Why You Should Scan Your Artwork Instead of Photographing

Over the last couple decades, there have been a whole lot of technological advancements in the world of digital media that have resulted in scanners being not only less expensive than ever before, but also of much higher quality. If you’re an artist, digital scanning in Culver City, CA is the best way of digitally reproducing your work, especially compared to photographing it.

Scanning is a simple process, and doesn’t require you to invest in additional equipment like special cameras, lenses and lighting. It’s a very accurate process that prevents the artwork reproduction from being affected by issues such as lens distortion or shadows.

With this in mind, here are some things you should know about scanning your artwork so you can get the best results possible when doing so.

What kind of artwork should you scan?

Generally, you’re going to want to reserve scanning for “flat” artwork of smaller sizes—in other words, artwork that’s on paper and that has a mostly flat texture. Large scanners can cost a lot of money, which you might not have to throw around, especially if you’re just getting into digital reproductions for the first time.

So what size paper are you able to work with on a standard scanner? Typically, anything above A2 in size is going to be difficult. Most scanners have glass panes larger than A4, and you can “stitch” artwork together digitally by scanning it in smaller portions. This is a tricky process, though, and one you might not necessarily be comfortable with. Fortunately, a company like ArtScans Studio, Inc. offers scanning services that can accommodate larger artworks.

Scanning is more than just pushing a few buttons

While the actual process of scanning is quite simple, there’s more that goes into a successful scan than just placing the artwork down and pushing a button. You also need to make sure you’re scanning the artwork into the proper file type and with the correct pixel count/density. You should consider whether or not you’ll need to perform any color correction on the resulting image, and if you want to try scanning items that are larger or have a little more texture.

Common types of scanners

There are several common types of scanners that you might consider investing in if you’re looking to scan your artwork. The most common are CIS and CID scanners.

CIS scanners require flat media, so if you know you’re only going to be scanning sketches or other completely flat artwork, then this should suffice for you. CID scanners allow the scanned object to be raised just slightly off the glass, allowing you to get a little bit of texture into the image.

These are just a few factors you’ll need to consider when you begin scanning your artwork for the very first time. For more information about how to get the best results out of digital scanning in Culver City, CA, or to benefit from the highest quality art scanning in the industry, we encourage you to contact ArtScans Studio, Inc. today.

Categorised in: Digital Scanning