Scanner As A Tool (don't mean Greggy!)

[PovertyRow]

First - sorry Greggy - it was irrestible!

 

Second - I have been thinking about using various colored acetates or plastic sheets to lay on top of the scanner bed before placing a book on it. Also some UV sheets and infrared sheets (if available) etc. Yes, I know the scanner's light source is not optimized for such but it may be intriquing to experiment with various restoration techniques on a book and then scan it through such plastic film.

 

Anyway - I am gonna try it. Will take a couple of weeks or a month for me to setup - get some junkie stock, some watercolors, acrylics, refresh my methyl cellulose supply, some starch pastes etc etc etc. Also to fins a source for the plastic sheets!

 

This is something I CAN do in my apartment that is currently too small for a studio!

 

So just posting now but think it will be an interesting experiment.

[greggy]

[PovertyRow]

Aww - gimme a smile you big lug!

[greggy]

Aww - gimme a smile you big lug!

 

No! You've betrayed me for the last time!

[PovertyRow]

No! You've betrayed me for the last time!

 

Errrr - well - actually - I haven't!

 

Now tell me THAT isn't worth a smile!?

[greggy]

[PovertyRow]

Awwww!

[Aman619]

my attendance has been spotty lately...what is this restoration scanning experiment about?

[PovertyRow]

my attendance has been spotty lately...what is this restoration scanning experiment about?

 

Your spotty attendance has no bearing - it is a new idea I have been thinking about for a bit.

 

I am now curious about how restoration may be revealed if a book is scanned using a variety of colored plastic sheets (one at a time of course) on the scanner bed with the book on top of them. Also if any ultraviolet/infrared etc. type lightwave sheets would be available for the same purpose.

 

So I have to do the following:

 

1) get some representative POS BA/SA/GA books as cheaply as possible to experiment with

 

2) Apply various restoration techniques to them

 

3) Scan them each through a variety of plastic sheets as outlined above.

 

4) Report the results (and a fat ZERO will still be reported)

 

I am thinking of using this technique wirth a scanner in a simllar way a black light is used to reveal inpainting.

[Aman619]

okay, I get ya.

 

Do you think whatever happns to the light after going thru the plastis, bouncing of the comic and back again thru the plastic will even be registered by the scanner?

 

Sounds like a nice bit of fun...just trying to see whether anything will show up...

 

Opening the scan in photoshop, converting to cmyk and searching the individual plates might reveal more...I never tried it, but interesting stuff shows up that gets lost once the eye looks at all four plates together.

[PovertyRow]

Opening the scan in photoshop, converting to cmyk and searching the individual plates might reveal more...I never tried it, but interesting stuff shows up that gets lost once the eye looks at all four plates together.

 

Nice! Really nice! I spent many years in pre-press where we made those YMCK negs and been on countless press runs. And yes - individual examination of each acetate scan under the appropriate 4c color is something I had in mind!

 

Man, you be one sharp cookie!

[blowout]

Opening the scan in photoshop, converting to cmyk and searching the individual plates might reveal more...I never tried it, but interesting stuff shows up that gets lost once the eye looks at all four plates together.

 

I think aman has the key here. Save yourself some money POV on the colored acetates and just scan the books as is, then check them out using photoshop, filtering the CMYK layers. Be interesting to see the results.

Just as a side note, using Photoshop is also a great way to check if any restoration work has done on comic book SCANS on eBay, that you suspect may have been altered.

[PovertyRow]

I think aman has the key here. Save yourself some money POV on the colored acetates and just scan the books as is, then check them out using photoshop, filtering the CMYK layers. Be interesting to see the results.

 

I appreciate what you are saying but the idea is just TOO intriquing to me. I may find nothing that Photoshop wouldn't reveal - BUT - who knows? This is that insanely fun aspect of exploration that makes even a failure worthwhile, because even a failure is actually informative!

[blowout]

This is that insanely fun aspect of exploration that makes even a failure worthwhile, because even a failure is actually informative!

 

You obviously have your heart set on this one Pov, so have fun! We wait with eager anticipation for your findings.

[PovertyRow]

You obviously have your heart set on this one Pov, so have fun!

 

I really do. It has been a long time since I have taken tool to book as an experiment. I can honestly say that this forum has REALLY woken up the collector and the investigator in me like nothing else has in many years. I really am grateful for finding this place - thorns and all.

 

Oh - and two caveats:

 

1) I can hear the jibes as I type this so no surprise there!

 

2) I have stopped drinking completely this month as part of a lose weight effort (empty alcohol calories are apparantly metabolized before food calories so if you drink and eat - well- the food goes to the gut!) so I am not getting all weepy and "aww youse guysh and galsh are just aceshes in my book!

[Aman619]

what Id really recommend doing (if it wouldnt stress the book too much...) would be to scan through the cover since holding a cover to the light reveals most filled-in cracks thsat are colortouched. The ink shows up as solid areas. Since you will test with crappy books you could experiment this way...but it wont be an applicable procedure for the better books later on...

 

But with your prepress bkgrnd I now see what you are looking forward to doing....colored acetates used to be the way color separations were made from color artwork back in "our day" before scanners... Theyd shoot film of the artwork with 4 filters in order to record JUST the four printing inks (CMYK)

[PovertyRow]

would be to scan through the cover since holding a cover to the light reveals most filled-in cracks thsat are colortouched.

 

OK - I think I get what you mean - A few months ago a poster dealer sent me three "mint" lobby cards from early 50's monster movies - first thing I did was held them up to the light and the piece replacement was immediately apparant as areas lighter than the rest - all three had been paper-backed. Second thing I did was send them back).

 

But getting back to the original quesiton - how do you suggest I reverse the scanning procedure so the light comes from behind the book? (or am I reading you wrong?)

[Aman619]

Your scanner has to be one that also does transparencies?

These scanners have a light in the cover/flap that closes over the object..which shine through the object...and you choose transparency in the software. But now that I think of it, you would be better to rig up a very very bright light yourself since any light that cam ewith a scanner would only be powerful to shine through a transparency...not a comic book cover.

[PovertyRow]

Your scanner has to be one that also does transparencies?

 

OK - was thinking of the transparencies aspect but the area is pretty darned small - but may be good if you have already detected suspect areas.

 

But now that I think of it, you would be better to rig up a very very bright light yourself

 

An interetsing idea. Maybe a photo-flood incandescent. Lots of wattage available. But not sure how the scanner would react - so guess it should be tested for the price of a bulb and a disposable book! This IS exciting.

[Aman619]

now IM getting excited too!

woooo!