Informática Creativa scans

[machf]

So... tonight I spoke with IAQ, the editor/publisher of the former Informática Creativa magazine, and he authorized me to scan and upload the issues of the magazine. He also said he was going to search for his archived copy of Atari Creativo #0 (the predecessor to Informática Creativa) in order to scan it too, and mentioned the possibility of offering the back issues of IC for 1 Euro plus shipping (shipping costs still need to be estimated right now) if people become interested in them later. His server should probably be back in action during this week, he just needs to solve some issues regarding the DNS - since his old hosting is down, he couldn't access his e-mail account on the server, and he can't have the DNS redirected to the new server he's moved everything to unless he sends an e-mail from his e-mail account, which is the one "officially" registered for the domain... stupid bureaucrats. I told him to take a look around here, too.

 

Anyway... before I start scanning the magazines, I wanted to ask a few questions:

 

- What resolution should I use for scanning them? I was thinking either 150dpi or 300dpi

- What format to save the scanned images to? My choice would be PNG for the 150dpi ones or JPEG for the 300dpi ones

- Should I just ZIP/RAR the images together, or use them to make PDF documents instead?

- Thinking of scanning the front and back covers in 24-bit color, but the rest of the magazines in greyscale only, is that OK?

- After I'm done, should I just upload them to RapidShare, or is there someone/somewhere I should send them to?

[Rybags]

I find PDF best from a reader's POV for magazines, manuals etc.

 

If the resultant files aren't too big you could just upload them here (in a post), although the 2 meg filesize limit is a bit constrictive.

 

Other alternative is that someone could host it for you on their site - quite a few here have webpages. Or, put it up on bitTorrent - I could seed it almost indefinately provided it's not into the multi-gigabyte size.

[Allas]

Good! I'm going to wait them, specially #0

 

It would be a good idea to scan at 150dpi on PNG format using gray scale on B/W pages. I think the final zip archive could be posted here on Atariage.

[machf]

Well, I'm halfway scanning issue #0, and I must say that even using JPEG images at 150dpi, it's going to be ~20MB per issue...

[machf]

OK, so here's issue #0 of Informática Creativa scanned by yours truly and converted into a 16MB PDF file:

http://rapidshare.com/files/124842343/InfCre_0.pdf

 

Feel free to download it and host it elsewhere if you want... uploading 16MB with my connection takes qround 40 minutes at max speed, so I'd rather not do it again.

 

And I think this is the best I can do, given the quality of the paper on which issues #0 and #1 were printed. An optimum PDF scan would be one converted directly from the original files for the magazine... it was made using Signum! 2 on an Atari ST computer, if IAQ can get his ST up and running again, I guess he could print the issues to PostScript files and then convert those to PDFs. Or maybe he already has them in PS format archived somewhere...

[UNIXcoffee928]

Thanks!

 

Came out good, but always remember to straighten your pages in Photoshop via 'Rotate', before importing into Acrobat, to get a nice overall PDF layout.

 

It's also good idea to RAR the resultant PDF, and post it here as an attachment, if possible. A lot of those upload services suck and are very slow.

 

A 'Contents Page' posting in English would be great, too.

 

 

Good job, looking forward to more issues!

 

 

L8R.

[Allas]

What a great surprise. After take a look at the PDF, i remember every word of the magazine. Maybe, I read hundred of times on those old years.

Thanks for the effort.

[RangerG]

Thanks for this - please upload more. Great read.

[machf]

Well, there were only two more issues ever published (aside from the earlier Atari Creativo #0 issue that preceded it), so I'll try to have them both scanned by tonight, or tomorrow at most...

 

Regarding RAR compression... that still leaves the size at 16MB, isn't that an issue?

 

And I'll try to work on a translated index after I'm done scanning them.

 

Also, remember that there are already disk images of the unreleased disk with the program listing in the UMich 8-bit archives, in the Magazines section.

[Rybags]

PDFs already employ compression, so you won't gain much by using Zip/Rar.

 

Got the first one - looks fine so far as readability goes.

[Allas]

Maybe you can post a page example here, to try how to compress with photoshop at the minimum size with great quality.

[Tezz]

Thanks for taking the time to scan these. Is it possible you could archive the raw scans on rapid also? I'd like to OCR and translate them to create an alternative PDF here in English.

 

EDIT ** If that's acceptable with the publisher

Edited June 25, 2008 by Tezz

[Rybags]

Photoshop's pretty lousy at JPG compression. ImageReady does it a bit better.

 

The best JPG compressors are usually utilities that are specifically made just for making small sized pics that retain good quality.

[machf]

Well, I don't use Photoshop, for various reasons, so you don't need to worry about that.

 

I have the JPEGs already zipped and was considering uploading them too, in case anybody wanted to display them as HTML (using thumbnails linking to each JPEG image), or something like that. I'll upload them in a while, then... right now, I'm 25% through issue #1.

 

EDIT: uploaded the JPEGs from issue #0, get them here. Issue #1 is between 40-50% right now.

Edited June 25, 2008 by machf

[UNIXcoffee928]

It is a lot of effort to scan anything to begin with. I'd rather have a bigger file with better detail, actually. If you are going to bother scanning something that is important to you, it's better to go the high quality route. Let the enduser employ further detail reduction, if it suits them.

 

The reason I'm saying this is when it comes to archives, a few years down the road the current performance issues will be overcome. If you over-compress, you lose detail & get a lot of gray in the parts of the document that are supposed to be white.

 

The best test is to scan, save test versions, then print to a laser printer. Look for speckles, gray on the white non-printing area, and check to make sure that the image is both centered and perpendicular to the page. Eliminate those errors, then define your methodology via the best results.

 

Once you have done this with a few test pages, you'll find the optimum setting. It's also a good idea to put technical info in the Document Properties record. Such as:Scanned at xxxDPI, print tested on HP Laserjetx @ xxxxDPI, & so forth. It is also good to format margins to allow for 3-Ring hole punch paper.

 

This way we will have decent readable archives for years to come, in the future. There's nothing more annoying than opening an old PDF to find that it does not zoom to a level of detail necessary to read fine print or follow schematic traces.

 

There's a time & place for data thinning/reduction. It's in programming. It's best left out of art & music, because the end product always suffers. You have to remember that in 5-10 years bandwidth will be MUCH better, processing power will be better, RAM will be bigger, screens will be higher resolution, etc.

 

You can always post separate document portions:

 

Issue-1_pp_1-5.pdf

Issue-1_pp_6-11.pdf

etc.

...

 

Let the enduser assemble it locally.

 

 

All of this applies to any scanning project, not just this one.

 

If you have any specific questions feel free to send me a message.

 

 

L8R.

[machf]

I'll keep that in mind, but I don't have a laser printer, to begin with. And as I said, I'll talk to IAQ to see if he has the originals in PostScript (he must have had them, in order to take them to the press for printing) and use those for a "definitive" release.

 

In the meantime, I finished scanning issue#1, I'm uploading the ZIPped scans right now, with the PDF following immediately thereafter. I'm taking a break for lunch now, will deal with issue #2 in the afternoon.

 

BTW... this issue (#1) had some issues when it was printed, so the scans are going to reflect those - that's another reason for trying to get a better digital release from the masters at a later point, it would be just too much work to attempt to correct that in the scans to be worth it...

Edited June 25, 2008 by machf

[UNIXcoffee928]

In that case, then save them as jpg, max quality level, high resolution.

 

Check them in an imaging program to ensure that they are perpendicular to the screen borders.

 

Do a 200% (2x) magnification in the image viewer to ensure that all fine print, fine lines, etc. can be read & seen clearly.

 

While in the imaging program, clean up gray areas that should be white, and any speckles.

 

You will get MUCH better image scans if you put two large dictionary-sized books on top of the scanner's cover (or as many as are necessary to completely cover the scanner's lid, while simultaneously providing weight), when scanning. This helps to eliminate light seepage in either direction (in or out).

 

The best way to scan a magazine is to REMOVE the staples carefully with your fingernails, from the center of the magazine, then scan... this will yield excellent results. After scanning the whole thing, carefully put the staples back in by hand.

 

I had a stint at AT&T's optical imaging archive center... I learned a lot of tricks there. Now I cringe when I see a scanner.

 

= )

[machf]

In that case, then save them as jpg, max quality level, high resolution.

 

Check them in an imaging program to ensure that they are perpendicular to the screen borders.

That particular bit is a PITA when the pages weren't printed properly. And when the program I'm using will only allow integer values for the angles and it's 0.5 degrees, well...

 

Do a 200% (2x) magnification in the image viewer to ensure that all fine print, fine lines, etc. can be read & seen clearly.

 

While in the imaging program, clean up gray areas that should be white, and any speckles.

I've cleaned some of them, but doing so for all would take me even longer...

You will get MUCH better image scans if you put two large dictionary-sized books on top of the scanner's cover (or as many as are necessary to completely cover the scanner's lid, while simultaneously providing weight), when scanning. This helps to eliminate light seepage in either direction (in or out).

I usually use a large atlas for that. Also covers an area larger than the scanner's cover. Particularly useful to put it in place of the lid when it's something too thick for it, too.

The best way to scan a magazine is to REMOVE the staples carefully with your fingernails, from the center of the magazine, then scan... this will yield excellent results. After scanning the whole thing, carefully put the staples back in by hand.

I tend to do that, but here I had placed some tape on the back to prevent it from breaking... I can still take the pages out, but the staples are possibly going to show in the inner back/front covers.

I had a stint at AT&T's optical imaging archive center... I learned a lot of tricks there. Now I cringe when I see a scanner.

 

= )

[UNIXcoffee928]

INTEGERS ONLY?! Send that program to bit heaven.

 

What OS are you using?

[machf]

INTEGERS ONLY?! Send that program to bit heaven.

Uh-uh - it takes up very little space, loads really quick, and suits 99% (maybe more) of my needs, so I'm keeping it.

For the things it doesn't cover, I've got some other programs installed, but none of them can fully replace it.

What OS are you using?

Windows 2000.

[machf]

Couldn't upload issue #1 earlier because for some reason, the transfer kept getting interrupted around 45%, but now I've uploaded both the PDF version and the ZIPped file containing the JPEG images.

 

I've also finished scanning issue #2 and am uploading the corresponding ZIPped file with the JPEG iamges right now, meanwhile I'm preparing the PDF version and will upload it too after the other file is done.

 

UPDATE: ZIPped file with the JPEGs from issue #2 already uploaded, get it here. Uploading the PDF of #2 right now. Filesizes are similar to the issue #0 ones, in case you're wondering...

 

UPDATE 2: PDF version of issue #2 is now available here, too. Now it's time for me to say good night...

Edited June 26, 2008 by machf

[machf]

Added scans from a photocopy of the issue #0 of Atari Creativo. Not much difference, since that one was only Green&White instead of Black&White... B&W may even be better readable.

 

ZIPped file with the JPEGs is here and PDF version is here, if anyone cares... filesizes are smaller for this one, as it has only 24 pages, it's 10MB for the PDF and 11.5MB for the ZIP.

 

And here are the translated tables of contents for the four issues:

 

Atari Creativo #0 Volume I, Issue 1 January 1988

Contents:

01 Editorial

03 ¡Charge!

04 Leaving the Cartesians behind

07 Your magazine at home

09 Royal Comments

12 With a little help from my friends

13 How to discard Descartes, part 2

16 In order not to go to the racetrack

20 Towers of Hanoi

22 Bits, Bytes and Nibbles

23 Even in the quietest of moments...

 

 

Informática Creativa #0 Volume I, Issue 0 March/April 1989

Contents:

Editorial 01

P.O. Box 02

The best computer in the world 04

Draw with your text-only printer 06

Bits, bytes and Nibbles 08

The recursion technique 10

Print Shop for everyone 14

Plague 1989: a different future 16

Introduction tp PC-DOS and MS-DOS 18

Stay online with TVS-BBS 20

Protection count 24

With a little help from my friends 26

Intimacies of the LaserWriter+ 27

1, DOS, Three 28

Royal Comments 30

Get rich with a mule 34

Leaving the Cartesians behind 38

Even in the quietest of moments... 40

 

 

Informática Creativa #1 Volume I, Issue 1 October 1989

Contents:

Editorial 01

P.O. Box 02

ProPrint: from screen to paper 04

For the love of the game 08

Directory meeting 17

GEOS corner 20

Coldly calculated 22

I'm in love with my car 25

Not again! 31

Murphylogies 35

Happiness is a warm rifle 37

Royal Comments 39

Mirror, mirror 42

With a little help from my friends 44

Up that spirit! 45

Even in the quietest of moments... 47

 

 

Informática Creativa #2 Volume I, Issue 2 August 1990

Contents:

Editorial 01

P.O. Box 02

Bits, Bytes and Nybbles 08

TurboPaint XL: from idea to screen 14

About commands and hierarchy 17

Virus: the dark side of the Moon 20

No first without a second 33

LaserWriter, second call 35

The backside of a friendly card 36

Royal Comments 40

To the last bit 42

With a little help from my friends 46

Do you allow me to interrupt? 47

 

 

Though several things get lost in translation, given the style in which the magazines were written...

Edited June 26, 2008 by machf

[pepax]

¡Machf muchas gracias por las revistas! My motivation to continue learning Spanish is somewhat higher now.

 

Thanks for taking the time to scan these. Is it possible you could archive the raw scans on rapid also? I'd like to OCR and translate them to create an alternative PDF here in English.

That would help, too! There is nothing better than a truly interesting piece of bilingual learning material.

[devwebcl]

I have upload all the scans at http://devweb.cl/atari/mirror/informatica%20creativa/

as a mirror of them.

[machf]

¡Machf muchas gracias por las revistas! My motivation to continue learning Spanish is somewhat higher now.

 

Thanks for taking the time to scan these. Is it possible you could archive the raw scans on rapid also? I'd like to OCR and translate them to create an alternative PDF here in English.

That would help, too! There is nothing better than a truly interesting piece of bilingual learning material.

Hmmm... as I already said, given the style in which the magazines were written, it's likely several things will get lost in translation, I'm afraid.

 

I spoke with IAQ on the phone last night, he still has problems regarding his domain which are preventing the server from being online again, and he's looking for a new location for his store, I suggested him a couple of places I know. Speaking about the magazines, he told me back then he'd diagram it in Signum! 2 on his ST, then print it on Canson paper using a laser printer and take that to the print shop... so, no PostScript filew whatever. He still has the diskettes with the Signum! 2 files for the magazine on a metal shelf in his office, though, so if there's a way to use a "virtual printer" on an ST or TT, maybe something could be done with those files. Don't expect that to happen too soon, anyway.