Scanner problems. Scanned images are smaller than the origional.

[Ted60]

I have 2 different scanners and 2 different computers having 2 different operating systems (WIN and Ubuntu) ... and I am having the same problem with each.

When I scan something and print it ... the scanned image prints out smaller images than the original was.

On one machine I have Windows as the op system and Microsoft Color. This computer has the HP Deskjet 2050

On the other machine I have Ubuntu as the op system and Gimp. this computer has the Canon Lide

Although I have used the scanner software ... I have also by-passed using the scanner software and I have used the scanner in the software Color and Gimp, scanned directly into them and the image still shrinks.

THIS is weird. I just don't understand why I can't get an exact copy and print it out.

In trying this method, I have approached it with two different originals. One drawing is on a letter (US Letter size 8.5X11) ... putting my drawing on a smaller sheet of paper. No change.

I also have switched back and forth between pixels and mm ... no change.

Resolution quality doesn't change anything.

FWIW, about my "drawings". I made my drawing onto a piece of cardstock and cut them out. I use these as a template to trace around the outline onto letter size paper. My drawings just couldn't get any simpler.

I'd like to say that I give up and just take it to a print shop and have it scanned ... but that really doesn't solve anything.

I can't believe I started on this Curtiss F6C-4 Hawk project Sept 17, 2012 and this is as far as I've gotten.

[bailey]

I have exactly the same problem. Don't understand - surely it should be normal for scans to be identical to the original, it is for photocopies. Very odd, look forward to finding a solution, Bailey

[SCEtoAUX]

Did you try resizing the scanned graphic to the correct size when you opened it in MS Color or the GIMP then see if it printed at the correct size?

Also double check that the default resolution in MS Color and the GIMP matches the scanned resolution. If they do not match the scanned graphic will be at a different size when it is opened in the graphics program.

[CMDRTED]

also ran into same problem. best I figured is to live with the size and edit the files in whatever image program the resize that image when your done. scan, print to check how much it shrunk ( or grew) note this size, then edit , print again to verify any size change then change image size as a final. takes less time than reading this.

[Tex]

When you scan anything and then print it out, the printer calculates the size of the scan, no matter what color (including white) and then adds its own default margin, thus 'magically shrinking' the size of the print. To avoid this (if that causes the problem), make sure that the size of the printout is set at 100% / original size.
I hope that helps.
- Tex

[zubie]

I've noted what Tex mentioned, but I supposed you may have checked that on your print driver settings in the print dialog box. The problem goes something like this: You scan an 8.5 by 11 image to print on 8.5 by 11 page, but the printer then says, but I need some "x,y" distance from the edge so it prints it at some reduced size to fit within the printer's limits regardless of the fact that there was nothing to print at the edge. One of my drivers (and I've seen some variation of this on other drivers) has an "ignore printer margins" options, or you can explicitly demand 100% (I think my old mac drivers used to do that). You may get a warning that some of the image will not get printed. One of my drivers is annoying enough to not show that it is reduced by a percent but rather tells me it's printing at a slightly higher dpi! It can be frustrating to fix as sometimes it causes the image to go off center and then you do loose stuff off the top or the sides, or some other option automatically switches your manually set %'s and dpi's back to what it thinks will fit after you hit enter, meaning there's still some auto feature that needs to be unchecked.

I've taken to working a page sized image in GIMP in a format that's already half an inch in from the sides and only exporting letter sized images as pdf's which for some reason seem to have less of an issue with this in my own personal experience (maybe acrobat is better at dealing with this? who knows). The 7.5x10 also fits onto A4.

Unfortunately your mileage may vary as my printers and systems are fairly long in the tooth.

[Ted60]

Tex and Zubie ...

A while back I had a HP Scanjet 3970 and operated it through a Twain scan program. I NEVER had any trouble like this. Then my older generation computer died ... and I could never get the the HP scanner to work properly with my NEW computers. So I bought new scanners (primary the Canon Lide 110). As I recall, THAT is when my problems began.

I've mucked about with those "print driver settings" and have selected "100%" in the "print dialogue box" ... with no luck.

[Tex]

I'm sorry to hear that! Have you tried fitting the size of your scanned image to the print frame of a text document (Word for Windows or Open Office Writer) yet, then import it as a picture / an image? It's a bit inconvenient, but it may - I hope - help solve your problem for the time being until somebody can come up with a better solution.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed!
- Tex

[3Turner]

Also check the scanner setting dialogue box. My scanner has the capability of scanning an image at 150dpi, 300dpi and 600dpi and setting the scan area size; letter, legal or A4. So it may very well have a setting to scan to margins to accommodate the slight shrinking of the image.

[dje]

hi ted,

Had this issue too. Check your printing options, your driver/software may have scaling / print 100% enabled. Be sure to disable margin (set to 0 even if driver complains), set to crop image even if outside of printing area, enable "ignore margin" if available.
I bet your scan is bigger than your paper. That specially true with adobereader (if you scan in pdf)

I'm scanning in jpg at 600dpi full area (so > letter for width and > A4 for height ), then I crop to 600dpi/A4 (4961px/7016px). So at 100% and no margin it's ok.

Discovered this the hard way working with scan and lasercut