Scanning using the file size setting (Photoshop)

You can create a dummy file to predict the file size needed for the final output of your scan.

To calculate the file size before scanning an image:

1. In Photoshop choose File > New.
2. Enter the width, height, and resolution for your final printed image. The resolution should be 1.5 to 2 times the screen frequency you will use to print. Make sure that the mode you plan to scan in is selected. For more information, see About color modes and models (Photoshop). The New dialog box displays the file size.

For example, suppose you want the final image to be 4 inches wide and 5 inches high. You plan to print it with a 150-line screen using a 2:1 ratio, so you set the resolution to 300. The resulting file size is 5.15 MB.

To produce the scan, enter the resulting file size in your scanner settings. Don't worry about resolution or image dimensions. After you have scanned the image and imported it into Photoshop, use the Image Size command (with the Resample Image option deselected) to enter the correct width and height for the image.