Black background for disk scans for HOL!

[Codetapper]

Can everybody who is scanning disks for HOL please do the following:

Scan with a BLACK background (or recolour it after scanning). The white backgrounds look really stupid.

Write protect the disks for the scan - some of the scans have half white and half black showing through the write protect part.

Good example: P-47 Thunderbolt

Good and bad example: Archer Maclean's Pool

Bad example: Arcade Pool

[§ane]

Those scans with black backgrounds would look equally pish if the HOL used a negative color scheme.

I leave an obvious edge around the disk so it is distinct from all else. However, it would be ideal if the background were transparent than opaque.

[Kodoichi]

With a light background it's easier to use it in Photoshop >:P

[Codetapper]

1. HOL uses a black background and therefore we might as well make the disk scans the same. Most Amiga games also have black backgrounds around the edge and hence I doubt that HOL will be changing to any other colours anytime soon as the screen grabs would all clash.

2. Black backgrounds are just as easy to use in Photoshop - select the magic wand, click on the black with a low tolerance and you are done.

BTW in the attached picture the write protect part still looks crappy - it should either be completely white if you insist on lame white backgrounds or completely black, not mix and match

[Kodoichi]

Originally posted by Codetapper
2. Black backgrounds are just as easy to use in Photoshop - select the magic wand, click on the black with a low tolerance and you are done.

That's exactly not the case. If you choose low tolerance you often get non-selected parts because even the black around the disk has different values.

It's better to use a high contrast background with high tolerance.

Anyway, use PNGs with alpha transparency and be happy :P

[Paul]

Why not use transparent png format?

[§ane]

Originally posted by Paul
Why not use transparent png format?

1. Not everyone (including myself) can view PNG images with their browser. IE (still?) lacks proper PNG support.
2. Requires much time and effort to do a half decent job unless there's some trick that can be done with one's scanner.

[Mr Softy]

Took me five minutes to make a decent, black backgrounded diskscan.
You just have to leave the scan's cover up.

Add a little Photoshop Spice, resize it and voilà!

Result: Twin World, for instance!

[Twistin'Ghost]

A solid black piece of paper also works fine if one's scanner bed lid happens to be whilte. At work, I jump between two scanners (sucky, slow scanner with black lid and a fast-as-hell Epson with a white lid). I use a sheet of black film (from our camera room) on black and white stuff (like manuals) to keep the opposite side page from bleeding through. In the future, I will also use it on diskscans from the Epson.

[Belgarath]

i seriously dont see the problem with a white background..so what sprang immediately to mind, but i'm doing some scans atm and for the disks im gonna use black paper

and for the record both "bad" examples were done by me

[Twistin'Ghost]

Originally posted by Belgarath
and for the record both "bad" examples were done by me

I 'ave my share in there, as well. (The Shoe People springs immediately to mind)

[Feltzkrone]

Use an alpha channel along with PNG format. IE is stupid, so why wait until this shitty piece of software has a proper PNG support?With two or three transforms it isn't a big problem to create a proper alpha channel.