Weekly Famitsu 1998 12/11 (#521)

[PaulrusKeaton]

So hello everyone.

I stopped by a few years back looking to start scanning magazines while I was working on a blog. Ended that blog years ago and decided this year to take a crack at digitizing my archive. Just finished cropping my first issue but I'm still flying blind on what to do next. Here are some questions I have:

• Is there a quality standard I have to adhere to? Is there someone here would be interested in giving it a quality check before I finalize it?
• Is kitsunebi the only one "allowed" to handle Famitsu, if only out of standardization? (i.e., a format that has been stuck to with previous scans)
• Do I have to choose between the Internet Archive and here? 

[kitsunebi]

Hahaha....

I'm not the only one allowed to scan Famitsu, I'm just the only one of Retromags' 17,000 members who ever has.  And I upload my scans to the Internet Archive as well as here and OldGameMags, so there's definitely no reason you would be restricted to here.  Though I must warn you, many of my Famitsu uploads have been removed from the Internet Archive due to a copyright claim.  And Gaming Alexandria (who work via Patreon and have scanned tons of the early Famitsus) had most of their content removed from IA as well, though in their case, since they're profiting off of their scans, the publisher's claim has more merit, in my opinion.)

There are "sort of" quality standards, which can be found in the scanning guides in the RM help section.

My own standards (how I do it):

1. DEBIND THE MAG (this is probably the most important step.  Skipping this cannot be compensated for with any future steps)

2. Scan the mag at at least 300ppi (I scan at 600).  ADF scanners are WAY faster and typically better, but if you've got the patience, a flatbed will do

3. Edit the mag (this can be as simple as straighten and crop, but if you want it looking nice, it requires a lot more Photoshop work, adjusting levels and whatnot.  I also edit two-page joins as a single image, then split them back into individual pages when saving to ensure that the images line up correctly.) 

4. Pages must be saved at at least 2200px high (I save mine at around 300ppi, which is typically 3200-3500px depending on the mag)

 

 

I just checked, btw, and I do own Famitsu 521, so I do plan on scanning it eventually, but don't let that stop you.  I scan everything I own whether it's needed here or not.  I scan for myself, not those 17,000 people I mentioned earlier.

Edited Thursday at 10:13 PM by kitsunebi

[PaulrusKeaton]

10 minutes ago, kitsunebi said:

I just checked, btw, and I do own Famitsu 521, so I do plan on scanning it eventually, but don't let that stop you.  I scan everything I own whether it's needed here or not.  I scan for myself, not those 17,000 people I mentioned earlier.

Gah, hate it when that happens. But if you're okay with my version I'll keep going. Though I would like to know what is in your collection so I don't need to dedicate time to scanning something you already have (and may archive better). That way I can downsize/sell off my stock a bit faster.

[PaulrusKeaton]

Oh, and another question. Some of the pages are fold-outs. How would I want that included in the final version?

[kitsunebi]

2 minutes ago, PaulrusKeaton said:

Oh, and another question. Some of the pages are fold-outs. How would I want that included in the final version?

You cut the fold-out into individual pages to scan them (just like debinding the rest of the mag).  Depending on what's on those pages, you may want to edit them back together or it might be OK to leave them as separate jpgs.  If it's a poster (primarily just an image) it's best to edit the pages back together as a single jpg (and you may want to change the orientation if the image is printed sideways).  If the pages are primarily text and can be read one page at a time (in other words, a sentence on the left page doesn't cross over onto the right page) it's fine leaving them as separate pages.

One caveat - sometimes posters/foldouts in the middle of a mag will mess up the flow when viewing the CBR in two-page viewing mode.  Normally, you'd have even pages on the left and odd pages on the right, but a foldout can disrupt that flow, making following pages no longer match up when viewed side-by-side.  In such cases you may have to manipulate the placement of the foldout, or the way in which it's saved or oriented in order to keep facing pages in the correct order. 

It's always a good rule of thumb to consider how your scan will look in two-page mode and use that mode to look over any mag you've scanned before submitting it.  Not only will you see if something is disrupting the order of the facing pages, but you will be able to see how well you've edited the gutter side of the pages MUCH more apparently than by viewing a single page at a time.  Sometimes a poorly-scanned or edited mag can look fine in single page view and TERRIBLE when viewed in two page view (which is a shame, since two-page view mode is the way real physical magazines are read and as screen sizes and resolutions increase, is likely to be the way many people read their digital mags, as well.)

[kitsunebi]

18 minutes ago, PaulrusKeaton said:

Gah, hate it when that happens. But if you're okay with my version I'll keep going. Though I would like to know what is in your collection so I don't need to dedicate time to scanning something you already have (and may archive better). That way I can downsize/sell off my stock a bit faster.

Yeah, I can't tell you when I'll get to it, just that it's "in the pile" LOL.  Maybe I'll die first?

I'll PM you a list.  Too long to paste here.