Scanning and Uploading Images for On-line Auctions

A common need for scanned imaged of stamps is for on-line auction listings. In my experience, selling many hundreds of lots at on-line auctions, a good image is an important factor in whether or not a lot sells. In addition to the general principles of scanning that have already been discussed, here are a few pointers for creating images for auctions:

* Use the JPEG format for your files. In theory you could use GIF for stamps that have only one or a few colors, but the saving in file size is minimal and in my experience not worth the effort of switching back and forth between formats.

* Use a scanning DPI setting that is appropriate for the item being scanned. I usually use 150dpi for single stamps, which means that they will be displayed at about one and a half times life size on the monitor screen. For small lots of 4-8 stamps, I'll use 100 DPI. For entire stock sheets or album pages, 50dpi is good. In cases where a small detail of the stamp design is an important part of its identification, I sometimes go as high as 300 DPI.

* If you are scanning multiple items you can sometimes save time by scanning them all at once into a large image, then using cut-and-paste to create the individual images.

* Trim your images closely, and be sure the stamp is "square" in the frame. Which of these images looks better?