Photoshop Elements Tutorial: Importing Pen And Ink Drawings Scanning or photographing sketches with Photoshop Elements

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This is a quick tutorial on how to import and process pen and ink sketches using photoshop elements using either a flatbed scanner or a camera with a document mode.

 

I have a graphire digital tablet, but I have a lot of work that has already been done on paper and I also do a lot of paper sketches on the road. It is not hard to digitize these sketches, but it takes some care. I will talk about using both a flatbed scanner (HP OfficeJet All-In-One) and a camera (Kodak EasyShare Z700) with a document or text mode. Cameras with no optical zoom and no document mode are possible as well, but much, much harder.

 

The first thing to consider is your sketches themselves. You will get best results using a flat or semi-flat paper and a semi-gloss ink or vice-versa. The difference in texture makes it easier for the camera to pick up your lines clearly. If you use a pencil for the initial skethc, this is not a problem as long as you draw lightly. It helps if you usea good 2H or harder sketch pencil. I get some ghosting from the undersketch in my scans but it is minimal and I do not consider it a problem. Do not use an eraser while sketching. This damages the texture of the paper and is worse for the scanner than stray pencil lines. Just sketch over your mistake. If you must use an eraser, make sure it is a kneaded art eraser, not the one on the back of your pencil. This is the problem which gets me into trouble the most often.

 

Once you have your sketch, prepare it to be photographed. This is a bit touchier than a scanner, which we discuss below. Use an opaque, smooth surface directly underneath your drawing. More paper is ideal and taking photos of a sketch book works well. The additional thickness of paper absorbs the flash and you will not get a reflection and double image. Underneath the whole works, a softly colored and textured surface seems to be helpful to the camera in figuring out the white balance and focus. I use a short-knap tan carpet with overhead lighting. You will want to experiment with your camera for the best results.

 

Put the camera in document mode; this is designed for focusing on flat, close images and has settings for determining the color balance. If you are not sure how to do this, consult your camera documentation and ask your salesperson before buying (ask for samples if they have them). On the Kodak EasyShare, choose "SCN" on the dial and "Text" as the mode. Now hold the camera as close to perpendicular over your document as you can; any angle will foreshorten and distort your image. Push the button partway down until the crosshair turns green (Kodak) or a tone sounds (many Sony cameras), then, when the image clears, press fully. Be careful to not jiggle the camera during this process. Use something to steady it if you can.

 

If you have multiple drawings on the same page, photograph them separately. Space on the camera is cheap and you will have a better chance of having them come out right. If one sketch comes out badly, it may appear better in another picture. After loading each one, drag them into Photoshop Elements. Photoshop Elements is a demo version of Photoshop which comes with many graphics devices such as cameras, scanners, and graphics tablets.

 

A flatbed scanner, is of course, simpler. You do not have to worry about the background, the focus, or jiggling the camera. Most scanners have a "Ink Sketch" or "Pen and Ink" setting. Failing that, "Newsprint" works decently. On the HP OfficeJet, Newsprint often worked better than the actual Pen and Ink settings, so some experimentation is in order. Scan several ways and see what you like best.

 

The first processing step is to crop the image. Sometimes you can do this right in your scanner software, but there is little advantage. This takes your background out of the picture and out of site of the color correction software in photoshop. After you have cut as close as you can, go to the Enhance menu and select "Quick Fix...". This will open a dialog with several options for automatic enhancements. This is the easiest way to rpocess your photo. If the enhancements here do not work, it is easier to go back and reshoot (believe me, I have tried it). The first enhancement should be Brightness under column one and AutoContrast on column two. This will adjust the white balance and give you better results on correcting the color. Next select Color Correction from column one and Auto Color from column two. This will give you true black, white, and intermediate colors. Last, select Focus and Auto Focus to correct for any jiggling of the camera.

 

You should have a nearly perfect scan at this point. If not, rescan or rephotograph. You can do some retouching from here, especially if you have a graphics tablet, to touch up ghosting. Any but the most careful touch-ups, however, will mar your image background. Using the dropper tool and flood fill, you may be able to replace the background, but this is trickier than it looks as your lines may fade into the background where your strokes are not as dark.

 

If you really can not get the image to photograph well, create a new layer and trace it. When finished, dispose of the scan and keep the trace. This is the best way to make your background transparent.

 

Hopefully this quick tutorial will help you avoid the hours of frustration needed to figure out the basics. From here, your drawings, your camera, and your tastes will differ. Do not hesitate to try multiple techniques. Just like in drawing, different techniques will give a different character to your finished product. Sometimes the rough, obviously drawn on paper look may be exactly waht you want to look different in an age of digital art.