Digital photo frames come with instructions for load photos onto them for display. However, these instructions are meant for digital photos taken with a digital camera, and may not address scan photos using a scanner in such a way that they display well on your frame. Since every scanner works differently, the steps may vary slightly depending on the brand of scanner and the image software you use.
Instructions
1. Read the directions and information that came with your digital photo frame. Take note of the file format or formats that it will accept, the resolution and the aspect ratio. You will be presented with a number of choices when scanning photos, and the right choice depends on the specifications of your particular model of picture frame.
2. Scan a test photo. Follow these steps for one photo and view it on the frame before scanning the rest to save time in case there are problems that must be addressed. Place the photo on the scanner and scan it by pressing the "scan" button or using your computer's scanning software to begin the scan.
3. Input the scan settings in your computer's scanning software. If installed correctly, the software should open automatically when you hit the scan button. If the software doesn't run automatically, launch it manually and select "Acquire" from the "Edit" menu, and then select your scanner. Scan at a minimum of 300 dots per inch (dpi). If you aren't given control over specific resolution settings, choose the best quality option available: full color, photo quality. Start the scan.
4. Save the photo as a Jpeg. You may have other options, but this is generally the best one because it combines good image quality with reasonable file size. TIFF and Bitmap (BMP) will likely produce larger files that will take up more disk space, and other formats may not be supported by your frame.
5. Copy the file to your picture frame. This might be done using a USB cable connecting the frame to the computer, or you might put photos on a memory card and then put the memory card into the frame. View the picture on the frame to see how it looks.
6. Troubleshoot any image problems by repeating the steps but changing one element until you get an image that is acceptable. One easy mistake to fix is a rotated image. You can change how you place the photo on the scanner, or rotate the picture using photo editing software. If your pictures aren't showing up on the frame at all, you may be saving them in a file format that is not supported by the frame, or on media that is not properly initialized. Compare to a sample photo or another photo that does display on your frame to determine the difference.
7. Check the image resolution. Right-click on the photo file you saved, and select "Properties." Look at the image resolution, which will be two numbers, such as 640 x 480, 1024 x 768 or 1280 x 1024. Compare these to the resolution of your frame; the picture should have the same resolution or higher for best results. Rescan your image with a higher number of dots per inch if the first scan wasn't high enough. Another option is image aspect ratio, which is the proportion of the width to the height. This might be 4:3, or it could be 16:9 if you have a widescreen frame. You can crop photos digitally to fix this, or read your frame's manual to see if there is a setting you can change so it displays photos of a different aspect ratio more effectively.
8. Scan the rest of your photos once your test photo displays properly. Look to see if there is a way to save these scanning settings in your scanning software, so you can use them the next time you want to scan photos for your digital photo frame.
Tags: your frame, aspect ratio, picture frame, scanning software, computer scanning
