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Best scanner for comics....

Started by Apotheosis,

38 posts in this topic

Apotheosis

Apotheosis

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Yeah, I gotta get one too. That's $100 that I could have spent on comics! frown.gif We got a new Best Buy at the Chandler Mall, I'll have to give my money to.

 

Taking $100 away from comic buying is rough. makepoint.gif I got lucky. I won a $100 GC for Best Buy from work. All I paid was the tax and the $9.99 two year warranty (I know I know... I don't usually get them, but I seem to be going through a scanner a year so it was worth it for once).

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Tomega

Tomega

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Ok... I've been getting crazy with the new threads tonight I know (waaaay too many Jamaican 10 speeds will do that to a person), but I was wondering if anyone had some good advice on a scanner for comics. I have a UMAX right now, but after every other scan I have to unplug it for a while to get rid of the ugly yellow stripes that appear. Any suggestions on what is best? 893scratchchin-thumb.gif

 

There were several Umax scanners that had an issue with the power supplies. As the scanner gets hot from the power supply you will get yellow stripes. By unplugging it you are letting it cool down. Do you own the Astra 1220 or similar? Replacing the power supply and it will solve your problem but it is not worth the money. Go by another unit. In fact a similar circumstance has happened on many HP models and some Microtek scanners.

 

 

 

EDIT - I just read that you bought a new one so this post is a moot point now.

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Tomega

Tomega

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How do people come up with the nice scans of CGC books on here? Are these the pictures that can be purchased from CGC when the book is graded, or do these people have better scanners? I've never purchased the pictures from CGC when I've sent books for grading -- should I be paying for the pictures, also? Looking for any recommendations.

 

I purchased the Umax 2100XL. It is hands down the nicest scanner I have ever used. It is super fast ( SCSI 2) and handles 12" X 17" so I can fit just about anything. The software is professional quality and really makes a difference on scans. It has a good Dmax ( basically the rating that shows the how well it shows up black colors and shadows), low noise, and very accurate color reproduction.

If you are serious about scans then I would totally recommend it. The only detraction is the price, it is not for everyone's wallet. If you want something more reasonable , take a look at the Umax 1000 - you can pick it up for about $350 on the net. If you want the 2100XL there is someone on eBay that has has it for a song and dance - starting bid $300, retail is about $1400.

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Rob

Rob

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I picked up the HP Scanjet 3970 and it does a great job. High res scans take all of 5 seconds to complete thumbsup2.gif The pic below is an example of what it scans like... All those white spots in the pic are from the lint trapped inside the CGC case (annoying). Shows just how well the scanner picks things up.

 

Do you still like it? I read some pretty bad reviews on Amazon. They said the software sucks, and you can't save your settings? Is that true, do you have to reload your settings each time you want to scan? Did you have to make any color adjustments? It's $92 on Amazon with free shipping, and I have a $10 gift certificate. So it'd be $82 out the door. I wonder if there's any $x off $75 coupons!

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Apotheosis

Apotheosis

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It's only been a week or so for me, but it works great. The software that it comes with is a tad basic, but it gets the job done. As far as having to reset your settings every time.... you do have to change "save to" folders each time and you have to change size settings everytime. It's not a big deal for me because those things only take an extra 5 - 10 seconds. The only adjustments that I usually do is lighten up the pics afterwards, but I've had to do that for every scanner I've ever had. confused-smiley-013.gif

 

Keep in mind... I have only scanned comics in this so far since I don't tend to scan my photos. Photos may come out differently. Scanning film negatives also takes a bit of fiddling with, but I don't scan those very much either. All in all it's still the best scanner I've had since I won't pay huge prices for them.

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Apotheosis

Apotheosis

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I have a HP 3500c and it scans CGC books OK. It can't scan the entire length, but it focuses on the book, no the reflection. This is a straight scan, no editing.

 

Wow, what size is that pic?

 

Looks like a standard 100% to me. That's what mine does at 100% anyway.

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kahml

kahml

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The only adjustments that I usually do is lighten up the pics afterwards, but I've had to do that for every scanner I've ever had.

 

Two "hints and tips" for the group:

 

1. See if you have an option labeled "Unsharp Mask." If you do, select or check it. This will instruct the imaging software to automatically sharpen the image.

 

Yeah, it does the opposite of what you think it would. Try it with a raw book and compare the difference to see whether you like it or not.

 

2. If you are using an LCD display, the manufacturer probably has a set of files called ICMs. Windows uses ICM to match the colors in your output device to your screen so that, well, what you see is what you get. (It is called something else for Mac's, I forget what.)

 

Go to your LCD manufacturer's site to find the ICM files and install them on your system. Then, in your imaging software (I use Epson's Twain), look for the color management function. It should be one of the configuration options - select the output "device" to use the appropriate ICM file.

 

This should give you the most appropriate color rendition possible.

 

Note: There are times when I have to turn the ICM off for CGC scans because the light gets reflected back and the image ends up darker than I want.

 

Oh yeah, here's a freebie - read the product's help files. You never know what you might find...

 

Hope that helps!

 

Larry

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UnrulyAppendage

UnrulyAppendage

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I have a HP 3500c and it scans CGC books OK. It can't scan the entire length, but it focuses on the book, no the reflection. This is a straight scan, no editing.

 

Wow, what size is that pic?

 

Actually, I don't know. I guess it's full size. I ran a scan on the default settings. This was my first CGC book to scan so I wanted to see if it had the same trouble as others. The default setting is 300 dpi at 24 bit color. If I set it lower, around 150-100, the image would be smaller, or it is for regular comics.

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greggy

greggy

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Any suggestions on tweaking my Canon scanner settings to get it to focus on the book, and not the CGC case? Do your HP scans just pick the book up on its own with a normal scan, or is there some setting that you can share to get the same result from a Canon?
Unfortunately, the Canon scanner that you own won't be able to scan CGC books properly. I used to own the same model and no adjustment will make it look half decent. The HP that I bought picks up the book with the default settings with no problem.
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Rob

Rob

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Any suggestions on tweaking my Canon scanner settings to get it to focus on the book, and not the CGC case? Do your HP scans just pick the book up on its own with a normal scan, or is there some setting that you can share to get the same result from a Canon?
Unfortunately, the Canon scanner that you own won't be able to scan CGC books properly. I used to own the same model and no adjustment will make it look half decent. The HP that I bought picks up the book with the default settings with no problem.

 

I have a Canon myself. It won't do CGCs for $#!*. I do like that it saves settings. So all I do is hit the button on the front, and when the program opens, hit scan. Then I adjust size and sharpness in Photoshop. I want an HP for CGC, but don't want to adjust settings each time I open the software.

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musicmeta

musicmeta

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How do people come up with the nice scans of CGC books on here? Are these the pictures that can be purchased from CGC when the book is graded, or do these people have better scanners? I've never purchased the pictures from CGC when I've sent books for grading -- should I be paying for the pictures, also? Looking for any recommendations.

 

Epson Perfection 1650 scanner thumbsup2.gif

I use a free web hosting sight www.photobucket.com thumbsup2.gifthumbsup2.gif

 

Thanks a bunch for letting me know about this photobucket.com sight smile.gif

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