RootsChat.Com
Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Free Photo Restoration & Date Old Photographs => Topic started by: Jane Eden on Sunday 19 June 05 23:18 BST (UK)
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When I save an image there is a list of about 10 different file types. Bitmaps, Gif, jpeg etc. I know I need a jpeg, resolution 72, size about 8 inches for the longest side for Rootschat, but if I want to save the best photo which file type do I choose. What do they all mean?
Jane
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Hi Jane
I have been told that "tiff" is the best as you can play around with the photo without loosing definition.
You don't need to know what the letters stand for! - thats for the computer buffs.
You just need to know which site accepts what extension!! ;D
Cheers
Keith
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Hi Jane,
If you want the truest digital reproduction of your photos, the best file type is Tiff. Have a look at the following link.
http://www.ekdahl.org/kurs/archiving_photo_images.htm
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Cheers Deadants
I knew there would be a link somewhere.
Jane
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Hi, Jane...For those of you who just read this and think that saving as a tiff will be enough....please also know that it also has to be scanned at highest resolution using colour so as not to lose sepia tones....and saved in at least 600 dpi for a std. 4x6 photo ....jpgs are for email distribution,web use and as an extra copy for quick viewing. As long as everyone is aware that even tifs can be bad files if not large enough....
and don't forget to save the file to disc ....( No, floppies won't cut it here...)
If you don't have a cd burner...upload it directly to your photographic printer ( I mean the one down the street...computer inks won' t cut it either, unless this is temporary)
Best of luck with your photographs!!!
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Cheers JJ. If I save to a jpg can I then convert it back to a tiff or will it have lost something. When I save to a jpg it goes on about a lossyfile or something.
Jane
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Hope I didn't reply twice....I'm such a newbie on this posting & chat thing
Yes indeed, jane....it will have lost something!
However, if all you have is a jpg. still save it as a tiff for your files, as that's all you have to begin with. I was just warning people never to save a scanned file as a jpg. Lossy, and lossier the more often it is saved....unless of course it is for web use. Don't get me wrong, if all you want to do is look at it on your monitor....then it's o.k. too. Just not for a keepsake....
All the best, J.J.
Have edited to make it read properly, as it is an advice thread which may still be read by many. The lack of the copy now in red made the answer seem ambiguous.
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Thanks for your reply. What does lossy mean?
Jane
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JPEG is a "lossey" file format, which means that in order to achieve the kinds of compression we see in JPEG files, the image is altered to varying degrees to create repeatable patterns that can be more easily compressed, or in other words, the image quality is reduced.
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Thanks, it's a word I was not familiar with. So it reduces the detail for ever.
Jane
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Yep, once you lose it you can't get it back. This is why you save your original scan so you can start again if things go bad.
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Of course the best time to get the best file is from the scanning stage. Its best to scan the image and obtain the best information before choosing your file format. http://www.image-restore.co.uk/blog/saving-your-images-correctly-for-photo-restoration/ This short article shows the affects of JPEG compression and why simply saving at 300 dpi isn't always the best option which so many people give as "advice" for scanning image ready for restoration!
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Thanks photo repair, I believe deadants and I covered all of the above... none of us have ever given scanning "advice" other than the highest resolution one's scanner will output, and min. of 600 d.p.i. :D Welcome to rootschat.
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Sorry if you have gone over this but i cant find it if you did. Scanning at top setting or as high as it will go is great as long as you scanner isnt interpolating and its a dedicated scanner. All in one printer scanner copiers are horrendous and introduce fluffy edges where there were none to start with! Once gain sorry it covered this topic.
Kind Regards
Neil
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Well, our advice was for scanners and that isn't a scanner...But then I guess that would be like calling a cel phone a camera just because it takes images... ;D J.J.
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Well this is an interesting discussion...........It just shows the many different opinions of scanning for photo restorations ............ even amongst professionals like yourselves. ::) ::) ::)
Irene
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Thanks for the advice, all - we are looking at copying some pictures to a digital format and I must admit that I had no idea about the .tiff images being the best to use. Thanks for helping me with that BEFORE we start any scanning ;D
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...This short article shows the affects of JPEG compression and why simply saving at 300 dpi isn't always the best option which so many people give as "advice" for scanning image ready for restoration!
Our "Resizing" tutorial covers jpeg compression issues:
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,372537.0.html
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Welcome to rootschat williamthesailor ;D When you see other advice on here for saving as a jpg, and at 300 d.p.i. or more that is only for uploading for fixups on this board, as the server only accepts half a meg files.
For your own files...you'll want the best resolution images possible.