Data Hoarder

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We are digital librarians. Among us are represented the various reasons to keep data -- legal requirements, competitive requirements, uncertainty of permanence of cloud services, distaste for transmitting your data externally (e.g. government or corporate espionage), cultural and familial archivists, internet collapse preppers, and people who do it themselves so they're sure it's done right. Everyone has their reasons for curating the data they have decided to keep (either forever or For A Damn Long Time (tm) ). Along the way we have sought out like-minded individuals to exchange strategies, war stories, and cautionary tales of failures.

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How can I scan old newspapers at home? (alien.top)

submitted 11 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

10 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I need to legibly scan/digitize whole newspapers. The sheets are roughly 34 x 24 inches (86 x 60 cm). The scanner on my printer is way too small. I've tried several (Android) phone apps, but they only operate on single photos, making small text illegible.

It feels like there should be an app for this. A document scanner that stitches images together like a panoramic photo. But I haven't found anything quite suitable.

I would greatly prefer a free (or cheap) solution. This is hopefully a one-time thing. I don't want to buy a flatbed scanner or send the documents away to some company.

I'd appreciate your thoughts.

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Camera on a stand, and make a vacuum table that sucks it flat. Use a black fabric underneath the newspaper to eliminate bleed-through from the text on the other side.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I don't have the dedication to set up a vacuum table, but the note about the black fabric is incredibly useful! Never would've thought of that.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago

I started out adjusting brightness levels on a histogram during or after scanning, but then realized a dark backing would make the printing invisible and save me the effort. I use black cardboard when scanning newspaper or magazine clippings in a flatbed scanner, but I figured cloth would let vacuum through. I think there are vacuum tables made for engraving and woodworking applications, or an air hockey game table might work with the blower reversed.