SCANNING PICTURES TO FINAL CUT PRO

start here http://www.scantips.com/basics1c.html

then, as this comes up very frequently and all the answers are out there already, do a search. more info than i can repeat and you can wave a stick at will be revealed.

Just like this site to tell you how to build a clock when you simply ask what time it is. Great info out there don't get me wrong. I make photo montages all the time and I scan at 72 dpi. It keeps the file sizes small. I scan them as tiff files which work just fine in FCP. I mostly do the Ken Burns style effects with no pixalization.
Ymir

to Ymir

'Just like this site to tell you how to build a clock when you simply ask what time it is.'

well its 15 degrees centigrade here, what time is it with you?

so how does this help Bill when he asks for some help with scanning?

well it would help to provide the correct measuring system for a start. In this case it would be pixels for the frame size he is using and definatly not dpi

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'I make photo montages all the time and I scan at 72 dpi.'

Your workflow may well end up with an adequate result for your situation, but how can that possibly help anyone else? Stating you scan at 72dpi is meaningless when you know nothing about the posters requirements or set up.

what is being scanned, a transparency a print?
what size is the original?
what is the optical resolution of the original?
what equipment is being used?
what is the final frame size required, is it SD or HD-DV NTSC or PAL?

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To Bill I would suggest; simply scan the originals to produce a file at the video frame size your working on; for example, if it is for PAL DV video it would be 720x576 or 720x480 for NTSC DV. You may want to scan for a larger frame size to allow for enlarging or positioning the image.

refer to the Final Cut Pro Manual vol III page 339 which explains all the above.

G

In case you missed it, I left a disclaimer saying there is good info here. The original post said he was scanning photos. So, logically, one could assume that this is what we are talking about. I have scanned photos, documents etc for various corporate and individuals with no complaints. Photos ranged from 8 1/2 by 11 to 4x5 to slides. Start with 72 dpi when you set up your scanner, if that doesn't adjust go up to 100dpi, anything higher is usually good for printing purposes. Just trying to help the guy out by answering his question, not telling him where to find the answer.
Ymir

If you scan at 72 dpi then if you do any zooming in, you will get pixelization. I do photos quite often. I use 150 to 200 dpi. That allows you to do a pan and zoom without pixelization.

When you think of zooming and panning, 150 or 200 dpi scans they work fine. But when the render time comes, always lowers down the image to 72 dpi that is the base for editing images. In my case, I scan the images in a larger size but in 72 dpi for the zooming and panning issue, not just in 720x480, even you can do it in 1440x960 with 72 dpi. I don't think is so necessary to scan them in a larger dpi size if you don't have to use the images for a different purpose than FCP.
Anyway, everyone can have its own methods, this one have always worked for me just fine.

From Zeb's post on, there is only bad information here.

72 dpi has no meaning in video, it is a screen resolution, not a video file resolution. There is no resolution in video, there are only pixels. DPI is meaningless in video. You set your scanner to achieve an image size, not a resolution.

It's a difficult concept for print people and PS people to adapt and it's an endless challenge around here.

bogiesan

While this linked article is titled "Say no to 72 dpi" , it really could be titled - "Why DPI does not matter in video".

Really, DPI should be caught by the swear filter and posts that insist it matters should be locked ...
x

Hey, its not difficult for me understand. I simply go with what works. The work flow for me is, put picture in scanner, according to the scanner software, select the dpi level and type of file you want. After scan, import into FCP and edit away. FCP doesn't care of I call it dpi or pudding pops! The suggestion to scan at a higher setting is good advice if you want to zoom in.
Its a system called KISS, keep it simple stupid!

I want to say again that I think its great if your dealing with some kind of problem that the simple process above doesn't handle that there's lots of good information here to help and you can go as deep into it as you want. I have found that when dealing with photo montages that include photos and documents, the above work flow works great. I don't always need to know how a clock works to tell time, unless the clock breaks, and then I need to research to fix it (sorry I'm beating this analogy to death).
To each his own how he wants to do his work.
Ymir



Powermac G4 Mac OS X (10.4.6) 933 mgz

this debate is really all about what two sets of folk are saying;

one group say; - scan at some arbitary setting and if that doesnt work, change to another arbitary setting and if that doesnt work.....

the other group say;
take the guesswork out of scanning!

I therefore propose a challenge.

Would you like to know how to scan any type and size of image for any occaision?


Whether transparency, artwork, photo print, 35mm, 5x7'', A4, 20x16", for offset printing for video import for a desktop printer or any other use?

Well the easiest, not to mention correct method of scanning is:

scan the original to achieve a final frame size in pixels, equal to the frame size in pixels you need.

to put it in plain english; find out the pixel dimention you need and scan for that.

for DV video this is: PAL 720x576 pixels or NTSC 720x480 pixels.

The challenge; can anyone disprove that this is the easiest, most foolproof method of scanning that works every time, that you have ever heard?

answers on a post card to;
The meaning of life
Rambling Syd Rumpole
The colour suppliment
Round the Horne
London


G

That's 720x576 non square pixels, isn't it? so I think that's 768x576 in square pixels such as photoshop works in. otherwise you get aspect ratio problems.

Ok, Well the poster (Op) never said what the final end product for this photo montage.
So were did all these answers come up, PAL/NTSC settings? The op never ask for this information.

Had been in the printing industry myself for over 30 years, the desktop side. DPI (dots per inch, printing dots) is meaningless in video. In printing if we wanted 150 dots per inch we didn't scan at 150 dpi. We all way scanned at twice to three times the line screen. DPI was set at either 300 dpi or 450 dpi for a 150 line screen. It's just the way it works in computer land.

For video you use pixel dimension. If your video is 500 pixel X 300 pixel. Don't worry what the dpi is set at, 500 pixels across is 500 pixels across. You can scan up to 10% larger if you wish. I wouldn't go any larger. Final Cut has to interpolate. different dimention if you change the xy of your photo. When interpolating you lose quality.

Scan to the size you need and you'll be happy.

Let the tomatoes fly.

Psss... You proably get a better answer in a Photoshop forum. (duck)

I've been insulted......cool