For an ordinary sound print, compare a small trial at 300 and 600 dpi before choosing a setting for the batch. Keep colour and correction choices consistent so you can see what the extra resolution actually adds.
This is an explanation of settings, not a button-by-button guide for every scanner. Use your exact model’s manual to locate them. Film and damaged material need a different approach.
Resolution describes how finely you capture
A digital picture is made of pixels. A scanner setting commonly labelled dpi describes sampling along the original. A higher setting produces more pixels, but cannot make a blurred source suddenly contain sharp detail.
For an approximate calculation, a 15 × 10 cm print scanned at 300 samples per inch gives about 1,772 × 1,181 pixels. At 600 it gives about 3,543 × 2,362. Actual dimensions vary with the selected scan area.
Doubling both dimensions gives roughly four times as many pixels. It usually costs more space and time; it does not guarantee four times as much useful information.
Changing a resolution label afterwards does not add captured detail. Enlarging the intended print also needs enough pixels across the image, not simply a bigger number in an information box.
Let the intended use guide the trial
Choose one stable print with a face, fine writing and both light and dark areas. Compare 300 and 600 with the same crop and corrections, first at the intended viewing size and then closer.
For a planned enlargement from 15 cm to 30 cm wide, you need twice the pixels across to retain the same output pixel density. That is a calculation, not a promise that the source or scanner resolves enough detail.
Check your scanner’s optical capability. An interpolated setting creates extra pixels from existing information. It cannot recover a detail the device never captured.
Colour capture and restoration are different
A colour photograph normally needs colour capture. A black-and-white picture may also contain warm paper, tinting or coloured handwriting you want to preserve. Include colour in the trial if those characteristics matter.
Greyscale retains shades of grey. A black-and-white document or text mode can instead make a tonal photograph harsh and lose useful detail.
Keep the initial appearance before trying colour restoration. A faithful capture of a faded print and an improved viewing copy have different purposes. Save them separately.
Automatic corrections deserve a small check
Look for optional sharpening, colour restoration, dust removal, descreening and cropping. Note the starting settings. For a comparison, change one option at a time where the software allows it.
Inspect pale clothing and dark hair, not just the face. A dramatic result may have lost texture. Check lettering for artificial outlines and every edge for a clipped border or inscription.
Keep a little surrounding context in the source capture. You can crop a working copy later. Do not press a fragile print flat or use a document feeder merely to speed up the trial.
Keep a source file and make sharing copies
An uncompressed or losslessly compressed TIFF can be useful as a retained source when your scanner offers it and your software opens it. Check the compression choice as well as the filename ending.
A high-quality JPEG is convenient for everyday viewing. If JPEG is your practical capture option, keep that first saved file and edit a copy. Converting an existing JPEG to TIFF does not recover information previously lost through compression.
More advanced colour and bit-depth settings only help when your whole workflow handles them correctly. You do not need to change several unfamiliar options to complete a first household trial.
Judge the saved result
Close the scanner preview and open both trial files from their destination folder. Check the complete image, dimensions, orientation and useful detail. Record which setting helped your actual purpose and any unresolved fault.
Reassess when the source changes, such as from glossy small prints to textured portraits. Keep the source, back capture, settings note and an inspected second copy.
Next step
Prepare a small batch using your chosen method.
Sources and scope
Researched editorial explanation; no scanner test performed. Format background: Library of Congress scanning basics, reviewed 9 September 2026. The pixel examples are calculations, not measured scanner output.