In my previous post I mentioned I got a new scanner, and now I am finally able to use it! My PC does not have a CD drive to install the software to use it, and the manufacturer site didn’t have a download for it, so I had to find a USB powered CD drive to use temporarily.
Whilst the scanner is now usable, I am still learning how to get the best results out of it for the comics; if I can scan the pages in cleanly, it will require less editing to look the way it should, and less editing means it gets up to the printing stage faster. So, whilst I learn how the scanner works, I decided to use it to scan in the JRACS logo I had been working on for the next Jinimaru Guidebook (a “Light Edition” to the beginners one). The future revision of the Beginners Guide will also get this logo inserted.
The writing and circles were done after scanning, but the overall quality of the scan for the hand and paw in the centre are nice and sharp, perfect for when I scan in simple designs. However, this is not the case right now when I scan in pages of the comic…
Putting aside that the sketch is still on the panel, the scanner is picking up too much detail on the scans and is making things look messy, which will require more editing than should be necessary. You can see the paper texture, which would require me to use the magic wand tool to delete every single section of white you can see on a panel. This takes hours already on just one picture, but there are at least 4 panels per page of the comic, and 30 pages so far completed. The scanner has a feature for removing the paper texture on its own which will save a lot of time producing this comic, but I have yet to figure out how to do it.
I haven’t forgotten about the Jinimaru books either, I am still doing the occasional bit of writing for Specimen G-13 on the side, but my proof reader is still too far behind. So all the Jinimaru books are on temporary hiatus, though I will see about getting the “Light Edition” of the Beginners Guide sorted out, since it’s just a simplified and smaller edition that just needs editing work rather than proofing.
So that’s all for now! You can buy JRACS-themed clothing and other goodies from the Redbubble store, or the Spreadshirt store, both which can be found under the “More” menu, in the “Merchandise” tab. I will post another update next week as I start to make headway with the comic, hopefully having figured out how to get the scan results I need!
Thomas