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Resolution -
We price Cruse scans based on the resolution scanned at the original art size,
typically 300, 150 or 75 dpi. The
print size and resolution needed for your final use may be the same, or less,
depending on your use of the file.
Please note
that:
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Art is usually reproduced at original size or
smaller, rarely enlarged.
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A 300 dpi scan at the original art size will suffice for nearly any
future reproduction need. It also makes a good archive in case the original
is lost or damaged. However, scanning that much data for
reduced-size reproductions alone is wasteful and costly.
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The files for bigger art pieces scanned at
the higher resolutions get quite large.
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The largest
file the Cruse System can capture is 450 mb. As the original art size grows
over
1750 square inches, the maximum scanning resolution decreases
gradually from 300dpi to 213dpi at 48"x72".
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Cruse scan
files are "optical", meaning they have not been degraded through any
software interpolation routines to increase their sizes.
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EXAMPLE 1: A 300dpi
scan from a 24"x30" original has enough
pixels to make 450dpi
@16"x20"
or 900dpi
@8"x10". If you're reproducing
the art smaller than the original 24"x30" size, did you really need so many pixels
to begin with or would a lower resolution scan of the original have been enough?
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EXAMPLE 2: You're printing a 5"x6" postcard
from 24"x30" original art; the printer requests 300dpi
at the postcard size. Solution: The postcard's 5"x6"@300dpi
requires about 9 mb of data.
A 75dpi
scan of the original art will provide 11 mb of data, more than enough.
Since the postcard is so much smaller than the original,
it's not necessary in this case to scan the
original at 300dpi.
Color - The Cruse system records color more
evenly, accurately and with
more detail than any alternative but files still must be optimized
(fine-tuned) for your own final use. The amount of file optimizing required
depends on too many variables to list but two important ones are the types
of pigments in the art and the type of reproduction intended. The scanner
may see colors your eye misses or see them in a slightly different way and printing methods vary enormously; each requires its own fine tuning of the file. In some cases
there'll be little or no optimizing; in others, quite a bit.
This is normal.
Color Space -
Cruse scans are normally delivered as RGB(Adobe1998)
but we'll convert them to sRGB or
CMYK(SWOP2)
if you desire.
Texture - We notice brush strokes and other
textures because they create slight shadows and
reflections in the third dimension. Scanners, however, are two dimensional. The evenness of the
scanner's lighting system may cause fine and medium textures to nearly disappear. Good news: we can avoid some of this "flattening"
of texture by
scanning with a single light if you desire. Please inquire.
Make Ready or Scan Ready -
Scanning prices are for
Scan-Ready flat art that can be scanned after routine positioning and
removal of minor debris. Art that needs special preparation before scanning
will require "Make-Ready" services.
The additional time and materials required
for "Make-Ready" service varies widely and must
be custom quoted. In most cases we can provide a price quotation
immediately after examining the art. We use all our experience and
technical tricks to minimize the additional costs and we’ll suggest ways
you can make your own art more “scan-ready.”
More Information on Make-Ready
Download Make-Ready Evaluation Form
Frames and Glass - Most
art in frames and behind glass can be scanned very well. Deep frames
sometimes create very soft shadows at two opposite edges of the art,
depending on their profile. Glass should be clean and scratch free for best
results.
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