PaulrusKeaton

Well like I said in another thread I've 80% finished a scan of Famitsu #521, even though kitsune already has that one in their archive.... Well, this is my first scan and I'm using GIMP... which makes everything pretty rough. Also, the tutorial provided is for Photoshop and I'm not getting similar results. Specifically, the brightness/contrast makes everything look washed out.

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

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.

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?

So a couple weeks back I scanned this ad for MobyGames and my blog, but before uploading it I went to town with the healing brushes to try and remove the text from the page behind it, which was bleeding through. I thought I got it all, or at least what would interfere the most, but when I looked at it on my phone a couple days later, I noticed that there was still a lot. This left me with the following questions: are there any tricks/hacks to nullify the see-through during the scanning process, and if I'm not seeing certain details on one screen, what should I be looking for in monitor/tablet specs when it comes to image editing?

Oh, also. If someone is already working on the full 2009 Nintendo Powers, I'd like to know. That way I can get rid of my copies and just go with whatever is scanned here.

I have an printer/scanner combo that I bought for its wider scan bed, perfect for Game Informers and other magazines that went wide. It does have an auto-feed but I don't use it often, as I like to have a more precise control over the output. (Secret weapon, a ruler on the bed.) But again, the creases are such nonsense, and there's still the concern with stitching spreads together into a full, solid image with no obvious splits. I may have found a trick to combat the wrinkles. While some are still visible, I tried a different approach when putting this together. Instead of blasting the pages with the heat gun, I heated the spine, so only the glue would get heated(?) and the page remains less warped. But paper quality may also be a reason: the HAWX ad came from Game Informer, and I've noticed those pages are glossier. Another issue I have encounter with this scanner has been these white stripes that appear in some scans. It doesn't matter if the page is removed or still in the binding. Unless I have it at a certain position, the gutter end always gets lit up. I'm wondering if it was to do with it facing the light in the scanner, verses facing away. I do have a question about Game Informers in general. Do they already offer an official archive for members? Not just the newer "enhanced" digital issues, but a full collection? If so, that can save me some time and space: I can just butcher the ones I have for the ads and pitch them without much concern. But overall, you already have his workload and this partnership, of sorts. I just have myself and a job with obnoxious amounts of overtime and weekend work. I'm actually scheming to leave and start taking college courses in archiving, since that seems to be what I am leaning to these days. But for now, I just need a few tips and tricks in GIMP to work out the creases and other goobers.

Oh, and Nintendo Power

I have a variety. GamePro, EGM, PSM, PlayStation Magazine (USA and Japan), Famitsu, Saturn Fan, and a few odds and ends.

So last year, I had this grand scheme to start scanning and editing my enormous backlog of gaming magazines, but life/work became imbalanced as all eff. I very much want to contribute to the sites that have kept my blog going, but it turns out the workload may be more than I can manage at the moment. Not only that, but I'm armed with only GIMP, a scanner that loves to highlight creases, and a rusty background in digital editing. So I'm looking for some guidance I guess? I can just start listing some random things. First off, my scans have been quick and dirty due to my limited free time. For example, here's a scan I cobbled together a half-hour ago: It highlights many of my ongoing problems. In particular, the mirrored creases. I believe they are the result of my heat gun and my scanner just loves to highlight them. I've tried scanning in a dark room but that doesn't seem to work, though I've had some success with putting in the pages upside-down to prevent a white gutter when it comes time to stitch. But that brings me to my next issue: gutter shadows. My last scanner had this wonderful preset that would remove most of the darkness before scanning, but not no more: now I need to learn this, so I like some tips. While just cropping out the gutter portions is an option, my goal for magazine spreads to to create a solid, minimally contrasted image like I've seen in some of kitsune's work. (I'm not assuming it's magic: but acquired skill on his part.) But of course, this is for my blog stuff. If I want preserve these magazines, it seems all I can do is offer raw materials, as it were, and ask for help from other users, hat in hand. Before starting this rambling post, I noticed some talk about some posting their raw scans into Google Drive and, I guess, offering it up for labor? Or perhaps negotiate an agreement/partnership with someone here? I'm diving headfirst here and... well... again, in over my head and pretty lost. Finally, there's the copyright issue. Again, I poked my head into another post and noted that what we're doing isn't 'legal'. So does that mean out work has a shelf life? Do we need to expect that all of our labor can be struck down with a single claim? (e.g. 'Nintendo Power') I guess I'm concerned with making a lasting impact.

So, here's an update. The freeware program I used wasn't enough. I found a preset for B4 pages, but the height was always off. So for now, I'm cutting my losses and doing the whole skewing/cropping thing manually. Next time I'll try to plan better. I'll check back in when I'm ready to compile for the site/Internet Archive.

I may have actually found a candidate. I'll keep you guys posted. I'm going to tinker a bit and then I need to get to bed.

I didn't need a program to crop pages: I have Photoshop for that. What I was looking for was an PDF editor that would allow me to use the raw 17x11 scans, like in the first file and easily compile each side of them into numerical order. As you know, the pages saddle-stitched magazines are laid out to be from opposite end of the magazine. Normally, your process would be to take a straight edge/scissors to them and scan them one by one, just as my direct route would be to into each 17x11 file and break it down to two pages. What I'm seeking is a program/function that takes out that manual cropping and splits it off to its own distant number. Like, if one half is page 86 and the other is 115 I can split it and name it as such on the spot, without having to make another file.

Oh, I only did that to keep ads together. Like I said earlier, I have a feeding tray and can do double-sided scans so keeping things in numerical order isn't that much of a hassle, though it does depend on which side gets scanned first.

Certainly! So here's a raw TIFF from my current project, unedited with Photoshop (It's a big file. FileFactory wouldn't even allow a Preview! Or maybe it's because of the file type.) Here's a lesser resolution, JPG Nintendo Power scan from the same scanner. It's two ads for the sake of easier archiving (I often need certain content quickly for my blog) And here's just scan from my last scanner, which I didn't brighten for some reason.

Here's what I have, but it's not wireless: https://epson.com/For-Work/Printers/Inkjet/WorkForce-WF-7710-Wide-format-All-in-One-Printer/p/C11CG36201

Hmm. Looks like I may have an A3 after all. I just don't need it for this project. (there's a slider and the most it stops at is B4. A3 seems to be manila envelope size. Didn't pay car price for it though. May have been over $200 at Staples.

I actually have a auto-feed scanner, can't say if it's an A3 though. I know the bed is long enough to hold a folded out mag though.

So I'm finally set up to start scanning for the site. I'm starting with 300dpi and TIFF formats, after some quick lurking taught me that's what is preferred. But now I've hit a block: figuring out the Internet Archive's system, finding a good (freeware?) PDF editor, also finding a streamlined way of dealing with 17x11 printer spreads. Internet Archive I'm planning of sending my spreads to both here and the archive, but I'm lost on the submission process. If I want the scans viewed in magazine form on the page viewer itself, do I need to upload each page individually? And do I need to provide the multiple formats myself? Freeware PDF I have Photoshop CS6 on my laptop, and I see it has a ability to export as .pdf, but can I build a multi-page document with it? This leads into my next question. Printer Spreads My first scan is a Japanese Saturn magazine, which uses the saddle-stitched 17x11 format. My mom is a printer, so she recognizes these as "printer spreads" and she says she may be able to use a program called PitStop to split up the 17x11 scans into regular pages without manually cropping each one. However, I don't want her to take up her work time and the program itself is expensive. So, knowing the plenty of old magazines were printed this way, are there any tips/processes that you guys would suggest to streamline the process?

Le sigh~ That sucks. Stupid damn Yankee prices... freaking shipping charges... Oh well, guess It's just going to be GamePro and EGM from me! And Nintendo Power if we've been able to sort that whole mess out.

Ha! Not around here. If I'm not mistaken, you live in Japan, so I don't get to pay $1-2 for Famitsu! That said, based on what you told me and disregarding shipping prices, I've been getting scalped by most of these sellers! I'll be more careful in the future, or just leave the Japanese issues to locals; starting to sound like it's not worth the obscure mahjong game ads. As for my American mags, like GamePro and EGM, they're mostly disposable due to age and the way we used to store our back issues growing up (see: flat, stacked up in a cardboard box) and the pages are easily falling out anyway.

I am very familiar with heat guns and I plan to make them my go to as well. I too also like to make seamless scans of spreads with no gutter cutoff when I can. However, I'm not up for disposing of magazines when I'm done unless they're in really bad condition afterwards; I've been been dropping mad cash on back issues of Famitsu and it would be painful if I wasn't able to put them back together. I didn't think they even sold those anymore! I think I'll stick with my sour apple Rockstars. Oh, and full disclosure. I've been using RM scans for my blog for over 3-4 years now, with proper scanner credits whenever I can.Thought it was time to repay the favor.

Howdy, folks. I've been accumulating a large amount of magazines, kept from my childhood and bought/preserved for blogging, and I'm looking to add to the database, as well as The Internet Archive. I skimmed the Scanning Guides but didn't see much in the way of efficiency, outside of individually scanning each page with a typical office scanner. What are the better solutions for getting started?

The old NP scans are still up on EmuParadise... I hope that site isn't considered taboo around here.