advice on sending images to Renault 4-Play
Not everyone is a computer whizz, and so I have prepared this page to offer some tips on how to send me your photos and other articles. It covers the areas of scanning, file formats, email and advice for those without equipment or without a clue!
[Where to Start?] [Digital Cameras & Capture Devices] [Scanning & Editing Images] [File Formats] [Emailing]
For people without a scanning device or necessary equipment
Let's assume you have some pictures you want to send me, which were taken
with a standard camera and developed as normal photos, but you don't have
a scanner to get them onto your computer. I cannot accept anything sent by
post so you will need to send them via email. The first option might be to
get them put onto a Photo CD, which is a standard optional service available
at most developing shops these days. From there you can directly attach them
to your emails, or copy and edit them first and then send them to me. If this
is no good, you really need to find someone with access to a flatbed type
of scanner, although other types of scanner may suffice. If that isn't possible
either, your last option might be to visit a shop that has access to scanning
facilities. Many camera shops and other computer-related stores now have machines
and booths that the public can use (at cost) to scan photos, manipulate them
and even send them via email. If you don't have a computer at all then this
will be your best bet, and staff should be able to assist you with using the
equipment.
Types of photo scanners
Flatbed scanners are the most common used today, and usually the most flexible.
They work by positioning your photos or other media face down on top of the
glass, whilst the scanning device travels underneath and reads the image.
You may also be able to use a pass-through (or multipass) device. These are
often combined machines that have fax / copy and print facilities included.
The photos are fed through rather like a photocopier or printer. However,
some of these are only black and white, and others may not be able to accept
anything thicker than standard paper and will jam. A third type of scanner
is a handheld device, which you operate manually by moving your hand over
the image you want to scan. These were popular in the early days of scanners
and were cheaper, but are generally more likely to produce unpredictable results.
Other media scanners
There are also devices for scanning negatives or slides as opposed to standard
photos. These are more specialist for professional users and will not be able
to handle other media such as news pages. The results however are generally
improved quality and colour clarity. Some flatbed scanners have attachments
which can be purchased to allow scanning of slides or negatives via the same
piece of equipment, and are therefore more flexible. It is very difficult
or impossible to achieve good results by scanning negatives or slides on a
normal scanner without a special converter, unless you are a genius with a
lot of creativity and graphical expertise.
Digital Cameras & Capture Devices
Alternative capture methods
Scanners aren't the only way to get photos onto a computer - digital cameras
are becoming cheaper and more popular all the time, and are very convenient
for quickly getting pictures from one place to another. Many of these devices
will have the option of storing images as JPEGs, or will automatically do
so, making the whole process even simpler. I would have to write another page
twice as long as this in order to explain all the ins and outs of using these
gadgets and transferring the pictures to computer, and there are so many different
configurations and settings that I cannot begin to mention. I can only assume
therefore that anybody owning such a thing will have some knowledge of what
they're doing, and understands the basics of hooking the camera up to a computer
and sending the pictures as files. After that, the same processes can be applied
as below. Another possibility is video capture, meaning anybody with video
footage of a Renault 4 or related material, can save individual frames to
the computer and send them as images in just the same way. For this you will
need a graphics card that has video inputs, as well as the correct connecting
cables and some software that can handle capturing. With any of this equipment,
if it is decent enough, it should include information in the manual on how
to set it all up and transfer images.
Graphics software & activating the scanner
There are countless graphics packages that can be used to scan, edit and convert
images, and I shall assume you have a basic understanding of how to power
on your scanner, activate it and place the image ready for scanning. Many
programs will first require you to select your scanning device, or 'select
source', before you can activate it. There is usually an option under the
file menu or the program's preferences for selecting your device - it is often
referred to as the 'TWAIN driver'. Then you need to 'acquire' the scanner
or image to open the scanning settings, which will be different depending
upon your equipment. I always recommend 'Paint Shop Pro' as a very useful
program to use for graphics - it is what I use for creating most of this site,
and it can often be found as shareware.
Scan resolution & scaling
Whichever type of scanner you use, you need to set the correct resolution
for your images. This is the number of dots per inch that the scanner will
pick up. The larger the setting, the larger the image will appear on screen.
Unless you have very small original pictures, or are attempting to scan negatives
or slides as mentioned above, you will not usually require a resolution setting
over 400dpi. For many purposes, and for larger photos 100dpi will suffice,
but 200dpi is a good compromise and will produce images more than large enough
for sending via email and for this site. Some scanning software also has a
scaling setting, allowing you to adjust the on-screen size of the image regardless
of what resolution you opt for. I would advise leaving this option at 100%
and using your graphics software to change the size afterwards. Most other
settings are also best left at default values, then the image can be edited
afterwards, unless your graphics software is limited in functionality and
there is no other way to adjust the image once scanned. Ensure you have the
colour option set to full colour, and use the best quality setting rather
than a draft, unless this means it takes a whole afternoon to finish.
Previewing & scanning images
Many scanners, notably flatbeds, will require you to preview the image allowing
you to adjust the size parameters before the final scan - some machines will
do this automatically when you select the 'acquire' option in your software.
You can now draw a box, usually represented by a dotted line, around the area
you want to scan. Alternatively there may be default settings you can choose
based on standard document sizes, assuming you place the object in the correct
area of the device such as the corner. Other types of scanner may require
you to specify the approximate size of the document to scan, or will simply
scan the entire thing anyway without the need for previewing. Once you have
finished specifying any settings, click the 'Scan' or 'OK' button to begin
the scanning process. When using handheld devices, try and achieve an even
straight scan by dragging the unit steadily over the photo. Once done, the
picture should appear on screen ready for editing - if you feel it is too
large or too small, scan it again using a lower or higher resolution setting
respectively, but remember that with large images, it is often better to use
the graphics software's own reprocessing facilities to scale the image down.
Basic image editing (cropping, resizing & sharpening)
There are so many different graphics programs, so many options and techniques
to learn, that I cannot go into great depth about image editing. However you
don't need to worry too much about this side of things, just a few basics
will do, and if necessary I can do the rest once I receive the pictures. One
of the first things you should do once you have the image(s) on screen, is
remove some or all of the blank areas around the outside of each image. If
you have multiple images to convert, it is probably best to scan each one
separately and edit it in its own window - this is a little more long winded
but easier to manage. It is possible to scan several images at once but you
then need to cut and paste each one before editing and saving, and novices
may accidentally chop bits off inadvertently or lose images altogether, so
just handle each picture independently if you're not sure. Use a box selection
tool to draw a rectangle around the edge of the picture, then select the option
to 'crop' the image to just the area selected. Note that if you have several
images scanned together in one window, doing this will delete all the others.
In this case, use the 'copy' command to put the contents of the selected area
on the clipboard, then 'paste' it into a new image before editing. You don't
have to get the edges exact - I will remove any blank portions later on. Depending
upon the size of the image, you may want to resize it. If it is only small
however, there is nothing to be gained in trying to increase the size, as
the quality will deteriorate - you must rescan it at a higher resolution instead.
Resizing only works well when making large images smaller. Some programs may
make a distinction between 'resizing' and 'resampling' - the latter is preferable
as it uses better algorithms to produce higher quality results. Ultimately
there is a maximum size limit for photos that appear on the Renault 4-Play
website - no image can be greater than 600 pixels in height or width, and
400 pixels in the opposite direction, so if your pictures are smaller than
this you don't need to decrease their size any further. If your images are
larger than this then it is up to you whether you want to resize them. When
using any resize function, it is best to use the option to maintain the aspect
ratio - that is, keeping the proportion of height x width the same, else the
picture may look squashed or distorted. Remember that the larger the image
size, the larger the file size, and the longer it will take both for you to
send via email, and for me to receive. This is particularly the case when
sending multiple images in the same email, so although there is more scope
for me to edit the images when they are larger, it could clog my inbox or
fail to reach me at all. If you have chosen to scale down the size of the
image, this may leave the picture slightly blurred, and you may want to try
sharpening it if such an option exists. Too much sharpening will leave it
looking coarse and pixelated, so use this feature with care.
Other image processes
Many things can affect the eventual quality of the images you see on screen
compared to the original photo or scene. The light and colour effects can
often appear different and you may want to experiment with some settings to
attempt to rectify this. Some scanners will have options to change the brightness,
contrast, gamma and colour controls during the scan, which is useful if your
graphics software is limited and has no options of its own, otherwise stick
to the features of your graphics program. If your image appears too bright
or too dark, try adjusting the gamma rather than the brightness or contrast,
as this produces better quality results. The more advanced programs will have
other colour balancing features that can produce superior results. The other
main setting you may need to adjust is the saturation levels, either for the
whole image, or for each colour independently. Aside from this there is little
you need to tamper with, and I would avoid trying out too many special effects
or processes, as these filters are too commonly used by amateurs for cheap
thrills, especially on the internet, and the image will look clichéd.
Image formats
There are really only 2 file formats I would recommend for sending me your
pictures - JPEG and GIF, which are the 2 standard image formats found on the
internet due to their relatively small file size and download time. By far
the most flexible and preferred option is the JPEG, which almost all standard
graphics programs should be capable of opening and saving (note: Windows 'Paint'
cannot handle this format). JPEG pictures are stored in 24-bit colour,
which is 16 million colours (except greyscale images which are 256 shades
of grey), and are good for photographic images. Unless your graphics software
is limited, there is no reason why the humble JPEG should be the rather ugly
corrupted style of image that people often consider it to be. JPEGs use compression
to achieve their small file size, but the standard compression setting on
many programs is responsible for the 'lossy' and decidedly lousy effect
it produces. With the correct setting, your pictures can look perfect and
still be much smaller in size than a Windows Bitmap or other non-compressed
formats. When saving as a JPEG (with either a .jpeg or .jpg extension), specify
a compression ratio of around 10%. At this level the image should be almost
exactly the same with no noticeable corruptions. You will probably need to
close and reopen the file to see how the JPEG looks, but make sure you have
a copy of the original file before you do so. Above 10% compression, artefacts
may become visible in the image that can detract from the picture, and below
10% the file size increases to less desirable levels, although still smaller
than a non-compressed format. If your software has no setting to change the
compression, you will just have to go along with the default, which is usually
30%. Note that there is no difference in specifying 'standard' or 'progressive'
options in a JPEG - this only affects the way the image gradually appears
when downloading over the web. There is an alternative format you could use
- the GIF. This is a little more tricky to do succesfully however and isn't
so widely supported in many graphics packages. The most obvious disadvantage
of the GIF is that it only contains 256 colours, which although fine for greyscale
images, is not capable of producing totally realistic reproductions of photographic
colour pictures. It is more commonly used for web banners and other graphics
requiring sharp areas of clearly defined colours, such as logos. It is possible
to achieve near perfect results if you have a decent graphics program and
some time to spare, but there is always a noticeably grainy effect on the
images when viewed close up. You will need to reduce the colour depth and
experiment with the settings contained in that process. What works well on
one picture is often the poorest option when working with another. The algorithms
used by some lower-end software to reduce the colours may not be adequate
for producing a quality image. Benefits of GIFs are the possibility of transparency,
and even animated images, however I would not recommend sending graphics containing
either such things for submission to this website. I cannot guarantee that
any images not in JPEG or GIF format will make it onto Renault 4-Play.
Other document formats
A quick note about other articles you may wish to send: Due to the high incidence
of viruses I receive in my email as a result of having my address published
in so many places on the internet, I would not advise sending me any other
types of file, unless specific arrangements have been made with me in advance,
as despite having anti-virus protection I am not likely to bother opening
them. If you wish to send any articles or written documents, please send them
in rich text format (.rtf file), or as a simple text file (.txt). People often
send me Word documents (.doc), but I always have trouble with these due to
some strange corruptions that occurred in my system many years ago, so I may
not be able to view them as intended, if at all.
Sending emails
Once you have saved your images to a directory on your computer, you will
need to send them to me in an email. If you have used somebody else's computer
to do the scanning, or need to use it for sending the email, you will have
to transfer the images using a floppy disk or other shared storage device,
meaning the small file sizes of the JPEG and GIF are more important in ensuring
you can fit them on the disk. Open a new mail in your email program, and put
the address 4play@renault4.plus.com
in the 'To' field. See the 'contact me' page in this section for details of
what to put in the subject line - alternatively you will find clicking many
of the email links around this site will automatically put the correct heading
in for you (dependent upon the email program you use). Please try and include
at least a brief note about the pictures, who you are, and what section they
are intended for, in the text of the mail. Once you have attached the files
(see below), just click 'send' and the email will be sent either immediately
or the next time you run the program when connected to the internet. The time
taken to send them will depend both on your connection, and the size of the
files. I usually respond to people sending pictures within a few days unless
I am away, so please don't send repeat emails unless you haven't heard anything
for a long time. Note that there is often a long delay before images appear
on the website, because there is often a large queue built up of things people
have sent, and which have to be added gradually, so you may well see lots
of other additions to the site before your own pictures appear.
Attaching files
To include your images and documents in the email, find the option in your
email program to add an attachment. This will vary from one email client to
another and I cannot speak for all of them, but somewhere in the menu you
will find it. You will need to specify or browse to the location of your files
on your hard drive, and there may be other options including the placement
of the images. Don't worry too much about that - in most cases they will be
separated from the email text upon transmission anyway.
I hope this page may have been of some help to those who have previously been unable to send me their pictures, and that the Renault 4 photos will continue to sweep in as they always have done, for the world to enjoy. If you have any further questions please email me at 4play@renault4.plus.com
[Where to Start?] [Digital Cameras & Capture Devices] [Scanning & Editing Images] [File Formats] [Emailing]
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