Editing images in preparation for creating bookreaders

Create a folder for each bookreader to be made, using the call number of the book as the name of the folder. Create sub-folders within this folder as follows: one folder called images jp2k, and another called images jpg. Convert the jp2 images into jpgs. If the books were photographed in a two-page spread, edit these into single-page images.

Converting jp2 image files to jpgs

  • Open the images in IrfanView Thumbnails.
  • Right click and select Select all (ctrl+a) to select all images.
  • Under File, select Batch Conversion/Rename... (B).
  • The settings should be as follows:
    • Work as: Batch conversion
    • Output format: JPG
      • Options: Save quality = 50
    • Look in: \images jp2k (within the BookReader folder)
      • Files of type: JP2
      • Add all
    • Output directory: \images jpg (within the BookReader folder)
      • Or: Use current ('look in') directory; Browse; ↓; Enter
  • Start Batch, and allow to run in the background.
  • If the book was photographed two pages as a time, continue on to the next section to edit them into single-page images.

Editing two-page spread images in IrfanView

  • Chopping the two-page spreads in half:
    1. Open one image at a time in IrfanView.
    2. Click and drag to highlight the left page.
    3. Activate the macro ctrl+alt+shift+2, which will save the left and right pages as separate image files and then navigate to the next two-page spread in the directory.
    • For reference, this macro replicates the following keystrokes:
      • Alt, e, n
      • S; →; a; Enter
      • Ctrl+z; Ctrl+x
      • S; →; b; Enter
      • Spacebar--or, alt+f+x to close IrfanView.
    • For reference, this macro replicates the following actions:
      • Under Edit, select: Cut - area outside of the selection.
      • Under File, select: Save as, and add an a to the file name. (045110a.jpg, for example)
      • Under Edit, select: Undo, and then: Cut - selection.
      • Under File, select: Save as, and add an b to the file name. (045110b.jpg, for example)
      • Move on to the next two-page spread.
  • When all two-page spreads have been chopped in half, delete the original two-page spread images. (Be careful not to also delete images that were never chopped, like the front cover view.) All of the chopped images, which will have a or b at the end of the file name, will need to have their borders cropped.
  • Cropping the images:
    1. Open the first chopped image in IrfanView--this will be the first image in the directory with an a or b at the end of the file name.
    2. Activate the macro ctrl+alt+shift+c, which will crop the borders and saved the cropped images for all of the chopped images in the directory. The macro will exit IrfanView when it is finished. This may take several minutes. If the macro quits prematurely, just open the first file that is not yet cropped in IrfanView and restart the macro.
    • For reference, this macro replicates the following keystrokes:
      • Ctrl+Shift+Y
      • Ctrl+S; Enter; ←; Enter
      • Spacebar, then return to the first step--or, alt+f+x to close IrfanView.
    • For reference, this macro replicates the following actions:
      • Under Edit, select: Auto crop borders.
      • Save and move on to the next image.
  • Before moving on, review the images to be sure that they are in the correct order and that all of the images that need to be are chopped and cropped.