How to Use the Large Format Scanner
Before Scanning:
- The scanner can feed documents up to 1.5mm (0.6in) thick.
- All loose media (charcoal, pastels, graphite, etc.) must be placed in the transparent sleeve provided prior to scanning!
- This will protect your original document and the large format scanner from damage. It is also helpful to spray your document with fixative, which can be done in the woodshop, to avoid smudging once in the sleeve.
- If the sleeve is dirty and reducing your scan quality, please alert the desk staff, who can clean it or make a new sleeve.
STEP 1: Ask a Tech Desk staff member to login to the large format workstation (They will probably need to login using admin credentials)
STEP 2: Launch 'Nextimage'
Nextimage is the software that works with the large format scanner to specify your scan's size, quality, and color. Launch the program either using the shortcut on the desktop, or by searching for 'Nextimage' using the start button on the Windows taskbar.
STEP 3: Feed Document into Scanner
NOTE: ALL LOOSE MEDIA MUST BE IN A TRANSPARENT SLEEVE!
Feed your document, face-up and have the LEFT edge of the transparency line-up with the ISO "A0" guideline on the feeder tray – the scanner should grab the document and pull it in slightly.
TROUBLESHOOTING: If the scanner doesn't "grab" the transparency, gently push down on the back of the scanner to make sure the scanner "lid" is closed.
STEP 4: Setting up Nextimage
Once you launch Nextimage, a small window might popup. Close the popup window.
The 'Scan' Tab
The scan tab allows for you to specify the input size (which directly correlates with the placement of the edge of the transparency ~ in this case ISO "A0") and resolution (specified in DPI, or dots-per-inch). Increasing the resolution of a file will result in a higher fidelity image, but will also dramatically increase the size of the file – keep this in mind it will make editing the file in other programs more laborious. For most cases, 300 DPI is a good resolution.
Changing the Input Size (DO NOT MANUALLY INPUT DIMENSIONS!)
To see the dimensions (for reference ONLY) of the input size, click the "+" icon in the Input Size Tab. The drop down menu will display the dimensions. DO NOT MANUALLY INPUT DIMENSIONS!
Instead, choose a different "Input Size" from the Input Size Drop Down Menu. It's best to choose one of the following: "Arch A" through "Arch E" or "ISO A0 through ISO A6."
Remember to line-up the LEFT edge of your transparency with the corresponding guideline on the feeder tray. Example: Line Size = Arch D, Line-up the LEFT edge of the transparency with "D" Guideline.
The 'Image Adjustment' Tab
The image adjustment tab allows for you to specify the image type (black & white, greyscale, color) and make preliminary adjustments to the resulting image. These adjustments can also be made in Photoshop or other image-editing software, so in most cases you will only need to worry about the image type here.
The 'Output File' Tab
The output file tab is where you specify where the image will be saved, the name of the file, and the file extension (.pdf, .jpg, .png). You must change the name of the output file each time you scan or you will overwrite previous scans and it's BEST to choose Desktop as the destination and copying you scan files to a USB drive after scanning is complete. You can also specify a naming scheme, such as a prefix and index, to make your changing your file name easier for multiple document scans..
STEP 5: Hit 'Scan'
Once you have specified all of the parameters for your scan, you can hit the 'Scan' button on the lower-right corner of the Nextimage interface.
The scanner will feed the document through. Once the document has stopped moving, your scan is complete and is already saved to the location you specified (You will know this once the scan shows up in the preview screen with a circle in the middle). Press the up arrow on the side of the machine to help remove the transparency sleeve.
If you are scanning multiple documents, you can remove the old document, feed in the new one, change the name of the file under the "Output File" tab and hit 'Scan' again.
If you have any issues removing your document from the scanner, you can press the UP ARROW button on the large format scanner to push the document through.
