SCANNER INTERFACE

You can access your scanner interface through numerous programs – such as MS-PUBLISHER – PHOTOSTYLER – ADOBE PHOTODELUXE – COREL DRAW – and even some of the greeting card programs. No matter which of these programs you use, when it accesses your scanner – the interface (the small program that allows you to operate the scanner) is always the same. The ability to do this is called being TWAIN compliant.

SELECTING HOW MUCH TO SCAN

All scanner interfaces start with a PRESCAN – this allows you to see what you have placed in the scanner. After you view the picture that is in your scanner, then it is time to select the area of the picture that you wish to scan. This is an important step because some scanner interfaces will scan the entire 8 ½ by 11 inch surface if you do not select the area where the picture is. Some of the newest scanner interfaces automatically select the entire item that you placed in the scanner.

RESOLUTION

A guide line for what resolution to use when scanning is ----

To send the picture by email – set the resolution to 100 dpi.

To allow you to enlarge the picture for editing/repair or printing at a larger size – set the

resolution to 300 dpi.

If the picture is quite small – or you only wish to scan a very small area of a photo –

Set the resolution to 400 dpi or greater.

These are only guide lines – you have to make your determination by what you are going to scan and what you plan to do with it.

BRIGHTNESS – CONTRAST

Most of your scanner interfaces have the ability to adjust the brightness or contrast of the picture before you perform the final scan. Normally it is better to leave this function to the photo editing program that you will be using.

We learned today that Hewlett Packard USB Scanners only work with Intel chipsets. Our computer has the Intel chips – but the USB card that we bought to add USB ports to our old computer does not contain the Intel chips ------ therefore the Hewlett Packard USB scanner could not be recognized by the computer. After talking to tech support at CDW where we bought the USB card, we were informed that you could not run the Hewlett Packard USB scanners on a computer using AMD chips – he said that this is a known problem by Hewlett Packard, not given much publicity, but if you call and ask them, they will tell you this is true. So to be on the safe side, don’t purchase a HP USB scanner unless you are sure that your computer contains the Intel chips – and that the USB ports are internal (built onto the motherboard).

To solve a lot of headaches and time – if you have to use your RESTORATION DISK from Packard Bell or Compaq, remove (or disconnect) any added components that were not a part of the original computer system when you purchased it. Reinstall these components after you have your computer up and running again.

The rumors circulating that Blue Mountain electronic greeting cards contain a virus is a hoax. It is a sham, meant only to panic new or inexperienced computer users.

There is no way that bluemountain.com can spread a virus. The Blue Mountain electronic greeting cards are merely web pages with graphical images that are viewed with your browser; as anti-virus researchers have known for years, computer viruses cannot be distributed in graphical images. Furthermore, when a user receives a Blue Mountain greeting notification in e-mail, there is also no way the user can get a virus; these e-mail messages contain strictly text messages and cannot contain a virus.

When you send or receive cards from this site, you do not actually download to your computer any files that may contain a virus.

Sending a FAX is easily done – not by running your FAX program --- but by typing your document in one of your word processor program. When you have finished typing your document, choose FILE – PRINT. The first thing that you will usually see is the name of the printer that is being used. Notice the down arrow (or small triangle) to the right of the printer name --- if you click on that small triangle, you will get a list of all the printers on your system. Look carefully, one of them will probably be the name of your FAX program (or have Fax as part of its name). Click on that fax printer to choose where your document will be printed. Now, when you click on the OK button, your fax program will open up (don’t worry, your document is there ready to be sent – even if you don’t see it listed anywhere. Just fill out the name and phone number of where the document is to be sent – and press the SEND button.