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Beth Page
05-28-2008, 8:53 AM
i have a customer who wants the picture below engraved but no matter what i do can not get the faces to lighten up enough to engrave they always come out as black blobs. so any suggestions on what i should do would help.
The picture was scaned into my pc with my scanner, the customer was gonna look for a digital copy but havent heard from him yet.

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r205/huntersmom_bucket/weddingpicture.jpg?t=1211982884

AL Ursich
05-28-2008, 8:58 AM
Offer to do it in silhouette without the background.

AL

Scott Shepherd
05-28-2008, 9:01 AM
What resolution did you scan it at? If it's scanned fairly well, I'd be happy to take a whack at it. I don't have Photoshop, but I do have LightRoom, which might allow me to get the faces brightened up. If that won't work, I think it'll take someone with Photoshop to make it happen, if it's possible.

I've PM'd you my email address, if you'd send it to me, I'll give it a shot.

Dan Hintz
05-28-2008, 9:01 AM
That's because the information is already gone from the image... the dynamic range of the original image is too low to gain anything useful out of it. Once I balanced for gamma and increased the contrast, the faces only have a few color gradients. If black isn't your thing, the best you can hope for is a seriously solarized image, but any amount of detail is long gone. I've seen some bad pictures in the past, but there is no excuse for allowing this type of photography at a wedding.

Darren Null
05-28-2008, 9:22 AM
Does the actual picture look like that, or has it lost something in the scanning? Looks like a cameraphone image, shot into the sun. If the actual picture looks better, you may be able to retrieve more information by playing with your scanner.

As an emergency measure, you could clip out the background, engrave with what detail you've got and carefully colourfill the roses in a subdued red. Pretty abstract, but might end up nice.

Anthony Scira
05-28-2008, 10:09 AM
OUCH ! ! I hope there are better pictures of their wedding !

Sorry I got nuttin.....

Beth Page
05-28-2008, 10:22 AM
actually the original has a coffee cup ring stain on it and i surprised that didn't show up when i scanned it, i scanned it in as color and superfine and thats what i cam up with, i also tried just scanning it in as black and white and grey but no luck both ways everything is completley gone, and also in the original you can see the faces but when its scanned thats what happens

Joe Pelonio
05-28-2008, 10:45 AM
Does your scanner not have a feature that allows for adjusting contrast and brightness before scanning? That will work better than scanning it in bad and trying to correct after since data is lost.

If not, you might have it done by someone that does. Some photo stores do it, or maybe Kinko's for relatively low prices, and you can pass the cost on to the customer.

David Fairfield
05-28-2008, 12:35 PM
Maybe they have the original negative, which you can scan accurately (using a scanner equipped with a backlight) and invert the colors in photoshop.

Otherwise an artist can make a pen and ink rendition by interpreting the photo, that would laser well. Leave it to them to find the artist.

But my first reaction is that's a peanuts n' headache job I'd flat out refuse. :(

Dave

Darren Null
05-28-2008, 1:03 PM
in the original you can see the faces but when its scanned thats what happens
Have you got a halfway decent digital camera? Take a photo somewhere there's plenty of light (outside). Don't worry about the coffee ring- that can be shopped out.

If you can see the faces in the photo, then there's something very wrong in the scanning process. Driver/technique/'preview mode'/rubbish scanner/something. That scan is truly awful.

If you take a photo and need help straightening it out/coffee removal, just .ZIP the full-size photo up and post it on here.

Barbara Sample
05-28-2008, 1:15 PM
I tried to fix it for you, and it doesn't work for me either. I would ask for another photo. I tried the tone curve and the rest of the miracle workers and nothing I did lightened it enough to see the faces.

Wish I could have fixed it for you.
Barb

Dave Gehman
05-28-2008, 1:31 PM
What brand and model scanner did you use?

Darryl Hazen
05-28-2008, 1:53 PM
Beth,

If you have access to the original photo and a good digital camera you may be better off photographing the original in the daylight. That would give you a digital version you can work with. A scanned photo will always lose definition compared to the original. Digital photo programs can probably remove the stained area.

Beth Page
05-28-2008, 2:54 PM
well first off my scanner is old(about 9 years old) and yes i tried brightening/contrast before scanning but still no luck, the customer hasn't come up with a digital version yet, so i'm at my last ropes as to what to do, although may go to a couple of stores here who scans stuff and see if maybe they can scan it better and make a digital copy for me, well see.

I appreciate everyones help you just don't even know how i do appreciate it. I have been turning to SMC ever since we started our business or actually before we purchased our laser,(my husband, Mike Page, donates to SMC under his name and its worth it), this is a great forum for resources concerning the laser business and everyone is very helpful and friendly.


Thank You all agian for your help

Darren Null
05-28-2008, 3:16 PM
Take a photo. Really. Provide you take it outside (plenty of light); no flash and sort of square-on you'll almost certainly end up with a better image. Straightening up and de-coffee-fying is easily accomplished

Frank Corker
05-28-2008, 5:05 PM
I have had a look at the image after Beth sent it to me. I think the dpi setting is about 20 and certainly no bigger than an inch by three quarter inch print area. It has to be the way you have your scanner set up. You should be scanning at 300dpi with a full colour setting (set everything to automatic).

Bill Cunningham
05-29-2008, 9:31 PM
Welcome to the world of customer supplied artwork, and photos...:D If the original 'was 'a professional photo, supplied on textured or beaded paper. There is a very good chance you will not be able to scan it.. Kodak and a few other suppliers have professional photo print paper, that can not be copied without light bounce and scatter that can make the copy virtually useless.. The back is usually watermarked "do not copy" meaning it 'won't' copy..