You spent an hour on your drawing, but the photo came out with a noticeable shadow in the center? Or does your scanner distort the area near the spine? That\u2019s a binding issue, not your work. Here\u2019s how to get rid of it once and for all.<\/p>\n\n
A tablet scanner presses the object against the glass with the same force on all sides. There\u2019s a problematic area\u2014the center of the notebook\/sketchbook. If the page isn\u2019t lying flat, you get a shadow, distortion, and blurriness.<\/p>\n\n
The Manuscript sketchbook with an open binding lies flat on the scanner glass. The page is pressed to the glass with no effort. Result: even lighting, a crisp black line without any definition across the entire page.<\/p>\n\n
Tablet scanner:<\/strong> the page lies flat on the glass\u2014no shadow in the center, no warping. The scan is clean the first time.<\/p>\n\n Phone photo:<\/strong> a flat spread gives a clear horizontal line and even lighting on the left and right. <\/p>\n\n CamScanner \/ Adobe Scan \/ Microsoft Lens:<\/strong> if you use apps to straighten perspective and boost contrast\u2014an even page gives a significantly better incoming frame.<\/p>\n\n Apple Doc Scanner<\/strong>: built-in scanning functionality via iPhone. Details on the Apple website.<\/a><\/p>\n\n Light:<\/strong> even, diffused lighting is the best option. Direct sunlight from a window is acceptable, but it creates shadows from the frame. A side lamp creates a shadow on one side.<\/p>\n\n Angle:<\/strong> shoot strictly from above, perpendicular to the page. From a corner, you introduce perspective and get trapezoidal distortions at the edges. <\/p>\n\n Background:<\/strong> neutral (white or gray surface). Manuscript cream paper doesn\u2019t require aggressive white-balance correction\u2014this shade is natural and warm.<\/p>\n\n The goal of processing is not to \u201cmake it prettier,\u201d but to preserve what\u2019s there.<\/p>\n\n Instagram:<\/strong> square formats convey detail well. A photo of the spread or a single page\u2014depending on the content. Add a liner or another tool into the frame\u2014this adds context.<\/p>\n\n Behance:<\/strong> use high resolution (300 dpi for print, 150 dpi for screen). Show the process: a photo of your hand with a pencil + the result + a scan. This tells the story of the work.<\/p>\n\n Designer\u2019s portfolio:<\/strong> PNG or TIFF for archives, JPEG at 70% for the web. Save the originals separately\u2014editing can be done again later. If it\u2019s for your own website, then better to aim for WebP or AVIF formats.<\/p>\n\n See how your work looks in real hands: #manuscriptkyiv<\/a><\/strong> on Instagram.<\/p>\n\nAdjusting light and angle for phone photos<\/h2>\n\n
Processing: basic contrast and color correction to preserve the look of real paper<\/h2>\n\n
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How to prepare your works for Behance, Instagram, and a designer\u2019s portfolio<\/h2>\n\n
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