Awesome Macro Photographs (( Make the Perfect Instructable With Easy Always in Focus Macro Pictures ))

Simple Macro pictures, You can get results like this with shaky hands, while breathing normally, even after having a few to many beers ( Yes the computer does the focusing for you )

Make the PERFECT INSTRUCTABLES with this easy, cheap maybe even free macro pictures, With out using a digital camera.. And the quality is better then most digital cameras (( 8+ Mega-pixels ))

Like this 27C512 Eprom, you can even see the bonding wires and this took only 15 seconds to shoot.

And my total cost was $0, every thing was found at a local recycling center, Yes even the Eprom.

Step 1: Gatheing the Required Materials.

You need an old, or new Scanner. now I have found the one's with a Cold Cathode work better then the L.E.D. scanner.

All pictures I've used where taken with a Epson Perfection 1260 found at a local recycle center, the U.S.B. cable came from there, and so did the power supply... (( None of these photo's where copied from some stock photo site, that would be wrong and more time consuming to look for them on my dial up connection ))

I have also done this on a Lexmark scanners, Xerox scanners, and HP scanners. Most photocopiers will work as well..

My Total Cost for this project was $0.00 (( Even if you convert that to or from USD $ it's still 0.00 ))

But more then likely every thing you need is on your desk some where, commonly they are hidden under a pile of papers since most people don't honestly use them that often, and a lot are 3 in 1 units, and printers are an endless source of waste paper.

Step 2: Seting Every Thing Up to Take the PERFECT Macro.

You need to hook your scanner up to your computer, plug it in and install drivers etc. (( Please consult the manufacture of your scanner for a how to set every thing scanner driver related ))

Now open your scanner cover, or if need be remove it. Most lift right off, you might have to open it to some angle to remove it.

Clean the glass, a scanner not scanning white paper will pick up all the dust, fingerprints and every thing that might be on the glass, and it will show up on your picture.

A liter of water,
2 tablespoons of TriSodium Phosphate (( Commonly called TSP and found in the paint section of most hardware stores ))
1/2 a cup of rubbing alcohol,
a few drops of liquid dish soap

Works great on the glass and doesn't leave streaks which I find windex and other glass cleaners do... (( also Great on picture frame glass, windows, TV's etc ))

Step 3: Take Your Pictures

Place the item you want a picture of on the scanner glass, you may have to place the scanner on the item you'd like a picture of, most scanners will pick up every thing with in about 5 to 6 inches of the glass with out much loss.

If you like a white background close the lid, and if you like a black background don't close the lid. (( and don't do it in a bright room or under a bright light ))

Scan your item, keep in mind if you use 9600 Dpi settings they will take time to scan and the file size will be huge (( 1+ GIG size easy ))

Step 4: Start Making Your Instructables.

Start making your instructables with out fear of blurry pictures and people complaining about how they can't see any thing...

Reduce or compress the image with your favorite image software so your not uploading huge files and wasting instructables bandwidth (( Yes they have to pay for it so be nice we all enjoy it ))

(( The Venus fly traps where an inch from the glass and the bottom of the tray was about six inches this image has been compressed for bandwidth to 165 K, actual size is about 6 Meg at 600 Dpi ))