Automatic cropping feature in Pic Scanner app is a big effort saver, but what if your photos are split in odd, random places? You could re-scan, but the following tips will help you get accurate results every time (Hint: Many users get #4 wrong):
(Please note that although the screen shots in this article are from Pic Scanner, the tips apply equally to Pic Scanner Gold).
1) Use plain background:
Lay photos on a plain white or single color surface. Multicolor background can confuse the app. In the examples below, #1 may lead to wrong cropping, while #2 and #3 are fine:
2) Mind the gap between photos:
When scanning multiple photos together, keep a 1/2-inch i.e. 1-2 cm gap between them. If pictures are too close together, the app won’t recognize them as separate images. In the screen shots below, #1 is wrong, #2 is fine:
3) Ensure contrast between photos and background:
It helps to have some color difference between the photos’ edges and the background. So, for example, to scan a snow scene, place it on black or another solid color background (Not white).
Background vs foreground contrast
4) Keep photos fully visible:
This is the most important tip: In your scan, a bit of the background surface must be visible all round the photos. If any photos reaches the edge of the viewfinder frame or extends beyond it, cropping will be wrong.
Below, #1 is wrong (Left and bottom edges touching the viewfinder’s edge), #2 is good. Note that #3 is also correct, but here the camera is held too far away from the photo, and will result in lower resolution scan.
How to scan and how not to scan photos
5) Avoiding perspective distortion:
If your scans are coming out skewed or distorted, it’s possible you didn’t hold the camera centered above the photos and level with them. Pic Scanner has built-in automatic perspective correction, but it’s always a good idea to avoid holding the camera off-center or at an angle to the photos.
6) Long and narrow photos
Photos with (Length > More than 2.5 times width) may not be cropped correctly. These can be cropped manually from Originals screen.
7) Special situations:
There is one more situation where automatic cropping may go wrong. See the photo below:
Pic Scanner intelligently guesses where a photo’s edges lie. But if a photo contains prominent straight lines, these can be mistaken for edges. Below, we have highlighted these edges in yellow:
If cropping is wrong (or a photo is missed out), you can crop manually from the Originals screen (Tap Original thumbnail > Trim > Adjust size and position of the cropping rectangle > Crop. The photo will be saved on Cropped screen.
Some users ask if they can turn off automatic cropping or share originals. Automatic cropping is a real effort-saver, and by following the above guidelines, you won’t need to crop manually. However, you can also transfer Originals to Cropped screen, and then share them. This is how:
On Originals screen, tap Select. Tap one or more photos to select them. They will get check marked. Tap Move, then Move to Cropped.
If your photos were cropped wrong and you can’t figure out why, just send us the cropped and original photos. We will analyze and guide you on what to do.