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Scanning and Editing Heritage Photos

Does anyone else have issues scanning/editing/printing heritage photos? I have my great-grandparents' professional wedding portraits, and I really wanted to scrap them. I scanned them, and for whatever reason, the appeared on the screen with a bit of a rusty, sepia color. They weren't totally greyscale to begin with, but they weren't sepia.

So I printed...and they came out with the shading very faint, and the coloring is redish. I'm using Photoshop Elements, so I futzed with the levels to try and enhance the details on the wedding dress, get back the right shading, etc. Ended up with deeper...redder shadows. My final attempt ended up with pictures worthy of a Halloween party. (I...er...slipped those freaky ones into hubby's shred pile.)

Any ideas on what I might be doing wrong, or suggestions on getting these photos so I can scrapbook them? Or should I throw in the towel and just take them to Walgreens, scan and print them there? I don't have issues with the heritage layouts...I have issues getting the photos into the computer!

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Permalink Reply by noellhyman on July 12, 2009 at 7:10pm: I wish I could help you with this. My scanner has not given me this problem. What kind do you have?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by NoelleCatMom on July 12, 2009 at 7:53pm: It was an HP some-combo-letters-and-number scan/copier/printer. I don't actually think it was the scanner. I think the printer was the problem.

I was messing around last night and today on Photoshop Elements, and noticed my printouts were showing lines in the photos. lines = low on ink. The printer was 4 yrs old. I did a little research and found one on sale at Staples that was reviewed as printing excellent photos. The stars alined when I found an uncashed $100 anniversary-gift check in my wallet. So....hubby and I have a new HP some-combo-letters-and-number-but-4-yrs-newer scanner/copier/printer. It's also wireless, so all our PCs can print instead of just mine.

And I will say....I had printed a photo collage last night on the old printer, that the colors seemed off, even though I'd done alot of work on them in elements. I reprinted the same collage today on the new printer, and the colors are freakin' awesome and the photos are so clear. I think I'm in love. Move over hubby...I have a crush on the printer.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by NoelleCatMom on July 12, 2009 at 7:56pm: Ok, that seems excessive to buy a new printer because the ink was low on the one we had. The printer we had wasn't network or wireless ready, because I didn't have either of those when I got it. Since getting married, Hubby's PC wasn't connected to it. So he had to put things on a flash drive to print them from my PC. He thought since the printer was 4 years old at least, rather than drop $40 on ink, we should take that $40 and the gift money, and get a newer printer. There were practical reasons behind the decision.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Suz Gray (craftsuz) on July 13, 2009 at 11:18am: I have a similar scanner/printer & haven't had that trouble; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Suz Gray (craftsuz) on July 13, 2009 at 11:18am: If you purchased at Staples go back to the store & let them know. I bought the warranty with mine & they will give you a new one.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by NoelleCatMom on July 13, 2009 at 5:01pm: I didn't "purchase" the first HP printer 4.5 years ago. My mom bought herself a new printer under this belief that she needed one to print photos. My dad had a fit because they had a printer. It sat unopened in its box in the hallway for 6 months before I hit Mom up with "you know...my printer is really old...and I can't really afford a new one...could I maybe borrow..."

The new printer I got yesterday is an HP from Staples and it is working just fine.; ▶ Reply to This

Scanning and Editing Heritage Photos

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