To scan images into computers requires a scanner.  Scanners are similar to photocopiers, where light passes over a photograph or some other type of physical object and makes a copy of it.  With computers, rather than burning toner onto another page, the scanned image is converted into a bitmap, which you can manipulate and modify in Photoshop .

Connecting a scanner to your computer is beyond the scope of this course.  Follow your manufacturer’s instructions.  Once the scanner is installed and working you can access it within Photoshop  if the scanner is TWAIN compliant.  TWAIN is a format that permits your computer to interface with imaging devices such as scanners.  To select the TWAIN device select File/Import /Select TWAIN_32 Source. Select your scanning software.

To scan an image directly into Photoshop, select File/Import /TWAIN_32.  The scanning software is launched.  Because scanning hardware and software vary considerably, we cannot cover how to use your scanning software.  Follow the manufacturer’s instructions.  It is paramount, however, that you keep bit-depth in mind (24bit is optimal), image dimensions, and image resolution (72ppi or higher if developing for other media).

Once you have successfully scanned the image into Photoshop , close the scanning software and save the image in Photoshop format.  You can manipulate as you can any other image.