If you don't know the final output size ahead of time, you can use the information in the previous sections to determine the highest resolution setting you are likely to need, and then think of the largest possible size you'd ever need for that image. If you use that information to figure out the scanning resolution, then you can always scale things down in the Image Size dialog box. As long as the Resample Image checkbox is checked and you are lowering the resolution or size of the image, you won't be degrading the image's quality much. Every time I resample an image (making it larger or smaller), I apply the Unsharp Mask filter so that I'll end up with a nice, sharp image. We'll talk about that filter in Chapter 6.
Note
You can access most scanners from the File > Import menu. If your scanner does not appear in this menu, then you must install the proper Import plug-in, which should be on the disks that came with your scanner.