About Image Quality for Copy and Scan to file

The Xerox Nuvera is a digital imaging system. The scanner converts full color optical (analog) images to a gray digital image (0-255 gray scales). The image processing functions adjust the image according to the image quality features selected. The resulting image is a binary image which records the 'appearance of gray' as a collection of dots varying in spacing and diameter. These dots are made up of several pixels (picture elements). In a binary image, each pixel element is either 1 or 0.

Image quality involves adjusting the tones(darkness and contrast), sharpness and rendering textures of the scanned image to get a pleasing output image.

To get a optimal quality scan of an original requires the following types of image processing:

• Detection and suppression of colored and shaded backgrounds
• Removal of halftone screens
• Sharpening of edges in the image
• Lightening or darkening of highlights, midtones and shadows to get good contrast and detail
• Application of new halftone screens to photos and halftones

The higher the quality of the original, the higher quality of the final copy. Image processing adjustments can only enhance the information which is in the original or suppress undesirable defects. It can not 'create information'.

The key to getting satisfactory scans or copies from your Xerox Nuvera is understanding how to adjust the image quality processing controls and which controls to adjust. Digital image quality processing can often create a copy with 'better' image quality than the original. Light text can be enhanced, past-up lines suppressed and even 'coffee stains' removed. For some applications, such as legal documents, it is desirable that all information on the original be preserved to create a 'faithful' copy.

Follow the links at the left to learn more about image quality adjustments.

Begin by selecting Choosing the Best Original Type.

For help with solving specific image quality problems, see Solving Image Quality Problems.

TIP: If you copy/scan a great number of the same type of original documents, you can set custom image quality defaults. For example, if the majority of your copying/scanning is of dark photographic content, the system defaults can be set to accommodate this, saving you job programming time. To set up your system defaults to match your original input, contact your System Administrator.

TIP: It is best practices to proof a job when you make image quality adjustments.