I'm only guessing here, since I don't know in what format you are storing your
intial scans.
You said that the clown pictures you printed were made from a 'huge file' and
looks great.
My thought is that the initial scan of the clown was stored in .tif or some
other uncompressed format. Since the image was stored uncompressed ALL the image
data is availablr to print from, hence the print 'looks great'. I noticed that
the images on your site are in .gif format, which is a compressed format. In
compressed format some of the image data is lost in order to make the files
smaller. If your intial scan was stored in a compressed format, then you further
manipulated the image, adjusting gamma, contrast/brightness or resizing, etc..,
then save the file again in a compressed format, then further data loss is
incurred. The result can be the haloing artifacts you see in the background, and
blocky, contrasty images elsewhere.
Try this instead:
Create the initial scan in an uncompressed format, like .tif, .psp or .raw and
store it in that format.
Open the uncompressed file, make any adjustments to the color, gamma,
brightness/contrast.
Resize the file to the desired dimensions.
Apply an 'unsharp mask' to sharpen the image. (This sounds contradictory to me
but it works. Can someone tell me why?)
Lastly save the editted image in a compressed format like .gif or preferably
.jpg. (.Jpg has more flexible compression rules.)
Your scans should look a whole lot better.
As you learn more, you'll find that the initial scan need not be 2400 dpi,
stored in files tens of megabytes in size. Try a lower resolutions that will
produce a good image to start editing.
I am only relating what I have been discovering the more I use my imaging
software.
I too experienced a period where my scans looked more crappy then they do now.
At first I blamed the scanner, now I'm thinking that the opreator just needs
more experience in the digital darkroom.
P.S. A similar thread went through the group a few weeks ago.
Perhaps a list member will repost some of the urls to sites on the
subject. Try Phillpi Greespun's site photo.net (?)
Charles 'Still finding my way' Packard
Birmingham, Alabama USA
Charles Loeven wrote:
> I started out creating a page to compare TTL and Flash meter shots
> but wound up with a problem of my own.
> Why do my web pic's come out all funny looking?
> I especially have this problem with high key and with higher res
> scans reduced to 72 dpi JPEG.
> This didn't always happen. I have some clown pics that I scanned to
> a huge file and printed on an ink jet printer that look great.
> Now I just get junk no matter what I do.
> http://www.geocities.com/soho/hall/7283
>
> Charlie L.
>
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