3D GRAPHICS SOFTWARE

Scanners are very precise pieces of equipment, and very expensive. They cost so much because, as their name suggests, they "scan" an image to capture it. When your eyes "scan" the horizon, they are moving. Just like that, in a scanner something has to move, either the image that is being copied, or the part that reads the image. If that movement is not very well controlled, the copy will be blurry or distorted. This level of motion control is very expensive.

A digital camera works much differently, it takes a picture of the whole image at one time. A camera uses lenses to take in a large amount of visual information, and focus it onto a small area that records it. Every part of the image is in correct reference to every other part, there is not any distortion.

There are a few things that you have to do to make sure that your camera records a good image, though:

- If the camera shakes at all, the whole image will be fuzzy.
- The camera has to be at right angles to the object being copied.
- You will need more light to record a crisp image. Use a "document" setting if your camera has one.
- You will need to manipulate the recorded image to make it usable.

The first two concerns can be eliminated by using a tripod. The lighting can be as simple as a floodlight bouncing light off a wall or a ceiling to provide a sharp, well defined picture.

The software is even easier, it is available, for free, on the internet. Just go on Google, and type in "free digital photo software." Choose one that is open source, and therefore totally free! You will need it to crop, adjust lighting levels, and adjust the size of the image to your needs. Almost any graphics program will handle it all, with no problems.

With these tips, and a little practice, you will soon be making "scans" at home, for free!