SCANNING and FULL DOCUMENTATION GUIDE

While the box art is always our main feature on the web site, we also have a new project going on which involves “full documentation” on all model kits (plastic, resin, and wood), and on all old, rare collectible toys that are submitted for addition to our galleries. The purpose of this new project is to create the worlds largest “on-line” Model Kit/Toy Collectors Reference Archive, making our web site a one stop information resource for modelers and collectors worldwide. Similar to the Kit Collectors Clearing House guide (no longer in publication) but much more detailed and comprehensive with photos and digital scans of each kit/toy box art, parts, decals, instructions, promotional materials and all of the information about the kit/toy itself, including comments and reviews. The following guideline describes both the art scanning procedures for our Main Art Gallery and the full documentation required for our new Model Kit/Toy Collectors Reference Archive. We hope you will all support this new project as our web site continues to grow.

 

FULL DOCUMENTATION GUIDE:
Please annotate the data below (steps 1 – 7) on the first scan email or on paper (or in a text file on the disc) if sending the scanned images via postal mail, for each kit being documented.

  1. MANUFACTURER NAME:

  2. KIT TITLE:

  3. KIT NUMBER (usually on the end of the box):

  4. KIT SCALE (if known):

  5. KIT PRODUCTION DATE (if known):

  6. BOX SIZE MEASUREMENTS: (L x W x H) in inches:

  7. KIT VALUE (if known or what you paid for it):

 

SCANNING PROCEDURE:

  1. BOX ART
    400 to 600 DPI (Dots Per Inch pixel resolution) or higher, digital scans of the box top, sides & end panels. The better the box art condition is in, 400 DPI should work fine, but the more worn or scratched the box art is, then 600 or higher DPI is better. These settings are found on most scanner menus. If you have questions, please ask.

    NOTE:
    Multiple image scans are fine for large boxes as long as the individual image scans are kept in alignment while re-positioning the box over the scanner surface area. Plus, allowing for a 1 inch or more "overlap" on each scan which will aid in digitally re-assembling the images when we receive them.

  2. INSTRUCTION SHEETS
    200 to 300 DPI resolution digital scans, or good quality full size photocopies. If you get a "cross-hatch" MOIRÉ, (pronounced: mor-ray) type pattern on your scan, then try a lower resolution setting or use the MOIRÉ pattern option if your settings menu has it.

  3. DECALS (if any)
    400 to 600 DPI digital scans or good color photocopies. (resolution depends on the condition of the decals. The worse shape they are in, the higher the resolution needs to be).

  4. BOOKLETS/PROMO MATERIALS
    400 to 600 DPI digital scans or good quality, full size color photocopies of any promotional materials included with the kit such as Ad’s , flyers, or booklets.

  5. PARTS PHOTOS
    Nicely arranged kit parts, well focussed, photographed in color against a solid color, high contrast background. (yellow, blue, white, black, burgundy, red, etc.) I.E.: A good background source is a solid colored flat twin bed sheet. They are inexpensive (usually 6 to 7 dollars), non glare, available in a variety of solid colors (at places like Walmart), and makes a good photographic background for a small model kit, all the way up to a large wooden radio control model. A digital camera or 35mm camera photo works fine for this.

    If taking a photo of a collectible toy, then the same procedure works fine. Several angles can be photographed to show the details of the toy if necessary.

  6. MODELING SUPPLIES PHOTOS
    Good, well focussed, color close-ups of any paints, glues, and other modeling items included in the kit being documented. Digital scans, a digital camera or 35 mm camera photo is fine.

  7. MODEL KIT CATALOGS
    200 to 300 DPI resolution is best for most regular size B/W & color catalogs. Multiple scans are fine if necessary for a larger than normal size catalog. (Same procedure as in step 1 above).

  8. HOW TO SEND SCANS, and OTHER ITEMS
    Scans can be sent via Email to our primary artist’s staff; Christian Bryan, David Chenault, and Diane Annunziata at the same time by simply including all three addresses on each email. This assures that we have backup copies of everything. Please try to limit each email to a maximum of about 10 to 12 MBs (megabytes) since some email host servers will not allow emails over that size to be sent or received. If the scans are in multiples for the same art image, then please indicate as such by Pt 1, Pt 2, etc, in the subject heading title. (see email addresses below)

    NOTE: If there are a lot of scans from either a single large kit or multiple kits from your collection, that make sending them via email too hard to do or impractical due to the large size of the individual files, they can either be:

    • Saved to a CD-R disc as .jpg (jpeg) images
      This requires a CD burner drive for your computer. The disc can then be mailed by postal mail. Just contact: David Chenault, dragon946@earthlink.net, for the postal mailing addresses if needed.

      This method allows you to do a lot of scanning and photographs and save them to the disc and then send it all at once instead of as individual emails. (please check your disc before mailing to make sure all images loaded properly).

    • FTP UPLOAD
      Special arrangements can be made for “temporary” access to our FTP upload folder on the web site. Contact David if you feel this is required. (dragon946@earthlink.net)

     

    If you are unable to do a full documentation, then the high resolution digital art scans or full size, high quality, color photocopies are still welcomed.

     

    Please let me know if you have any questions.
    Regards,

    David Chenault
    dragon946@earthlink.net

    revision 1.1

 

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