Scan the first section, fitting as much of the image onto the scan bed as you can. Make sure that this section is abutted to one of the edges of the scanner’s bed as best as possible. Then scan the second section also insuring that the edge is lined up nicely. Make certain that you do not change any settings from one scan to the next. Now, you have two partial images.
You can use the Photomerge function, designed to assemble multi image panorama, in Photoshop CS, CS2, CS3, CS4, CS5 and Photoshop Elements 3, 4, &5 to assemble the individual pieces back into one image. Sometimes it works great, sometimes not. You might want to try this method before putting them back together yourself as outlined below.
Alternative assembly method:
What you need to do is make the canvas (the area that you have to work with, the area that the image rests on) larger. Let’s assume you have an 11 x14 inch print but your scanner’s bed is only 8.5 x 11. You would position the print on the bed so that you could scan an 11 x 8.5 inch section each time. So each image would by 11 x 8.5 (at whatever pixels per inch you set your scanner to sample at). You need an additional 5.5 inches of working room to accommodate the full 11 x 14 inches of the print once you assemble it. In Photoshop Elements you would go to Image > Resize > Canvas Size. You will see a box that indicates what the width and height currently are. You will want to change the width to 14 inches. You would then want to click on one of the squares in the diagram indicating the position of your image in relation to the soon to be enlarged canvas. If you are adding canvas to the left section of the print, then you would want to click on the left most center square which would indicate that all the additional width would be added to the right hand side which is what we want since we need to add the right section. Now we need to get that other section onto the newly created canvas. Click anywhere on the window of the image to make that the active window. Then from the main menu go to Select > All. You will then see the marching ants walking around the second section. Then go to Edit > Copy. Then click anywhere on the other window to activate it and go to Edit > Paste. The copy of the second section is now visible in the window of the first section. That section was put onto its own layer, so it can be moved around easily. Select the Move tool from the toolbar (located in the top right corner of the toolbar). Move your mouse over the second section and while holding down the left mouse button, drag the image to the right, trying to position it so that it lines up with the first section. This is hard to do, as you can’t see through the top layer to make sure it is lined up well. So, what we will do is lower the opacity (make it semi-transparent). Click on the layers tab so see your layers. Click on Layer 1 to make the layer made up of the second section active. Then click on the Opacity tab above. This will then give you a little slider that you will drag to the left to make the top layer semi-transparent. This allows you to see how all the elements are lining up. Select the move tool and drag the second layer into position. When you get it close, use the arrow keys to move the layer in very fine increments. If the second layer is out of kilter with the first one because it is spun in relation to the first one, then go to Image > Rotate > Free Rotate. This will give you handles around your top layer. If you move the mouse just outside one of its corners, you will get a curved double arrow. Hold the mouse button down when you see this and drag left or right. This rotates your layer. Do this till you have it aligned with the underlying section. When you think you have it, return the opacity to its full intensity. How does it look? You are likely to notice a line running vertically where the top layer overlaps the background layer. Select the Eraser tool, choose a large soft edged brush and then go over this line. Like magic, the line disappears leaving you a seamless 11x14 image!
You can use the Photomerge function, designed to assemble multi image panorama, in Photoshop CS, CS2, CS3, CS4, CS5 and Photoshop Elements 3, 4, &5 to assemble the individual pieces back into one image. Sometimes it works great, sometimes not. You might want to try this method before putting them back together yourself as outlined below.
Alternative assembly method:
What you need to do is make the canvas (the area that you have to work with, the area that the image rests on) larger. Let’s assume you have an 11 x14 inch print but your scanner’s bed is only 8.5 x 11. You would position the print on the bed so that you could scan an 11 x 8.5 inch section each time. So each image would by 11 x 8.5 (at whatever pixels per inch you set your scanner to sample at). You need an additional 5.5 inches of working room to accommodate the full 11 x 14 inches of the print once you assemble it. In Photoshop Elements you would go to Image > Resize > Canvas Size. You will see a box that indicates what the width and height currently are. You will want to change the width to 14 inches. You would then want to click on one of the squares in the diagram indicating the position of your image in relation to the soon to be enlarged canvas. If you are adding canvas to the left section of the print, then you would want to click on the left most center square which would indicate that all the additional width would be added to the right hand side which is what we want since we need to add the right section. Now we need to get that other section onto the newly created canvas. Click anywhere on the window of the image to make that the active window. Then from the main menu go to Select > All. You will then see the marching ants walking around the second section. Then go to Edit > Copy. Then click anywhere on the other window to activate it and go to Edit > Paste. The copy of the second section is now visible in the window of the first section. That section was put onto its own layer, so it can be moved around easily. Select the Move tool from the toolbar (located in the top right corner of the toolbar). Move your mouse over the second section and while holding down the left mouse button, drag the image to the right, trying to position it so that it lines up with the first section. This is hard to do, as you can’t see through the top layer to make sure it is lined up well. So, what we will do is lower the opacity (make it semi-transparent). Click on the layers tab so see your layers. Click on Layer 1 to make the layer made up of the second section active. Then click on the Opacity tab above. This will then give you a little slider that you will drag to the left to make the top layer semi-transparent. This allows you to see how all the elements are lining up. Select the move tool and drag the second layer into position. When you get it close, use the arrow keys to move the layer in very fine increments. If the second layer is out of kilter with the first one because it is spun in relation to the first one, then go to Image > Rotate > Free Rotate. This will give you handles around your top layer. If you move the mouse just outside one of its corners, you will get a curved double arrow. Hold the mouse button down when you see this and drag left or right. This rotates your layer. Do this till you have it aligned with the underlying section. When you think you have it, return the opacity to its full intensity. How does it look? You are likely to notice a line running vertically where the top layer overlaps the background layer. Select the Eraser tool, choose a large soft edged brush and then go over this line. Like magic, the line disappears leaving you a seamless 11x14 image!
No comments:
Post a Comment