Hey Nanette! One tip I can give you... I used to work as a designer for years, and for a long time, early on in my career most of the illustrators made analogue work. We (designers) used to get really frustrated when the work printed totally differently, and we were taught to calibrate our screens. Basically there is a setting somewhere for screen calibration (will be different with Macs and PCs I guess) and you can adjust what everything looks like to match a printout (although a screen will never exactly match a printout, because it’s lit up). So, for example, you could calibrate your screen to match one of your books - make it darker, more warm/cool as needed. One more thing to say is: always work in CMYK, even if it is disappointing, colour wise. RBG is basically only for screens and a printout will never match RGB. Finally, some paint colours will never be able to be patched as printed, so you could check how they scan before you use them. If they are too bright (and RGB!) they will probably go greyer when scanned. I should really write about this on my Substack. I love needing out on all of this. Thanks for the scanner tip. I really want to get an A3 one, as I spend hours scanning my work into separate pieces. X
Oh! Also, I meant to say that I recently discovered the Epson V600 can be set up to scan into specific colour profiles if your publishers needs you to do that. I did spend a frustrating morning trying to set that up then found it was easier to convert in photoshop! But technically it's possible!
I will get my thinking cap and may well follow up with a post about something along these lines. I always believed that designers (me being one of them) were nerds in disguise 🤓 🥸 🖥️
Ella! This is an amazing reply! Thank you! I do always work in CMYK for clients, then any images going in my online portfolio I make into an RGB version. I've read about screen calibration but never dug into it properly but maybe I should! I also find there's quite a range of different colour outcomes from different publishers and the paper stock makes a huge difference too. I would love to read a big nerdy post from you about all this! 🤓 xx
Thanks for the post Nanette - and for the info too from Ella.
Years back I had an A4 Epson Perfection - finally died. So I finally invested in a cheaper but brilliant A3 Epson Workforce A 3 printer scanner.
I scanned all the final art for my last 3 published books with this and honestly the printed colours are perfect - even in my latest book which has more subtler watercolour and gouache in it.
Mind you I do tweak the levels in photoshop to ensure whites are white etc before sending the final cmyk tiffs to the publishers.
You can calibrate the monitor of your computer so the colours will perfectly match up. The printers calibrate their monitors too, so everything works together nicely. I use a Spyder brand calibrator
Ahh, thanks Helen! I've read a bit about calibrating monitors but never properly dug in, maybe it's time I looked at it properly! Thanks for the Spyder recommendation!
I went to a book presentation not long ago. The illustrator had done these wonderful mixed media illustrations that had very subtle colours. So I asked her if she had scanned them herself. The editor quickly replied that he never sent originals for scanning anymore. I thought it's a shame, some colours would need professional scanning. And also thought how important a good scanner is for us. Oh, I use Epson Perfection as well. Pinks are tricky (in my experience), and I might have to play with the settings a bit!
I think it was this publisher in particular. I've had illustrations scanned not long ago. But he did make me wonder about the importance of getting it right when scanning my traditional media illustrations... And I thought I don't want to publish with him...
Yes, pinks and reds look odd when scanned. And I love both colours so much!
What a difference a scanner makes! It's interesting to see the difference in how your illustrations scan on different machines and devices. I've heard nice things about the Epson Perfection. I was wanting an A3 one so badly, but you made me consider my lightbox size and the A4 size DOES make sense for me now. So, thank you for this post and for saving me thousands of dollars. I owe you a commission, Nanette! 🤣
Hahaha! Price is a big consideration, but space is also really important to keep in mind! I've had to take over part of my husband's desk for my scanner as there's no room left on mine! 😆
Blimey! Thank you This is helpful… I’ve been wanting scanner pointers for so, so long. I know I’ve said it before, but I’m saying it again: Your Substack is so good!
So glad it's helpful Susannah! Scanners are such a minefield - they make a real difference to the work but you don't know until you've sunk a pile of cash on it, so it's a real scary purchase! Thank you for your lovely comment it's made my week! xx
Oh yes, a good scanner makes a big difference! I use Epson Perfection V19, which was on the cheaper side among its siblings at the time I bought it. It works like a charm. It doesn't scan certain colours no matter what I do in the settings, though, so I always have to tweak it digitally. What I like about it is how well it captures details (& lots of dust, haha!). Thank you for sharing your experience ❤️
Ah yes, the beautifully scanned dust!!😆 I get that too! I've started keeping a microfibre cloth next to the scanner and give the glass a regular wipe down as I go!
One of the reasons artwork can look darker when printed is because the dots of ink bleed a little when they hit the paper. It’s called “dot gain” and happens in certain types of printing. Lightening the digital version of your artwork a little bit more than the original can sometimes balance this out. Of course with printing, everything is so variable!
That's so interesting about the ink bleed! Thank you so much Audry! There are so many tiny, nerdy variables in all this, it's fascinating to dig into. Thanks for the tip!
When I was a wedding photographer I used to calibrate my monitor using this sci fi looking device called a Spyder. 😂 It did help with printing, but it doesn’t help so much when client’s screens aren’t calibrated. I’m not sure if you can calibrate a Wacom though. 🧐
That's so interesting! You're the second person to mention a Spyder, I should really look into screen calibration 😆 I can imagine wedding photographer clients being incredibly fussy while looking at your work on a totally different screen - arrrghhhh! 🤣
My Wacom seems to make everything darker and more yellow, it's supposed to be showing a closer to print version of colours than a bright backlit screen but 🤷🏻♀️
Hello Nanette, lovely round up on the huuuge topic of scanners. So many choices and options it can be so tricky to know what works best.
I make my work ‘traditionally’ too (lots of scribbles of ink and pencils on paper) so I don’t use any kind of tablets/ digital drawing.
I use a Canon Lide and haven’t had any issues. It’s A4 in size - as much as an A3 would be amazing, I don’t have the budget or space. But I can scan up to 1200dpi which is really handy. Definitely agree with the screen calibration and I tend to set my scanner to TIFF files. They seem to be better for me rather than PDFs or JPEGs.
Ah, Abby! Thank you so much for the tip, I'll try scanning to TIFF as I usually do JPEG! Good to hear about the Canon Lide too, it's great to hear a recommendation from a brand that's not Epson! Have a lovely week!
You’re very welcome. See what TIFF files do for you, you might prefer them over JPEGS.
I have to say I’ve only ever used Canon scanners. They had them at my college/university so I guess I’ve just gone with the same! But I think Canon and Epsom scanners come up a lot in various recommendations. So we’re on track for brilliantly scanned illustrations. Hooray!
FAB post Nanette! I have been putting off getting a new scanner, and toyed with the idea of an A3 but the cost vs how often I need to scan at A3 just seemed totally off - so I'm sticking to A4 too. My Photoshop skills are good enough for stitcing scans together - so I figured I'd rather go through that painful process rather than fork out all that cash!
Hey Nanette! One tip I can give you... I used to work as a designer for years, and for a long time, early on in my career most of the illustrators made analogue work. We (designers) used to get really frustrated when the work printed totally differently, and we were taught to calibrate our screens. Basically there is a setting somewhere for screen calibration (will be different with Macs and PCs I guess) and you can adjust what everything looks like to match a printout (although a screen will never exactly match a printout, because it’s lit up). So, for example, you could calibrate your screen to match one of your books - make it darker, more warm/cool as needed. One more thing to say is: always work in CMYK, even if it is disappointing, colour wise. RBG is basically only for screens and a printout will never match RGB. Finally, some paint colours will never be able to be patched as printed, so you could check how they scan before you use them. If they are too bright (and RGB!) they will probably go greyer when scanned. I should really write about this on my Substack. I love needing out on all of this. Thanks for the scanner tip. I really want to get an A3 one, as I spend hours scanning my work into separate pieces. X
Oh! Also, I meant to say that I recently discovered the Epson V600 can be set up to scan into specific colour profiles if your publishers needs you to do that. I did spend a frustrating morning trying to set that up then found it was easier to convert in photoshop! But technically it's possible!
I will get my thinking cap and may well follow up with a post about something along these lines. I always believed that designers (me being one of them) were nerds in disguise 🤓 🥸 🖥️
Amazing Ella! So many of us will appreciate your nerdiness!! 🩵🩷💛🖤
Agreed! We are nerds in disguise!
😂🤓🥸
Ella! This is an amazing reply! Thank you! I do always work in CMYK for clients, then any images going in my online portfolio I make into an RGB version. I've read about screen calibration but never dug into it properly but maybe I should! I also find there's quite a range of different colour outcomes from different publishers and the paper stock makes a huge difference too. I would love to read a big nerdy post from you about all this! 🤓 xx
I'd love to read a nerdy calibration post! I booklets and newsletters for the nonprofit I worked for and was always fascinated by this.
Oooh… This is also super helpful. Thank you!
P.S. fat thumbs: “matched as printed” and “nerding out!
Thanks for the post Nanette - and for the info too from Ella.
Years back I had an A4 Epson Perfection - finally died. So I finally invested in a cheaper but brilliant A3 Epson Workforce A 3 printer scanner.
I scanned all the final art for my last 3 published books with this and honestly the printed colours are perfect - even in my latest book which has more subtler watercolour and gouache in it.
Mind you I do tweak the levels in photoshop to ensure whites are white etc before sending the final cmyk tiffs to the publishers.
You can calibrate the monitor of your computer so the colours will perfectly match up. The printers calibrate their monitors too, so everything works together nicely. I use a Spyder brand calibrator
Ahh, thanks Helen! I've read a bit about calibrating monitors but never properly dug in, maybe it's time I looked at it properly! Thanks for the Spyder recommendation!
I went to a book presentation not long ago. The illustrator had done these wonderful mixed media illustrations that had very subtle colours. So I asked her if she had scanned them herself. The editor quickly replied that he never sent originals for scanning anymore. I thought it's a shame, some colours would need professional scanning. And also thought how important a good scanner is for us. Oh, I use Epson Perfection as well. Pinks are tricky (in my experience), and I might have to play with the settings a bit!
Interesting that professional scanning doesn't happen so much anymore, maybe that means home scanners are getting better 🤷🏻♀️
Good to hear that you're happy with the Epson Perfection as well, pinks and reds are always a bit tricky aren't they?!
I think it was this publisher in particular. I've had illustrations scanned not long ago. But he did make me wonder about the importance of getting it right when scanning my traditional media illustrations... And I thought I don't want to publish with him...
Yes, pinks and reds look odd when scanned. And I love both colours so much!
What a difference a scanner makes! It's interesting to see the difference in how your illustrations scan on different machines and devices. I've heard nice things about the Epson Perfection. I was wanting an A3 one so badly, but you made me consider my lightbox size and the A4 size DOES make sense for me now. So, thank you for this post and for saving me thousands of dollars. I owe you a commission, Nanette! 🤣
Hahaha! Price is a big consideration, but space is also really important to keep in mind! I've had to take over part of my husband's desk for my scanner as there's no room left on mine! 😆
Blimey! Thank you This is helpful… I’ve been wanting scanner pointers for so, so long. I know I’ve said it before, but I’m saying it again: Your Substack is so good!
So glad it's helpful Susannah! Scanners are such a minefield - they make a real difference to the work but you don't know until you've sunk a pile of cash on it, so it's a real scary purchase! Thank you for your lovely comment it's made my week! xx
Oh yes, a good scanner makes a big difference! I use Epson Perfection V19, which was on the cheaper side among its siblings at the time I bought it. It works like a charm. It doesn't scan certain colours no matter what I do in the settings, though, so I always have to tweak it digitally. What I like about it is how well it captures details (& lots of dust, haha!). Thank you for sharing your experience ❤️
Ah yes, the beautifully scanned dust!!😆 I get that too! I've started keeping a microfibre cloth next to the scanner and give the glass a regular wipe down as I go!
A microfibre cloth should definitely come with the scanner by default!
One of the reasons artwork can look darker when printed is because the dots of ink bleed a little when they hit the paper. It’s called “dot gain” and happens in certain types of printing. Lightening the digital version of your artwork a little bit more than the original can sometimes balance this out. Of course with printing, everything is so variable!
That's so interesting about the ink bleed! Thank you so much Audry! There are so many tiny, nerdy variables in all this, it's fascinating to dig into. Thanks for the tip!
I am hopelessly lost with printing and scanners and this post made me feel so seen!!! Thank you!
Haha! Always here to be hopelessly lost! 😆 There has to be a certain amount of winging it with anything creative!
You're making me want to do a scanner post as I got the Epson Expression after a few recs for it, and it was life changing.
Ooh! Yes please! I'd LOVE to hear about the Expression, it's so true that a scanner can be life changing!
When I was a wedding photographer I used to calibrate my monitor using this sci fi looking device called a Spyder. 😂 It did help with printing, but it doesn’t help so much when client’s screens aren’t calibrated. I’m not sure if you can calibrate a Wacom though. 🧐
That's so interesting! You're the second person to mention a Spyder, I should really look into screen calibration 😆 I can imagine wedding photographer clients being incredibly fussy while looking at your work on a totally different screen - arrrghhhh! 🤣
My Wacom seems to make everything darker and more yellow, it's supposed to be showing a closer to print version of colours than a bright backlit screen but 🤷🏻♀️
There’s a reason I don’t do weddings anymore. 😂 The pressure is intense!
I’m sold! Perfection it is!
Happy to help! 🤣
Hello Nanette, lovely round up on the huuuge topic of scanners. So many choices and options it can be so tricky to know what works best.
I make my work ‘traditionally’ too (lots of scribbles of ink and pencils on paper) so I don’t use any kind of tablets/ digital drawing.
I use a Canon Lide and haven’t had any issues. It’s A4 in size - as much as an A3 would be amazing, I don’t have the budget or space. But I can scan up to 1200dpi which is really handy. Definitely agree with the screen calibration and I tend to set my scanner to TIFF files. They seem to be better for me rather than PDFs or JPEGs.
Happy Sunday and good luck.
Ah, Abby! Thank you so much for the tip, I'll try scanning to TIFF as I usually do JPEG! Good to hear about the Canon Lide too, it's great to hear a recommendation from a brand that's not Epson! Have a lovely week!
You’re very welcome. See what TIFF files do for you, you might prefer them over JPEGS.
I have to say I’ve only ever used Canon scanners. They had them at my college/university so I guess I’ve just gone with the same! But I think Canon and Epsom scanners come up a lot in various recommendations. So we’re on track for brilliantly scanned illustrations. Hooray!
I use this scanner too! What a game changer from my last one where I had to remove all the paper texture in photoshop.
FAB post Nanette! I have been putting off getting a new scanner, and toyed with the idea of an A3 but the cost vs how often I need to scan at A3 just seemed totally off - so I'm sticking to A4 too. My Photoshop skills are good enough for stitcing scans together - so I figured I'd rather go through that painful process rather than fork out all that cash!