Stupid ? #1 Resolution

[tranquilsea]

I have been told that scanning any picture over 300 dpi is overkill. But I have also seen pictures that once they are blown up are pixelated. Is there any rule of thumb to use to balance quality with a smaller resolution?

The pictures that I have questions about, right now, range from a little larger than a thumbnail to 8X10s. I'll be printing restored copies at a size of 5x7 or 8x10.

I have read this site's advice on shrinking a photo's size to fit under 100mb and I'll give that whirl, but it would be nice to know what to scan the first 8x10 picture at.

TY in advance

Annabelle

[Swampy]

Your scan software should allow you to set the resolution (300 DPI) and an output size (8x10) so scan at 300 for the largest print size you think you will need. Let the scanner do the work of enlarging a small image for larger output.

There are exceptions. For example, if you are scanning line art for placement in a printed piece, scan at 1200 DPI at the nearest size to final output. Slides also should be scanned at a minimum of 1200 DPI.

It's always easier to size down than to size up!

[PeteyB]

To expand upon Swampy's reply, here is a great scanning site that answers your question

http://www.scantips.com/faq2.html#resol

Pete

[tranquilsea]

I knew there was a formula out there ...thank you both for the posts. Now I'm off to re-scan....

[Dave.Cox]

This is a really good guide, and for most instances I agree with it. One exception however, is when you need to restore. I find it a lot easier to repair photos with a lot of damage if I "Overscan". Especially if it is a small transparency as with film. I then make the repair at the higher resolution, and then reduce the resolution to the desired resolution. 300 ppi for printing or 72 ppi for screen.

That scanning calculator on the site PeteyB referenced is pretty cool.