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How to Scan Old Maps

Maps are produced for a number of different applications. Some provide detailed city information including streets, parks and schools. Other maps may be larger in scope, giving the reader an overview of a state or a portion of the country. Older maps can provide an important link to the past, and be a good measure of how a region has grown and become more developed. Preserving these old maps can be done by scanning them into a digital file, very much the same way you would scan a picture or photograph.

Things You'll Need

Flatbed scanner
Photo-stitch software (optional)

Instructions

- 1
  Measure the size of the platen on your scanner. You can use a simple measuring tape, or use a single sheet of paper that matches the size of the platen. Maps come in different sizes, but for the most part they tend to be larger than a platen of flat bed scanner. You will need to scan your map in sections.
- 2
  Select the first portion of the map that will be scanned. Start in the top left corner or the map and work across in a systematic process. You can isolate the area to scan by marking the boundaries using sticky notes to identify the four corners.
- 3
  Position the map on the flatbed scanner, and close the scanner's lid.
- 4
  Turn the scanner and your home computer on, and open the scanner's software. Since maps have a great deal of detail to them, you should use the photograph setting on your scanner, or the highest possible resolution.
- 5
  Create a folder where the scans will be saved.
- 6
  Click the scan button, if your scanner has a preview option, inspect the image and check to make sure the map is placed squarely on the platen. This is especially important if you plan on assembling the separate scans using a "photo stitching" program.
- 7
  Click the scan button again to complete the scan, saving it as a "TIFF" image. TIFF files are larger in size, but have an increased resolution over images saved as JPEG's.

Photography