digital images of type specimens

[Shawn Landry (BIO)]

Has anyone taken a look at the type specimen images from Costa Rica?
They were created using a flatbed color scanner at screen resolution and
saved as .jpg files.  I think they look incredible, especially
considering the low equipment cost and short processing time.  Here is
the address: http://www.inbio.ac.cr/tipos/herbario/tipos.html

We have a color scanner (in a lab on campus) that has a bed which is
12x18".  I scanned a few of our specimens at screen resolution and they
also look good.  I was especially impressed with the depth of field
obtained (about an inch).  With practice, learning better scanning
techniques, I would have to say that the flatbed scanner is our best
method at this point to digitize type specimens.

Has anyone else done this?  Any comments regarding the use of a flatbed
scanner in this way?

Thanks for all of the ideas,
shawn

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Shawn Landry                                    Landry at chuma.cas.usf.edu
Dept. of Biology LIF 136                        (813) 899-0989
University of South Florida
Tampa, FL  33620-5150
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