Help with my scanner

[Matt Keys]

If I put a picture on the scanner and just make a copy of it without first sending it to the computer it prints almost exactly the same as the original. On the other hand, if I scan it in on highest quality and then print it without editing or making any changes the quality is about 30% less. What is the deal? 999? Anyone?

[Dan East]

Does it same images in the same file format in both cases? JPEG can be very lossy...<br><br>Dan East

[Matt Keys]

I have tried a few formats including a 24bit bitmap, still no luck.

[suchiaruzu]

I think that's because your scanner scans in YCMK (Yellow, Cyan, Magenta, Black), your printer prints in YCMK but your computer can only read RGB(Red, Green, Blue)-images. The YCMK-image is converted to RGB (losing quality) and back to YCMK (loosing quality again).<br>Whey you transfer it directly to your printer it stays YCMK and loses no quality.

[suchiaruzu]

Now I feel almost as smart as Dan

[Matt Keys]

so there is no avoiding this?

[Moose or Chuck]

get a computer that supports ycmg HAHAH, wait they don't.

[suchiaruzu]

I believe there is a format supporting YCMK-Graphics, dunno which one...

[Matt Keys]

oohh I need it...where can I find it, anyone else know?

[suchiaruzu]

I'll have a look...

[suchiaruzu]

Actually, the right spelling is YMCK

[Dan East]

Do the dead presidents really look that much better when you bypass the computer?<br><br>Dan East

[randall]

The duplication process is lossy- and the further the image is converted from one format to another the more the image is "distorted".<br><br>Sometimes it is more noticeable than others.<br><br>When copying the image, it goes through a single conversion process- the image is scanned and immediately printed. The only thing handling it the whole time is the printer and the image maintains a CMYK format.<br><br>When the image is scanned, it is converted to a digital format (usually RGB) and stored on your hard drive. Usually the image is opened and printed through a graphics application like Photoshop. The application drivers convert the image into a a format the printer can read (CMYK)and the printer prints it accordingly.<br><br>Usually there isn't much of a problem if you copying/scanning a photograph or orginal.<br><br>Problems usually arise when you are trying to copy/scan an image from a magazine or some other printed media. This is because the image is already made up of thousands of tiny dots to make it look like millions of colors. In reality the image is comprised of 4 colors- magenta, cyan, yellow and black. A high resolution scan will pick up those tiny dots and create a "moire" pattern. When the image is printed, it is dithered which basically creates a really distorted image.<br><br>Sorry, but this is really difficult to explain in forum. There are entire classes dedicated to the duplication process.

[suchiaruzu]

Wait - photos also use YMCK - but the dots are veeeeeery small. Hey, do you know those huge posters you can find on walls and stuff (you can in Germany)? When you get close to them you can see the dots!

[randall]

Photos are different, because they are not in a specific pattern. Printed media is printed through a strict halftone pattern.