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30 Getting the Most From Your Scanner
Selecting a Suitable Resolution
Resolution refers to how many dots per inch (dpi) your image contains. The best
resolution for a scanned image depends on the type of image you’re scanning and
how you plan to use it.
For most images, use a scanning resolution that is approximately one third of your
output resolution. For example, use a scanning resolution of 200 dpi if you want to
print at 600 dpi. If you’re scanning an image to view on-screen, choose a resolution
of 96 dpi.
Follow the guidelines in this table for selecting a resolution:
Scaling (Resizing) Images
If you plan to enlarge your image, it’s better to enlarge it by scanning at a higher
resolution. If you change the image resolution or size in an application, you lose image
quality. Keep this in mind when scanning small photos that you plan to enlarge, or
when scanning slides and negatives.
Type of scan Resolution
Photograph 300 dpi
Text with images 400 dpi
Film or slides 300 to 2400 dpi
Line art 300 to 2400 dpi
Image for web 96 to 150 dpi
Text for OCR 300 dpi
Newspaper 150 to 300 dpi
Magazine 150 to 300 dpi