks. Once again, the relatively small size of this project excluded us from some of the better local bureaus.

The first sample came in. Problems. Figuring out why there were problems was the first problem. Here is a sample of the cover of one of the issues when full color was introduced. This sample came through very washed out, with quite a bit of moire effect within the reproduction of the painting. I spoke quite a few times to Jennifer as we tried to figure out the how's and why's. The scanning service tried a variety of different settings to no avail.

I thought back to problems I had had with another job. The elements we dealt with here were:

Scanner>Scan Software>PDF software

Each element brought in it's own particular take on the project. The ADF scanner, as with most of it's ilk, would not go above 400 dpi. Some ADF scanners will go to 600 dpi, but there is really no appreciable difference when it comes to PDF production. The Scan Software has it's own mind. Various levels of compression, image conversion and what-not are sifted into the scanned image. Manually tweaking the software is possible, but only to some extent. Why?  Because the scan software is designed to work with a particular ADF scanner and tough luck on us. Then there is the PDF production software. This beast wants to apply further compression, OCR and so on. By the time you get to the final product, all sorts of hardware and software gremlins have had a field day with your beloved Chronicle.

As is my wont, I exported the PDF images as TIFF files and opened them in Photoshop Elements (no, not Photoshop CS. I'm both too cheap and too chicken to tackle that monster). Examining the TIFF files told me something that had not occured to me before, even though it should have. The original color journal cover was a halftone. Duh. Of course it was and what was I thinking?

Scanning halftone images is my bane. Particularly scanning halftone images with an ADF scanner. Briefly, halftone images are measured in lines per inch (LPI). Scanners scan in a linear path. If there is any deviation between the halftone image and the scanner's mechanical and software controlled path... you guessed it, you get moire patterns messing up your image. With flat bed scanners, it's possible to scan at 400 dpi and almost eliminate the patterning. Many halftone images were created with a grid equal to or approaching a 400 dpi image. It's a half-baked trick that can work if all the astrological signs in the heavens are in order.

We couldn't change the scanner or the scan software. I even tried creating a PDF in Acrobat Pro 8 instead of the particular PDF software the bureau used. A little better, but not good enough. Returning to Photoshop Elements, I was able to produce this image. Not bad. The final trick was increasing Contrast first, then Brightness second. I know... in the Photoshop pull down menu, Brightness is always placed before Contrast. When dealing with recalcitrant old photographs and scans of old stuff, adjust Contrast first, then Brightness. Trust me. It works.

Paul Womack will most likely be able to explain this in all kinds of technical detail, but I can't. All I can say is by playing with Contrast and Brightness, you can artificially defeat the moire effect.

The next problem was, how do you handle this adjustment with nearly 4000 pages of material?

You guessed it... you'll have to wait until Chronicles of The Chronicle: 3

Till then
Gary