How to Scan an Image into Photoshop for Logo Redrawing

The short answer

Photoshop can take a scan directly through File > Import when your scanner is exposed to it. On Windows this usually appears as WIA Support. On recent macOS versions it usually appears as Images from Device. Some older setups also list a scanner-specific TWAIN entry. WIA (Windows Image Acquisition) and TWAIN are driver standards that let applications talk to scanners.

The method that works in every version is simpler. Scan with your scanner's own software or your operating system's scanning utility, save the file in a lossless format such as TIFF or PNG, and open it in Photoshop with File > Open.

Either way, the result is a raster image, which is a grid of pixels. For logo work, that scan is a reference for redrawing, not finished artwork. A usable logo is normally rebuilt as vector artwork, meaning shapes are defined by mathematical paths made of anchor points and curves, so they scale to any size without losing sharpness.

Before you start

• Confirm that you own the logo or have permission to reproduce it. Scanning and redrawing a mark does not grant reuse rights.
• Install the scanner manufacturer's current driver and confirm that the scanner works in its own software or in the operating system's scanning utility.
• Clean the scanner glass and the print. Dust and creases become false edges that you might later trace by mistake.
• Choose the best available print. Prefer the largest, sharpest and flattest example, ideally on plain stock rather than a textured or glossy surface.

Scan settings that matter for logo reconstruction

• Resolution (ppi, pixels per inch): scan high enough that the thinnest strokes and smallest counters are many pixels wide. Counters are the enclosed spaces in letters such as o and e. Small logos need more resolution than large ones. No single number suits every print, so check the result at 100% zoom, as described below.
• Colour mode: use grayscale for single-colour marks, or colour if you need to sample or identify the colours. Avoid line art, bitmap or black-and-white modes. They apply a hard threshold at scan time and discard the edge gradation that helps you place curves accurately.
• Descreen: printed logos are often made of halftone dots, a pattern of tiny dots used by many printing processes. If your scanner software offers a descreen option, try it to reduce dot patterns and moiré, which is an interference pattern. Compare the scan with and without descreen, because the option can also soften fine edges.
• Sharpening and auto-correction: turn off automatic sharpening if you can. It adds halos around edges that distort the true outline.
• File format: save as TIFF or PNG. JPEG compression adds blocky artifacts along high-contrast edges, which is exactly where you need accuracy.

Step-by-step: scanning into Photoshop

Option A: import directly from Photoshop

• 1. Place the print face down, square to the glass edge, and close the lid.
• 2. In Photoshop, open the File menu and choose Import.
• 3. On Windows, choose WIA Support or your scanner's named entry if one is listed. On macOS, choose Images from Device if it is available.
• 4. In the dialog that opens, preview the scan, crop the area to the logo plus a small margin, and set the resolution and colour mode described above.
• 5. Start the scan. The image should open as a new Photoshop document.

Option B: scan externally, then open the file

• 1. Scan with the manufacturer's software or with your operating system's built-in scanning app. On macOS this is Image Capture. On Windows, use the Windows scanning app or Windows Fax and Scan, depending on your version.
• 2. Save the scan as TIFF or PNG with a descriptive file name.
• 3. In Photoshop, choose File > Open and select the file.

Notes for CS5, CS6 and Photoshop 2022

Version | Where to look | Caveat

Photoshop CS5 | File > Import, then WIA Support on Windows or a TWAIN scanner entry | TWAIN support depends on an installed plug-in and the scanner's driver. It may not appear on 64-bit systems or with newer drivers.

Photoshop CS6 | File > Import, then WIA Support on Windows or a TWAIN scanner entry | Same plug-in and driver dependency as CS5. Older versions running on current operating systems may not detect modern scanners.

Photoshop 2022 | File > Import, then WIA Support on Windows or Images from Device on macOS | TWAIN is treated as legacy and may be unavailable. If no import entry appears, use Option B.

Evidence gap: menu names and plug-in availability vary with the operating system, the installed plug-ins and the scanner driver. The entries above reflect common configurations, not a verified listing for every build. If your menu differs, Option B avoids the problem entirely and gives the same image quality.

Prepare the scan in Photoshop

• 1. Check the resolution. Open Image > Image Size and confirm the resolution with Resample turned off, so the pixels are not altered.
• 2. Straighten the image. Draw a line along a feature of the logo that should be horizontal, such as a baseline or a rule. In CS5 and later, you can use the Ruler tool and its Straighten option. In CS6 and later, you can also use the straighten control in the Crop tool's options.
• 3. Crop to the logo, leaving a margin.
• 4. Improve contrast without destroying edges. Use Image > Adjustments > Levels, or a Levels adjustment layer, to darken the artwork and lighten the background. Stop before soft edge pixels turn fully black or white.
• 5. Retouch only obvious defects, such as dust specks or paper texture. Leave the edges of the logo itself untouched.
• 6. Save a layered PSD or a TIFF as your master reference. Keep the untouched original scan as well.

How to confirm the scan is good enough

• At 100% zoom, the edges of the thinnest strokes are clearly defined across several pixels and do not break into dots.
• Curves look smooth. Visible stair-stepping means the resolution is too low for the size of the logo.
• There are no JPEG blocks, halftone rosettes or sharpening halos along the edges.
• Baselines and verticals that should be straight sit on straight guides after straightening.
• Small counters and the gaps between letters stay open and are not filled in.
• If any check fails, rescan rather than repairing the pixels. A better source gives a more faithful redraw.

From scan to usable vector logo

Photoshop is useful for capturing and cleaning the scan, but a production logo is usually rebuilt in a vector application. Place the cleaned scan there as a locked, dimmed template layer, then redraw it.

• Paths: place anchor points at the extremes of curves and at corners, and use as few points as the shape allows. Fewer, well-placed points give smoother curves and cleaner files than dense auto-traced outlines.
• Typography: if the lettering matches an existing typeface, set it with the font and convert the text to outlines for delivery. Check the font's licence first. If the lettering is custom, draw it as paths. In both cases, compare the spacing and stroke weight with the scan.
• Geometry: rebuild intended circles, straight lines and repeated elements precisely. Printed copies often contain distortion from ink spread, worn plates or a skewed scan, so the redraw should follow the design's intent rather than every flaw in the print.
• Check: view the redraw at very small and very large sizes, and in solid black on white. This exposes uneven curves and weight problems.
• Export: deliver the formats the recipient specifies. Do not assume a file is fully vector or editable just because of its extension. A PDF, EPS or SVG can contain embedded raster images, so open each export and confirm that the artwork is made of paths.