yaoi.caIntroduction
Why Scan
There are essentially three different reasons for scanning:
- The quick and dirty; usually to show something off
- A very good-looking scan; for archive or sample offerings
- High-quality; for the purposes of creating a scanlation
The quick and dirty method involves simply placing the page desired for scanning on the scanner, scanning the page without tweaking any scanner settings and sharing the results. This is definitely sufficient to get a sense of artwork, story, or anything else the person scanning wishes to share. Please understand that a quick and dirty scan yields everything from poor scans to very good-looking scans (depending on the scanning method, scanner and software used as well as how the automatic settings are set up).
A very good-looking scan often involves pressing a page down on the scan bed as flat as possible, tweaking the settings of the scanner for almost every page (i.e. leveling manually with each scan), outputting in high-quality, and usually performing further edits in a graphics program. Far more time-consuming than the quick and dirty method, but also providing archive quality results.
High-quality scans involve the same process as a very good-looking scan, plus far more attention to certain details. For instance, pages might be physically removed from a manga (called debinding), and/or considerable effort made within the scanning and graphics program in order to produce as close to perfect an image as possible (i.e. tilting or straightening crooked pages).
The majority of the scans that I create are for Yaoi Daily as well as my own web site. I strive towards creating a very good-looking scan. I sometimes fall short of that, and other times find myself pleased with the results. I do, however, scan for scanlations as well. Consequently, I will discuss both creating a very good-looking scan and a high-quality scan.
Please note that my method is not the only method out there. This is simply the method that I use based on my own experience and what I've learned from others. There are others out there who produce far better scans than myself, and while I endeavour to learn as much as I can from other people, I do have some physical limitations preventing me from being as attentive as I would like. However, if my own experience is helpful to others, then that's wonderful.
Software Used
- CanoScan Toolbox 4.1 (for scanning)
- ACDSee (for image viewing, batch rename, and creating zip files)
- Macromedia Fireworks 8 (for graphic manipulation)
Tools
A good quality scanner is always advisable. Canon scanners are one of the best on the market and frequently the most value for your money. I use a CanoScan 5000F and I'm quite content to continue using this scanner until it finally dies. The CanoScan software is considered one of the most versatile and tweakable "bundled with scanner" programs out there, making it very appealing for those who scan manga. Some people who scan find the Epson produces sharper images without pressing the manga flat to the glass, but the bundled software is nowhere near as flexible as Canon's.
Before I begin scanning, I always clean the glass of the scanner with a glass cleaner (don't use any harsh chemicals). And make sure that the glass is thoroughly dry before placing your manga or any other book on top of the glass.
Use a microfiber cloth (pictured in yellow above) to wipe down the glass every so often during the scanning process. Older manga, in particular, tends to "shed its fibres" as you turn the pages, set the book on the glass etc. These small paper fibres and dust can adversely affect the quality of your scan and are best cleaned off the glass with a microfiber cloth.
Use a thick, large, dark towel to cover the entire scanner so that no light leaks in to disrupt the quality of the image.
Use heavy books to weight down the scanner lid and press the manga as close as possible to the glass. As a quick aside, I usually do not remove the pages from my manga (the only exception is for The Dr. Ten Translation Project, because I'm insanely in love with the series and wish the scanlation to look as good as possible as well as be as easy as possible for me to work with). I have absolutely no reservation in cracking the spines as I'll never sell my books and don't mind the well-loved look.
When scanning samples, I usually plan out the particular pages I wish to scan ahead of time. I mark pages with reusable sticky plastic flags (kind of like Post-it notes). As I remove the flags, I stick them up on the side of my desk (see the picture above) where I can conveniently grab them for marking another book.
