What Exactly Is A Scanner? (For Images)

When people refer to scanned images, is this like a neat scanner https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001CQFRPO/ or is it like a photo copier. Also, if it is a neat scanner, do you put the stamp in a mount before you insert it to the scanner?

-Jake

Hi,
No, search for a "flatbed scanner". Scan stamps without any mounts and typically at 300 dpi.
Don

The scanning function is a standard feature of most cheap inkjet printers, together with printing and copying. Usually more expensive if a function of a laser printer.

I scan stamps both ways depending on needs.

It is nice to have the stamp on a black background to define the perforations.

I place the stamp or cover on the glass, then place a sheet of plain black paper over it, then carefully close the cover. I bought smooth-finish black paper at a craft store; it's intended for use in scrapbooking. Cheap black construction paper also can be used but the paper fibers may show up in the background of your scan.

The Epson V39 is a reliable and inexpensive choice. It connects to a computer by USB.

I just bought this one a couple of weeks ago for $70 on Amazon

https://www.usa.canon.com/internet/...can-lide-220

It's a snap to use and gives you great results like this

What I use, for single stamps, are the black 3x5 poly cards. It gives a nice black background when scanning the stamp. For larger items and covers, I have a piece of black board I place over the stamps once I have them situated on the scanner. Again, I get a nice black background which helps to show off the perfs of the stamp.

I use approval cards for scanning.

I have taken a black plastic Lighthouse approval card (black paper tends to be more grey than black and has too much texture) and attached it to a block of wood. I place the stamp face-down directly on the scanner glass with with block on top of it. This has the added effect of flattening the stamp against the glass, so any image aberration due to the curl of the stamp is minimized.

I do the same thing or put the stamp in a black mount. I often have trouble getting the scan down to the size required by SCF, especially now with the new Image Optimizer. I can never seem to get it as nice as stallzer's scan

I scan my stamps at 1200 dpi, then upload them to Flickr.

How do you get them down to the required 200 kb size after scanning at 1200 d.p.i.??

Whenever I scan at 1200, they are too big to even use the Image Optimizer.

Chris, if you use third party image hosting then you don't have to worry about the annoyances of the 200kb requirement.

-Jake

There can be significant issues with 3rd party hosting...for example the recent Photobucket debacle
https://goscf.com/t/54965&SearchTerms=bucket

Don

Like some others here, I scan stamps at 1200 dpi. I then save these scans as tiff. files. When I want to post a scan I open an editor (IrfanView usually) and reduce my image to 30 % and save as jpeg to a post this file, and don't mess with the optimizer, but that me, YMMV.

Just like Stallzer, I use a Canon LIDE series. They're very affordable and create amazing scans.

I scan 1200dpi using the software canon provides. For stamps using Gimp, I throw in an unsharp mask and a some contrast, usually 15%. For covers, I do the unsharp mask and then auto level the colors.

Had my fill of photobucket, imgur and all these "free" services. I use Smugmug to organize, display, and post my collection.