Help With Scanning and Printing Dial Labels

[frglee21]

Hi All,

I have a couple of original 700 and 300 (the ones with the red lettering) type dial labels with the town and 'phone number already printed on them.

I am attempting to scan the labels, "airbrush" out the town and number and add my own using Paintshop Pro 5.

The problem I have is in printing the labels in the original size. They are either too small or a flattened oval in shape. I've tried resizing them and deliberately elongating them vertically but it's very hit and miss.

As anybody had any success with this? I would like to add my own town and number and print off a label without having to mess about changing the dimensions.

Any advice would be much appreciated Thanks, Lee.

[Kat Manton]

Hi,

I suspect you'll need to consider and check the resolution of your printer and your scanner.

For example, if your printer is capable of 600 x 600 dpi; then scan at 600 x 600 dpi, don't resize in Paintshop, make sure you print at 600 x 600 dpi (and ensure any automatic resizing options are turned off.)

Some printers have a higher maximum horizontal resolution than vertical, e.g., 600 x 300 dpi; in which case the easiest course of action would be to scan and print at 300 x 300 dpi.

Alternatively, scan at 600 x 600 dpi, edit the image, then halve the vertical size only, then print at 600 x 300 dpi.

(I've only done this sort of thing with Linux s/w so can't help with specifics relating to Photoshop; but this generic advice ought to hold true with Windows s/w.)

Hope that helps,

Cheers, Kat

[Dave Moll]

Also, I assume that there is an option along the lines of "maintain aspect ratio". If so, make sure that it is enabled, as it sounds as though your resizing is not doing so.

[DAVEHALL]

One other option --can't you make them in Word/Powerpoint .I did a google on dial labels and found two companies making them to order -one at £3.8 inc P&P, another £2.5 ,min order £5 .

[Millay_2010]

scan at 300 dpi. 72.dpi will give you the same size when viewed on screen 300 dpi will make the screen image look much larger but it will print at the original size.

[russell_w_b]

I scanned mine on A4 paper with the scanner set to A4, and so when I printed it, I simply selected '100%' (using Photoshop 7). Because it scanned 1:1, the dial-disc came out actual size.

I think I used 300dpi.

[frglee21]

Thank You All for for your quick replies on this.

I've tried all your suggestions apart from buying a dial label - it may come to that - but as yet with no success.

If I scan a label then print it off there's no problem, it comes out the right size and shape. It's Paint Shop Pro 5 that causes problem - I tried Pro 7 as well with the same result - I'm still getting a slightly smaller squashed up version of the original.

I've tried different DPI settings, switching Smart Size on and off and different formats - jpeg, bmp etc.

However, I shall persevere with it.

Thank You All again, Lee.

[AlanBeckett]

Lee,
Can you Post an image of one so I/we can try?
Alan

[Radio_Dave]

I can only imagine you are scanning the label in full A4 size and when you come to print it the printer is resizing the image to fit within the papers margins?

Try previewing the image, before scanning and then only selecting a small area around it.

If that fails, tell me what labels you want and I'll attach some blank ones here for you to use

[Tim]

Try these

[Dave Moll]

Tim, your last two labels appear to be attached as thumbnail-sized images.

[AlanBeckett]

Attached is a scan of a print of a modified version of your first image.
[Try saying that after a few pints ]
That's round, and I can do it any size I like while maintaining the aspect ratio, no problem. It can also be distorted in the most alarming ways if you want to.
It was done with Corel PHOTO-PAINT X3.
Alan

[frglee21]

OK problem solved!

If I scan the dial label at 300 dpi, edit it in Paint Shop, save the file and then print using the Windows Picture Viewer it comes out the right size and shape.

Thank You *very* much for all your help and advice and for the dial label images. It really is much appreciated.

Best Wishes to all, Lee.

[julie_m]

Then you most probably have something misconfigured in Paint Shop Pro.

Make sure you haven't got something like "auto resize" or "adjust to fit" checked in the print requester (possibly hidden on a sub-screen) or page setup.

(Give me nice clean text configuration files with comments anyday .....)

[frglee21]

You've hit the nail on the head there - I need hitting on the head!

If I go into page set-up and click "fit to page" the dial label prints out perfectly.

Thank You very much for that one.

Regards, Lee.

[AlanBeckett]

Errrr.
I would have thought that 'fit to page' was exactly te wrong thing to do as that is likely to expend the image so that it just fits A4 - bit big for a dial
The Corel option is 'As in document' i.e. the same size as the original.
Alan

[frglee21]

Looking closely at the printed page there's a very light grey background over the whole page. It looks like I've stuck the dial label onto a piece of off-white paper before scanning.

This probably explains why the fit-to-page option doesn't enlarge the label to fit the whole page.

Regards, Lee.

[AlanBeckett]

Lee,
Ah, so, that would explain it.
If the label is, for example, in the middle of a sheet of A4, and the scanner picks up the edges of the A4, then printing on A4 with 'fit to page' should be pretty close. You may lose a tiny bit due to the printer margins, but bearing in mind the size differential it won't be much.
A splendid diagnosis
Alan