Copying Reference Pictures out of Old Magazines

[Skip]

While doing research for a project in some old Rod & Custom magazines I found some reference pictures for another Board Member's project that I copied off to mail to him. I just wasn't happy with the results, I copied them off on a pretty high dollar copier at work, still the details were washed out. I first thought that the pictures were printed in black and white, and monkeyed with the settings a little they still looked washed out.

Lightbulb moment, remembered something from High School Graphic Arts eons ago and tried the color setting on the copier. Viola! The picture came out nearly as good as the magazine.

The Tip is when copying pictures for research from old Hot Rods, Rod & Customs, Little Pages, etc. where the pictures are printed in the black, white and greenish blue. Copy in color and they will look very close to the magazine you copied them from.

The other tip here is that I almost always copy the picture from the magazine(s) and work off of the copy, it preserves the old magazines just a bit more. I've been doing this even for artwork for a long time, just rediscovered the first tip lately.

[tubbs]

thanks for the tip. I do the same as you for the ref. the mags never make it to the work bench. they are kind of sacred to me.

[sjordan2]

Or, if you copy them on a scanner, you can adjust the color, contrast and sharpness levels to your heart's content.

Plus, you always have a digital copy to print out any time you wish without needing hard copy. Store it in a folder on your hard drive or thumb drive, or burn it.

Edited December 18, 2013 by sjordan2

[Foxer]

And remember to place a sheet of black paper behind the page so the opposite side doesn't ghost through, especially with a scanner.

[Skip]

Ghosting or bleed through is seldom a problem with most of the old magazines that were printed on the heavier newsprint. At least I have not had any issue with it, not to say that it doesn't occur, been doing this for some time in B&W, color is just newer to me.

I can see where it may be a problem with the newer slick paper (read that thinner paper) magazines. (The newer slick paper magazines were not the subject of the tip in the first place.) Good addition if that is what you were talking about.

With the heavy newsprint the trick is to use the following pages to provide the density that blocks out the print on the backside of the page being copied.

[zenrat]

And always do it at work so someone else pays for the paper and toner...

[FASTBACK340]

FWIW: When I was moderator over at For A Bodies Only, a Mopar specific site, we had members post magazine articles and the publisher would contact us to pull down their material. Just be careful if you post it on-line.

Copyright issues can be a pain when they pop up. A few years ago the authorities stormed (and I mean running over signs and scattering people, wearing SWAT masks!) Chryslers at Carlisle and handcuffed the aftermarket vendors working for Layson's Restorations over alleged non-copyrighted merchandise….. which was all dropped after court dates. And much public grief and slander over copyrights.

Edited December 28, 2013 by FASTBACK340

[bobthehobbyguy]

Scanning the pictures also allows for reference when documenting models for contest classes that require it without the bulk of the magazine.