Scanning Stamps...i Can't Get Good Images.

Thanks for all the suggestions on how to improve my poor scans.

Here were some of the options I came up with.






Too dark

Option 2







Not bad and about as close to the actual stamp as I can get.

Option 3








Just a bit too bright.

To answer the OP I would again stress that if you want good
scans buy a Standalone.

And if you want my opinion get an Epson scanner.
Preferably a V type 500 and up since with those you can get texture and the appearance of raised ink
on engraved stamps which doesnt appear to be possible with the 4390 or the 4490 models.

All-in-One Scan
Points if you know which country this stamp is from




Thanks Lithograving for the lucid demonstration.

The Standalone definitely has more upside. But an All-in-One can also provide a good image- certainly acceptable.

As you said in an earlier post...

Litho,
I don't remember anyone saying your scans were no good.
I have always found them spot on and enjoyed them.

I have been having a nightmare with OSX Mountain Lion and its insistence on 64 bit everything so that my old scanner is not fully supported e.g. scanning directly into CS6 but I have found an interim solution that doesn't involve firing up my win7 laptop

Here is my first scan. A rather over-inked France 922 which I was hoping would show some depth.

It's Scott 677, single colour violet blue.
Anthony I can't see any over-inking.
All I can see a lot of brown which looks like a terminal case of foxing.


BTW why would they issue a stamp for the 12th Anniversary ?

Ok there were 12 apostles and 12 months in the year but as far as commemorating a stamp?

They couldn't have waited for at least the 15th Anniversary?
Actually I didn't even know that the French participated in the
Battle of Narvik.

Not in this part of the world Litho http://www.timbres-de-france.com/co...hp?ligne=922

The ink is so thick on the left hand-side it has formed into a solid.
The first letters of Republic and the tops of the LHS flags show a faint reflection from the thickness of the ink.
This can also be seen around the bottom from line under Cheffer.

I was also a bit surprised to see it released in 1952

Well,as it happened, I needed a scanner for my laptop, and an Epson V600 showed up yesterday.

So what have I found?


Scott 187 scanned @ 1200 without sharpening or modifications
HP Officejet 4500 All-in-One

This was the scan I uploaded earlier, and does provide a good basic image of the stamp, and does represent the color and shade well. Note the paper texture?


Professional mode: Scanned @ 1200 as document with no sharpening or color manipulations, but "show texture" box checked.
Epson V600 Standalone

This image appears to be a bit darker than the HP scan, but otherwise looks quite similar to the HP scan.
This is the "natural" portrait of the stamp.


Professional mode: Scanned @ 1200 as a document with "low" unsharp masking, and autoexposure level of color control set to "low".
Epson V600 Stand alone

Certainly the stamp image is brighter, has more contrast and subtle shade differences, and the paper is whiter. But is it better? Or is it is a matter of taste?

I would appreciate opinions, as well as advice on getting the best out of the V600.

I scan to display the beauty of the engravers art but try to keep the image as realistic as possible so avoid most of the image processing options.
In this instance the bottome scan is my #1 choice. It is bright and sharp but the colour may not be realistic which isn't too much of an issue for me.
There are so many variables in displaying true to life colours on PCs it is a subject in itself.

Thanks AnthonyUK for the evaluation. That helps me.

Amazing! It must be in the "eye of the beholder" because when I look at jkjblue's three images just above, and not knowing what the original looks like, my favourite is the first one from the HP all-in-one.

I have both a flat-bed and a couple of all-in-ones. Might try this myself. Must remember to try the document setting rather than photo.

Ick. The Epson V600 #1 is the best, in my opinion. All I would do to it is a slight unsharp mask in Photoshop and that's it. If you're familiar with the stamp at all, the HP scans as well as the V600 #3 are distorting the color. V600 #1 is IMO the truest to the stamp in hand.

Ha-ha

Another Scanner and Scanner setting wars debate.

So far the HP scan and the two settings on the Epson 600 have each been picked as the best.

They can't all be right.....or can they?

lol - was leery about getting it all started again but its a fantastic thread even given the varied opinions. Such a great effort put in by everyone.