Article 2: From Paper to Pixels. The 600 DPI Scanning Workflow.
Are blurry, fuzzy scans destroying your best pages? Learn why 600 DPI scans might be the hack that reveals every stroke and cuts cleanup time by half.
Inked Art often contains delicate line work and subtle ink variations. Scanning at 600 DPI captures extra detail and helps when you remove dust or paper texture later in your process. You can always reduce the resolution later. Reducing the resolution later will be critical since 600 DPI and dozens of layers are a burden, even on powerful computers. Increasing resolution causes blurry lines and strange artifacts, resulting in a loss of clarity. Rule of thumb? Uprezzing is bad. Downrezzing is ok.
Detailed Line Capture: Fine ink lines and pencil textures get preserved.
Better Cleanup: Removing smudges or adjusting contrast is easier with high-resolution files.
Downsampling for Workflow: After cleaning up at 600 DPI, downsample to 300 DPI to make files more manageable when coloring or lettering.
Step-by-Step Scanning Guide
1. Scan Settings:
Resolution: 600 DPI for black and white line art. You'll scan in color if you’ve used non-photo blue or red underdrawing.
Color Mode: Choose grayscale or color scan depending on your artwork.
File Format: TIFF or PNG for minimal compression. If you’re working in Photoshop, PSD files are an efficient file format.
2. Initial Cleanup:
Use editing software (e.g., Photoshop, Clip Studio) to remove dust and adjust levels.
Check that your blacks are truly black and whites truly white.
3. Downsample:
If your final printing resolution is 300 DPI, resize to 300 after cleanup.
This keeps file sizes smaller and reduces strain on your computer.
4. File Organization:
Name files clearly: SeriesName_Page01_INKS.tif (logical and consistent file naming is a practice you’d be wise to adopt.)
Keep a backup copy at full (600 DPI) resolution in case you need it later.
Key Takeaways
Scanning at a high DPI preserves detail.
Downsampling afterward saves space and keeps software running smoothly.
Always keep a backup of your original high-resolution scan.
Charles Merritt Houghton
13 February 2025
