Scanning so the lines are not "fuzzy"

[Castle_Builder]

It's been mentioned by some people that my comic looks "fuzzy"

Here is an example:


This is what I currently do:
My scanner has settings like Illustration, Color Photo, b/w photo, etc.

I've been scanning using the illustration setting, at 300 dpi, 50% size and loading the scan into Photoshop where I add words etc. and then shrink it to 37.5% size.

Do any of you have any suggestions as to tightening up the lines?

I've tried polorizing the image and that makes thing worse.

Any tips would be great.

Thanks!

[YarpsDat]

Hmm. It does look fuzzy.

Try doing something like this (I'm not sure if these commands are in the menus I listed, but they should).

In Photoshop go file->import->scanner.

Scan in b/w photo, 600dpi, 100% size. (Though 300dpi may be ok too)

Image->mode-> select greyscale.
Image->adjust-> levels. Move the input levels arrows a bit towards the center.

Then add words ect.

Shrink it to 25% or so.

File->Save for web->Select PNG as filetype, select Indexed Colour/Palette Based (I'm not sure how it's named), dithering 0%, 16 colours.


Also, see my sig. (The last part, not the first part)

[Mercury Hat]

It looks like all you have to do is adjust the contrast somehow to get the lines darker after the scan. My stuff looks like that before I adjust with curves, but once I do, it's nice and dark.

You can also try scanning in pure b/w at a high resolution like Yarps said, but I prefer to use curves to have more control over what stays and what goes. You'll have to try things out for yourself to see what you like.

[Castle_Builder]

Thanks for the ideas. I'll try them out tonight.

[RemusShepherd]

It looks like all you have to do is adjust the contrast somehow to get the lines darker after the scan. My stuff looks like that before I adjust with curves, but once I do, it's nice and dark.

Mercury, correct me if I'm wrong, but that wonderful example is ink on paper, isn't it?

After some experimentation, I don't think it's possible to scan in pencil lines clean and dark. But I'd love to be proven wrong.

[Mercury Hat]

That's ink over blue pencil lines. I wish my pencils looked that clean .

[Jackhass]

Your comic looks fine to me...maybe your friend is just looking at your comic at the incorrect resolution. I make mine to be read at 1024x768 and if it's read at say, 800x600 it does tend to look blurry.

[Suika]

It doesn't look fuzzy to me either (I'm also at the 1024 resolution).

[Castle_Builder]

Interesting comments. Thanks for the help.

Clearly there is a difference of opinion here.

I did notice that the way I have it now the "black" areas are actually NOT "black." They are almost a dark blue or something, so I started fooling around with contrast to see if darkening the linework would make a difference, this is what I got:

(I am posting a different piece because it has more linework and might show the difference more clearly)

This is the way it is now:


This is increasing the contrast +25:


What do you think?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The line work becomes darker but it also becomes "harsher" and more "jagged in my opinion. I tried +50 but that looked really awful.

My opinion at this point is that I don't see a big enough flaw to owrry about fixing it immediately. BUT I'll continue to try some of the other techniques that have been offered here this weekend and in my free time to see if it can be improved upon. I don't want to rush into a change but if I can find something that will darken the line work AND allow the lines to appear smooth then that would be the holy grail.

[Mercury Hat]

I like the darker version, especially when compared to the original. A question, did you adjust the contrast on the strip while it was at that size or did you do it for your original scan and then shrink it down? I don't see any of the jaggedness you're describing, but if you work on the scan when it's larger than the final size, then reduce it, the lines will smooth out.

Edit: I scan in my stuff at 300dpi. When I adjust the contrast with curves, it turns the lineart into this. Looks ugly, but the blacks are nice and dark and the white is nice and white. But, shrink that image down by 50% and it smooths out to something like this. At the final size, about 24% of the original scan, the lines don't look jagged at all.

[Castle_Builder]

I like the darker version, especially when compared to the original. A question, did you adjust the contrast on the strip while it was at that size or did you do it for your original scan and then shrink it down? I don't see any of the jaggedness you're describing, but if you work on the scan when it's larger than the final size, then reduce it, the lines will smooth out.

Edit: I scan in my stuff at 300dpi. When I adjust the contrast with curves, it turns the lineart into this. Looks ugly, but the blacks are nice and dark and the white is nice and white. But, shrink that image down by 50% and it smooths out to something like this. At the final size, about 24% of the original scan, the lines don't look jagged at all.

Interesting. I did merely change the pre-shrunk version. I'll try altering the original larger version and then shrinking it. Good idea.

Also, the jagged line might just be my imagination.

The more I look at the two, the more I keep going back and forth between which I like better.

One of the main reasons I like coloring things. The scanning process is totally different and I don't have to fret over white whites and black blacks.

Thanks for the info!

[Bwerith]

I also like the darker one better.

[Suika]

Ah, I can see a big difference now. imo, the version with the contrast looks a lot better. The lines are nicely crisp and clear, and easier on my eyes.

Also I've found that when things are resized, the lines do tend to get fuzzy...

[Castle_Builder]

Darker one it is.

I've redone my archives in the manner I changed the strip here.

Thanks for the feedback!