Scanning Negatives and Slides

If you have a drawer full of negatives or slides, don't throw them away! You can purchase a negative film scanner and create new photos. If you have old photos that are damaged and/or ruined instead of spending a lot of money to retouch an old photo, invest in a scanner that will allow you to recreate your photos very easily. These machines are very easy to use and are worth the investment. You will not only be able to create photos from any negative and slides you currently have but you will also be able to retouch these prints using the design software of your choice. There are many benefits to owning a negative scanner and learning how to use one correctly will ensure that you get the most of your machine.

Negatives and slides can be scanned to create to photos and prints of your liking. These photos and prints can be altered or rearranged for use in other programs. Scanners used for negatives and slides are pretty simple to operate. There are different types of scanning methods per the type of scanner used. For the best results it is necessary that the negatives and slides are in good condition prior to the scanning process. It is recommended that you take the time to clean your slides and negatives thoroughly with a clean cloth and make sure that they are free from any smudges and fingerprints before scanning. Debris and smudges on the negatives and slides can distort the image during the scanning process. Make sure that your items are properly cleaned and prepped for scanning.

You scan your slides and negatives with a flatbed scanner that has the capability of reading transparent objects or a special negative scanner. The special negative scanners are very popular amongst those that own 35mm cameras. These scanners are made with slots or a tray that allow you to place the negatives in the scanner and easily scan more than one set of negatives or slides with just a push of a button. Most of the scanners are fairly simple to operate. The fact that many of them can scan and produce images of an entire row of negatives at one time is very convenient and one of the reasons why these machines are good to own.

Scanners for negatives and slides provide an individual with so much control over the picture making process. The investment of a couple of hundreds of dollars allows you to create pictures anytime you want and you don't have to pay expensive costs from a photo processing center. Instead of spending lots of money having your old photos transferred into digital images you can do it yourself. The process is very easy and not at all time consuming. If you want edit your photos this can also be achieved by scanning them into a multimedia software package that will allow you to amend your pictures like you want to.

The process of making your negatives and slides into high quality prints is easy with a negative film and slide scanner.

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Choosing the Film Scanner That Best Suits Your Film Negative Scanning Needs

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Using a film negative scanner has several advantages over a traditional flatbed scanner and is a sound investment for anyone who does even a small amount of this kind of work. Before upgrading to a film scanner, it helps to first understand the different kinds of scanners available.

For those who only scan from 35mm film strips, a low-end film scanner is adequate. These are cheaper in price and generally smaller than their more robust counterparts. Medium and high-end scanners are more expensive, however, it's necessary to purchase one of these models if the type of film scanning you do involves the use of either 120 film or individual slides. Some very high-end scanners even interchangeable film loaders that allow for the use of different kinds of slides. Verify that the model you're purchasing is clearly marked as processing these types of film or you may be left with a scanner that doesn't fully accommodate your needs. If you're concerned about your ability to choose the correct scanner, websites can serve as a great source of information.

Once you decide on the sophistication level of the film scanner you'd like to purchase, you need to understand how to best equip your scanner to resolve any issues you have with the film negatives you're working with. If your negatives have any level of damage, particularly dust, it's important you understand photo restoration techniques that can adequately resolve these issues. Dust is a challenging issue for those who use a film negative scanner as the resolution is much higher than that of a regular flatbed scanner. The advantages of the film negative scanner over the flatbed are numerous, however, the same features that make them a more attractive option are the same ones that can hinder the process.

When attempting to restore negatives damaged by dust, be sure to research fully the options available. The simplest technique involves "despeckling", which is sometimes offered in the software package that comes with the film negative scanner. For simple dust particle issues, this should resolve the issue. However, for anything more complex, the user may need to do an infrared cleaning. This shouldn't be done without first consulting a professional or doing careful research on this restoration technique.

Scanning 35mm Slides

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Many people who cherish their families and the memories they create together almost always love to keep photos of special occasions. So what joy it is for them to be able to discover old films and slides kept in their parents' or grandparents' homes. To these people, the well kept slides are real treasures and those which may even provide them a link to the past.

With the advent of the slide scanner, images from old films and slides can still be saved and restored. It doesn't matter whether you have your own dedicated or flatbed scanner or not. Good if you have one at home but if not, you can turn to business enterprises that offer professional slide scanning services at very affordable rates. You can find many of them on the internet.

Now let's get started. After you have prepared your 35mm slides and cleaned them, you are ready to start scanning.

If you're using a flatbed scanner or the so-called all in one, first check if a transparent materials adapter (TMA) is available. This adapter is where you normally mount the slides so they remain in place during scanning. If there is none, you can actually create one using paper or a thicker material such as a cardboard and tape.

Experts, however, recommend using a dedicated slide scanner to capture images that are of higher quality. A scanner meant exclusively for slides or films has a Digital ICE feature that is advanced in that it can remove dust and scratches from old slides through the use of infra red light technology.

Before you begin the scanning process, it is best to read and follow carefully the instructions provided on your scanner's manual. Keep in mind that models for this device vary the reason why there is no standard method.

If you're using an all-in-one flatbed scanner such as the HP Scanjet, first open the lid and get the adapter. Then carefully place your 35mm slides into the right template. There should be icons on the template that will guide you how to properly position your slides.

When you're done, close the lid and press the scan button. Depending on what you're scanning, you can change the settings to suit the type of material (negatives or positives which refer to the slides) you're scanning. After choosing the type of material, go to the Scan To section and click on the save to file button.

Once you're finished with the settings, just click Scan. From here, another window will open and this time, you need to save your files to a certain location. So when this Save Location dialog box opens, click on browse and find the folder where you'd like to save your scanned images. Finally, click the OK button and just follow the other instructions from there to complete the scanning process.

It is also wise to adjust the resolution of your images in the advanced picture settings section. The ideal resolution is 300 dpi to ensure you get top quality digital image.

It would help as well to back up your files and save them on an optical media such as a CD or DVD. In this way, you won't have to keep all your files on your computer to free up storage space.

Scanning Film Negatives Vs Scanning Prints

One of the questions that I am quite often asked is the following:

Which is better to scan, film negatives or prints? It is always best to scan the original negatives, provided that they are in good shape and the colors have not faded. The reasons for this are explained below.

To begin with, you have to realize that a photograph is merely a copy of the original, processed negative. In most cases, a copy is never as good as the original. Typically, photographs are printed out at 240-300 dpi when done at your local photo lab. That means that a 4x6 print is, at most, 1200x1800 dpi. This is why prints are typically scanned at 300 dpi as scanning at a higher resolution does not bring out any further detail other than what is on the original print. The only time that scanning a photograph at 600 dpi, or greater, would be if the original was either very small or if it is going to be edited at a later date.

The size of a typical 35mm negative is 24mm x 36mm or, roughly, 1.0in x 1.5in. This means that the film was essentially scanned at 1200 dpi in order to produce the 4x6 print in the above example.

Most 35mm film negatives are capable of being scanned at up to 4000 dpi. This is especially true for the slower speed films (100, 200). When scanning negatives the general rule of thumb is the higher the resolution, the greater the detail.

For example, a negative scanned at a lower resolution of 2000 dpi may not be able to clearly display the time on a clock in the background or the fine print on a paper or sign when the photograph is blown up. By simply rescanning the same image at 4000 dpi you are providing 4x the resolution of the original scan. This type of resolution can display these details much more easily and clearly, especially when a larger print is be made.

Another reason for choosing to scan the film negatives instead of the photographic print is that the original film contains much more contrast and detail as compared to a photographic print. This is because prints tend to fade over time due to exposure to sunlight, etc. Negatives, if they have been stored in a dry place, are much more immune to this behavior.