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Creative Scanners 1: Primary

Using the scanner
Stages
Useful Tips
Ideas  
Secondary Ideas

Using the scanner  

1. Open your scanner software
2. Lift the document cover and carefully position your page, photo, drawing or objects face down on the scanner glass
3. Close the cover gently
4. Select a Resolution: < 300 dpi (dots per inch) is adequate for most purposes; > 1200 dpi is professional print quality. The higher the resolution the bigger the file size. For web graphics 72 ppi (pixels per inch) is fine. Click here for information on optimising file sizes.
5. To keep files small change the Scale from 100% to 50% or less if you are scanning larger than A6.
6. Select either Colour, Greyscale or Black and White as the Mode.
7. The scanner should warm up for better quality scans.
8. Click on the Preview button to pre –scan the whole surface area.
9. You can now select only the area that you want to scan in the Preview window by adjusting the handles on the selection marquee: this is just like changing the size of a graphic in Word.
10. Click Scan
11. Whatever the make of your scanner and the software you are using, you should now save the scan

12. Save it to a folder or floppy disk as a .jpeg. Give the graphic a recognisable name e.g. orchid.jpg

Click on the icons for a help sheet on Using a Scanner by Hilary Jamieson, an art teacher at Waldegrave Girls' High School in Twickenham. 
Word document [169KB]  PDF [215KB]

Click on the button to download a Microsoft Word viewer if you do not have the program.

 Click on the button to download the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader.

1. Protect the glass on your scanner when using rough or messy objects by placing a sheet of clear acetate over it first

2. Keep it clean as you would a camera lens or photocopier glass

3. You can cover the objects with coloured paper or material for different effects, and with black velvet to cut out any light from the room when scanning 3-D objects

4. If you scan 3-D objects, the parts that are further away will be out of focus as scanners have a shallow depth of field.

5. Only the computer which is connected to the scanner and which has the scanner software installed can be used. So if you plan to have a class develop a creative project in the IT suite later, save individual pupil’s scans to floppy disks or a shared class folder on the network. Use the class and pupil’s name when you save the file e.g. 6Ashahidsweets.jpg

• Scan interesting textures and print them. Then cut them up for collages as with traditional rubbings. Look at the work of Max Ernst and Paul Klee for examples of frottage and collage:
  http://www.artchive.com

• You can also save your own scanned textures for filling Autoshapes to add to those in Word: Format > Autoshapes > Fill > Fill Effects > Texture > Other Texture > navigate to file. 

• These can also be used as backgrounds for Web pages: Format > Background > Fill Effects > Texture > Other Texture > navigate to file. Increase the brightness for paler backgrounds and greater legibility.  

• Scan your photo or drawing and open it up in a paint program e.g. Paint, RM Colour Magic, Paint Shop Pro where you can add colour and or text to it, rotate or flip it, make it into a repeat pattern or invert the colour.

• Scan a small full-face identity photo. In Paint or similar program, copy the face, crop it in half vertically down the centre deleting the left half. Copy and paste the right side then flip horizontally and place against the other half to make a mirror image. Do the same with the other side of the face. Compare results. Are they the same? Why do you look strange?  

Detailed tutorials on how to create this type of Warhol-style multiple-portrait in Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro 

Word document [59KB]  PDF [65KB]

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