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

------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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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