[ARSCLIST] Record label image manipulation

[Joel Bresler <joel.br@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dear friends:
 
I am scanning a few hundred record labels, and had a few questions. 
 
1)            Would 400 dpi be adequate? If not, suggestions? Any other
settings to be careful about?
2)            Thoughts on graphics file formats welcome -- high quality
JPEG, non-lossy compressed files, bitmaps (ugh...). One archival format,
with down-sampling for the web? Or ????
3)            Is there a simple routine in Photoshop Elements that will
yield the image of just the circular label? Put another way, is there an
easy way to mask out the four corners of the square image? URL references if
someone has a webpage on the question would be great. 
4)            As I ponder the work involved in doing a few hundred of
whatever Step 3 requires, it occurs to me that this would be an ideal use
for a simple image processing routine. Let's say the recording were placed
in a white sleeve with a hole in the center. The graphics routine detects
the edge of the white sleeve contrasted with the label or the shellac, and
crops automagically. All that's then left is to rotate and save the image. I
for one would pay for such a utility. 
 
OK, I'll await your comments with interest. Thanks!
 
Joel
 

Joel Bresler
Independent Researcher
250 E. Emerson Rd.
Lexington, MA 02420
USA

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