Just my 2 cents worth on images. First of all, they do not have to have JPEG format. They can be GIF's also. A quick intro to graphics in the difference between the two. GIF format images support up to 256 colors, JPEG can go to millions. This is where more is not better. While the inclination would be to save scans as JPEG format (to get the highest resolution and colors for clarity) it also makes the size of the files unnecessarily large. For most chip scans (99.99%), chips saved under GIF (or only 256 colors) do not look much if at all different than one saved under JPEG format (using millions of colors). You can also do more with GIF files (such as making them transparent so that the background colors/image shows through and also interlaced, -where they appear fuzzy then come into focus).

Most chips do not need millions of colors. I save all my scans (check them out at http://www.casino-chip.com/scans.html) using GIF formats. The result are files that are much smaller in size. Most of my scans that you see are only 9K-12K in size.

The trick to doing things (for me) is that aside from just scanning, I do retouch the chip scans. Those those interested, I scan all chips at 300dpi. Then bring it into PhotoShop. Reduce to 25% of original size. Unsharp mask at 100%. Then do a sharpen. Then using the "circle lasso" I rotate the chip. I may sharpen again at this point (may be an overkill at this point). Do some touchups on a pixel by pixel basis. Then change the color table to an indexed color of only 128 colors (yes the chips you see are generally only 128 colors). Then save under GIF format. Yes, its does seem like a lot of work, but I've got it so that the start to finish for a chip is down to 90 seconds or about 1 1/2 minutes each. BTW, I just happen to like PhotoShop, you do not need this high end product (think it retails for about $650). Most paint programs will do.

Hope this helps. You can always email me for more info.