scanned image PDF help needed

[Nate the great]

I've been scanning my magazine collection. I now have a few hundred scanned pages, and I want to assemble them into PDFs.

All the original pages are a standard 8.5 by 11, scanned at 300dpi and 24 bit color. Overkill, I know, but I have the hard disk space to spare and I didn't want to lose anything.

If you know what I should do next, please tell me. Otherwise read on.


As a first step I made an HTML index file, and opened it in Open Office. OO insists the images are (about) 25" by 33". If someone could tell me how to resize all the images at the same time, or a macro that could do it, I'd appreciate it. I also have Word 2002, and don't mind using it. I can also down-convert the image resolution if necessary.

Thanks.

[RickyMaveety]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

I've been scanning my magazine collection. I now have a few hundred scanned pages, and I want to assemble them into PDFs.

All the original pages are a standard 8.5 by 11, scanned at 300dpi and 24 bit color. Overkill, I know, but I have the hard disk space to spare and I didn't want to lose anything.

If you know what I should do next, please tell me. Otherwise read on.


As a first step I made an HTML index file, and opened it in Open Office. OO insists the images are (about) 25" by 33". If someone could tell me how to resize all the images at the same time, or a macro that could do it, I'd appreciate it. I also have Word 2002, and don't mind using it. I can also down-convert the image resolution if necessary.

Thanks.

If you are willing to spring for a copy of Paintshop Pro 8 (which is really cheap), you could batch process resize all of your images.

Alternatively, you could use any program that will create a PDF by printing to PDF and use a "fit to page" option. Paintshop Pro will also do that.

I'm assuming that since you are creating PDF, you've got some program that can act as a PDF printer. All you really need is something that has a fit to page command for your images and a PDF printer driver.

[Nate the great]

Originally Posted by RickyMaveety

If you are willing to spring for a copy of Paintshop Pro 8 (which is really cheap), you could batch process resize all of your images.

Alternatively, you could use any program that will create a PDF by printing to PDF and use a "fit to page" option. Paintshop Pro will also do that.

I'm assuming that since you are creating PDF, you've got some program that can act as a PDF printer. All you really need is something that has a fit to page command for your images and a PDF printer driver.

One reason I like Open Office is the PDF output. I'm still looking for the fit to page option.

I found an easy solution. Instead of resizing the image, I changed the page size. It's only a partial solution, though, because the resulting PDF is about 427MB in size, and the original images were about 45MB. I'm going to down convert the images. I might also need a different PDF printer.

[RickyMaveety]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

One reason I like Open Office is the PDF output. I'm still looking for the fit to page option.

I found an easy solution. Instead of resizing the image, I changed the page size. It's only a partial solution, though, because the resulting PDF is about 427MB in size, and the original images were about 45MB. I'm going to down convert the images. I might also need a different PDF printer.

Well, here's a link to an ebay auction for PSP 8 (handles batch processing and resize very nicely). $15.00 for the program and $15.00 for shipping ... The upgrade to 8.1 is available all over the net for free.

PSP 8.0

[Elfwreck]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

... 8.5 by 11, scanned at 300dpi

OO insists the images are (about) 25" by 33".

OO thinks the images are 90 dpi, and is calculating the page size from that. The scanner may not have attached that info to the images--so OO finds a ~2500x3300 pixel image, divides it by default resolution, and comes up with ~27x36. If they're scanned a bit smaller than letter size, that'd come down to 25x33 or so.

I've had this problem with digital photos, where the image doesn't contain a resolution, just a pixel count. For myself, I run a batch process in Photoshop that resizes the jpgs to 300 dpi. I suspect PSP would have a similar function somewhere.

If you mostly care about making an ebook, leaving them at 90 dpi and resizing to letter size would work fine instead. It's only if you want to print them that the 300 dpi version should matter. (Also, some/most comics could be done as 256 color, rather than 24-bit, if you've got that option.)

Acrobat Pro has an option to "reduce filesize", which will condense the images better. (And it fixes the file expansion that happens with multiple edits.) However, it does change image quality--I've never noticed it onscreen, but printouts can be very different.

[RickyMaveety]

Originally Posted by Elfwreck

OO thinks the images are 90 dpi, and is calculating the page size from that. The scanner may not have attached that info to the images--so OO finds a ~2500x3300 pixel image, divides it by default resolution, and comes up with ~27x36. If they're scanned a bit smaller than letter size, that'd come down to 25x33 or so.

I've had this problem with digital photos, where the image doesn't contain a resolution, just a pixel count. For myself, I run a batch process in Photoshop that resizes the jpgs to 300 dpi. I suspect PSP would have a similar function somewhere.

If you mostly care about making an ebook, leaving them at 90 dpi and resizing to letter size would work fine instead. It's only if you want to print them that the 300 dpi version should matter. (Also, some/most comics could be done as 256 color, rather than 24-bit, if you've got that option.)

Acrobat Pro has an option to "reduce filesize", which will condense the images better. (And it fixes the file expansion that happens with multiple edits.) However, it does change image quality--I've never noticed it onscreen, but printouts can be very different.

Yeah, PSP does have that option (at least it did in version 8.1, which because it was the last really good version (before Corel took the company - JASC - over), is the only one I ever recommend.

Acrobat Pro is a great program (although, the "upgrades" that they stuck in version 9 are decidedly NOT worth the money), but is expensive. Even version 8 is pretty pricey.

I could kick myself .... I gave away a version of Acrobat Pro 8 that I had gotten for free to someone who will probably never need it or use it. I wish I had held on to it, if only so that I could have given it to someone here.

Oh well.

[Jellby]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

If someone could tell me how to resize all the images at the same time, or a macro that could do it, I'd appreciate it. I also have Word 2002, and don't mind using it. I can also down-convert the image resolution if necessary.

With ImageMagick it's as easy as:

convert -resample 72 input.jpg output.jpg

For batch processing, this can be put in a script or the "mogrify" command can be used. The "72" is the new dpi you want to down-sample your images to, "-resize 50%", for example, can be used instead.

I think there is an ImageMagick for windows too.

[RickyMaveety]

Yes there is, and it's free. Good idea that.

[nrapallo]

Irfanview is your bestfriend, and freeware!

[yekim54]

Originally Posted by nrapallo

Irfanview is your bestfriend, and freeware!

Here's a second vote for IfranView. It has a nice batch convert feature for cropping, resizing, rotating, etc.

[Elfwreck]

Originally Posted by RickyMaveety

Acrobat Pro is a great program (although, the "upgrades" that they stuck in version 9 are decidedly NOT worth the money), but is expensive. Even version 8 is pretty pricey.

Good to know; I'll keep it in mind. I have 7, and have been working with Acrobat since 4. Been debating about forking over money for 8, but worried that some of my plugins might stop working (I'm still annoyed over the couple I lost upgrading from 5 to 7).

I've seen 8, worked with it a tiny bit at work, and it looks like another big jump (5 to 6 was big; 6 to 7 was not) (6 was, as far as I can tell, the beta edition for 7), which means relearning all the dropdown menus again, and figuring out what "user friendly" features means my shortcuts don't work anymore.

[hidari]

Irfanview is good. howeverr you should consider Faststone as well:

http://www.faststone.org/index.htm


ALSO FREE!!!

Originally Posted by nrapallo

Irfanview is your bestfriend, and freeware!

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by yekim54

Here's a second vote for IfranView. It has a nice batch convert feature for cropping, resizing, rotating, etc.

I love the batch converter for my digital frame. But I also like the fact that you can do lossless crops and rotates for jpeg. It also serves as a good digital frame all by itself.

Dale

[hidari]

FASTSTONE does it as well. great feature.

Originally Posted by DaleDe

I love the batch converter for my digital frame. But I also like the fact that you can do lossless crops and rotates for jpeg. It also serves as a good digital frame all by itself.

Dale