Scanning advice for squarebound comic?

[Kevin Yong]

Hi all, I hope I'm posting this in the right forum. I could use some scanning advice.

I recently was able to pick up a reading-quality copy of Fox's "All Good Comics" from 1944. (Missing the back cover, a couple pages have rips repaired by tape, but otherwise complete.)

I was hoping to scan this for the site, to help replace the partial B&W camera scan of the issue that's currently available.

The only problem is that this book is well over 100 pages thick, with a squarebound-style spine that doesn't allow it to open flat.

So... Anyone have suggestions on how I might be able to best scan this book without completely destroying the binding or ripping out the brittle pages?  Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

-- Kevin Yong

[srca1941]

I have the same book that I've been meaning to use to create fills. The first 32 pages of my copy (which is actually missing pages 1-2) are stapled in such a way as to hide some of the art in the gutter. Pages 33+ are in good shape for scanning, and lie flat with some added weight on the spine (namely my copy of Overstreet). I can see from the existing scan that not all copies are like this. How are your first 32 pages? If you don't have the gutter problem, perhaps we could combine scans to make a good copy of the book?

-Eric

[Kevin Yong]

I have the same book that I've been meaning to use to create fills. The first 32 pages of my copy (which is actually missing pages 1-2) are stapled in such a way as to hide some of the art in the gutter. Pages 33+ are in good shape for scanning, and lie flat with some added weight on the spine (namely my copy of Overstreet). I can see from the existing scan that not all copies are like this. How are your first 32 pages? If you don't have the gutter problem, perhaps we could combine scans to make a good copy of the book?
-Eric

Hmm. That might actually work! Only a few of the pages in my copy have the art bleeding right up to the edge of the gutter, but not so bad that anything is lost. In my copy, the first 32 pages should be scannable -- it's the second half of my book that has brittle/torn pages.

-- Kevin Yong

[OtherEric]

Well, it depends on just how "reading condition" your copy was already, how much you care about condition (as separate from readability), and exactly how the book was bound.  On the fox giants I've scanned, they were several rebound issues minus covers, so there were 4 or 5 separate signatures.  The books were already in such a condition that I gently removed the cover where the glue was loose, undid the staples so I had 4-5 regular but coverless copies, scanned those, then reinserted the staples.  This may be further than you wish to go, though!

Eric:  You use your copy of Overstreet to press down the scanner lid?  Me too!  (For all its flaws- and I don't trust it as a price guide for a minute anymore- I still find it useful as a reference book in many ways.  But I only buy a copy every few years when I like the cover art or my old one is falling apart.)

[Snard]

Hi all, I hope I'm posting this in the right forum. I could use some scanning advice.

I recently was able to pick up a reading-quality copy of Fox's "All Good Comics" from 1944. (Missing the back cover, a couple pages have rips repaired by tape, but otherwise complete.)

I was hoping to scan this for the site, to help replace the partial B&W camera scan of the issue that's currently available.

The only problem is that this book is well over 100 pages thick, with a squarebound-style spine that doesn't allow it to open flat.

So... Anyone have suggestions on how I might be able to best scan this book without completely destroying the binding or ripping out the brittle pages?  Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

-- Kevin Yong

Hi Kevin,

I too am planning to scan a few 100 pagers (on loan from JVJ) and I was given the following advice for scanning these beauties.

Get a bunch of mini binder clips (if you don't know what those are, here's a picture:

http://lskimport.net/yahoo_site_admin/assets/images/mini_binder_clips.1165257_std.jpg

Now, pinch them over the binding of the book, spaced closely together. To avoid damage to the cover, you might want to wrap a piece of paper around the book before you apply the clips.

To scan the book, open it to the appropriate page and press to the scanner by holding the clips. Note that this might hide some of the inside margin, but if your goal is to avoid breaking the spine and separating the pages, this will do the trick.

Let me know if this works for you.

[Kevin Yong]

Thanks for the binder clip advice, I'll have to experiment with that. I don't mind creasing the binding if it helps get a good scan; I just want to make sure I don't further rip the brittle pages of a book I'm trying to digitally preserve. I'll report back on my progress soon.

[narfstar]

And if the book is bad enough or cheap enough the pages can be separated and make scanning easy. I have done that with some 100 pagers of low monetary value. I have some others that need scanned I will try the binder clips

[Kevin Yong]

Hi all. I started this thread several months back, but I've finally gotten around to scanning my copy of "All Good Comics" (Fox, 1944). My copy was in readable condition, but was well-worn. Here's what I had to work with:
* The book's interior 128 pages are complete, but it was missing the back cover.
* It has a few ripped pages that were repaired with (now brittle and yellow) cellophane tape.
* It had random pages in the center of the book printed/bound with inconsistent margins. That means some pages are perfectly centered, while others have panel borders that run right up to the edge of the inside gutter of the spine.

Before I start the long process of trying to clean up or re-crop the pages, I wanted to double-check and see if anyone else with a copy of this book could provide better scans for the individual pages of mine that are damaged or off center. If so, I can share my hi-res unedited scans, and we could attempt to combine our pages into a complete (and better quality) book for the site. If not, I'll do my best and post what I have.

-- Kevin

[Yoc]

Hi Kevin,
Thanks for all the work you are doing on this.
Say, is this the same book as the one DM posted a while back here?
http://digitalcomicmuseum.com/index.php?dlid=5102

If it is a second version is still welcome and if the final file size is over 100mb please break it into two parts.

Any other help feel free to send me a PM or post it here.
-Yoc

[Kevin Yong]

Hi Kevin,
Thanks for all the work you are doing on this.
Say, is this the same book as the one DM posted a while back here?
http://digitalcomicmuseum.com/index.php?dlid=5102

If it is a second version is still welcome and if the final file size is over 100mb please break it into two parts.

Any other help feel free to send me a PM or post it here.
-Yoc

Yes, that's the comic. I'm hoping my full-color copy (despite its wear and tear) can be a good supplement to the current scans which are still partially B&W.

Thanks for the tip about uploading in two parts. I'll have to see how small I can shrink the final pages when I'm done. Having a book with over 128 pages makes for large files. (My uncompressed hi-res scans for the book are currently taking up over 4 Gigs.)

-- Kevin

[Yoc]

I shoot for about 6-700kb with a page size of 1280 or more pixels in height.  The results are large but splitting the book into two is no big deal for readers.

GL on the project Kevin!

[vaillant]

In fact, I myself I’m still studying a way to scan without ruining books.

I started participating here more or less as I started collected, and I quickly realized the best advice is probably the one given by narfstar, if the book is poor-fair or coverless. Inversely, I think it’s best not to have a book of a grade higher than G/G-VG, otherwise it will be ruined. I have seen my copy of Daredevil Comics #12 (a G-) is suffering some damage because the spine was worn, so I think the best choice is to have either a PR (or coverless) copy or a G+/GVG one. Copies in better shape get damaged, and copies in FR to G are in most cases more delicate than those in G+/GVG.
Now I have a big problem with a pair of earlier issues which I bought in really nice condition, I guess I’ll have to differentiate my search whenever I think of a copy also for scanning. 

[narfstar]

You might get Rangerhouse to scan the more valuable books for you

[Yoc]

RH is in America though.

[vaillant]

Yes, I know RH bought that wonderful used book scanner, but it wouldn’t be practical at all, considered I’m in Italy.
However, it could be an option if we decide beforehand (maybe) to set a small fund for valuable books which are still missing.

Anyway, I apologize once again for timing: I find really no time for scanning right now, but sooner or later I will have the job done!