Lou Dremer wrote:
> What is the procedure for scanning 35mm B&W negatives and manipulating
> them in Photoshop to produce positive images suitable for 8x10 prints?
>
> What resolution scan would be best for this?
>
> Louis Dremer
The scanning program I use (Hamrick's VueScan) allows me to choose the
original material to be scanned: color print, black and white print,
text, color slide, color negative or black and which negative. When I
scan a black and white negative and choose that as the material to be
scanned, the image produced is a positive. It shows up in the scanning
software as a positive and in PhotoShop as a positive. I believe all
(certainly most) scanning software works similarly.
I also generally use the highest *optical* resolution provided by the
scanner, in my case a Nikon Coolscan V, which has a top resolution of
4000 dpi. A scan at this resolution (24bit) gives me a 57mb file, much
more than needed for an 8x10 print made on most inkjet printers. If you
use a resolution of 2000 dpi*, a file size of about 14mb is produced.
This should make an uncropped 8x10 print very nicely.
*It's always better if you choose an even multiple of the optical
resolution rather than some odd resolution setting like 1,954 (for
example). That way, the scanner software can simply turn off an even
number of it's CCD sensors and not have to use any fancy programing to
interpolate to that odd resolution.
On Dec 23, 11:28 pm, Lou Dremer <louisdre...@intergen.com> wrote:
> What is the procedure for scanning 35mm B&W negatives and manipulating
> them in Photoshop to produce positive images suitable for 8x10 prints?
>
> What resolution scan would be best for this?
>
> Louis Dremer
Looked into this about a year ago, you can either use 16bit B&W mode
scan or 48 bit color scan. If you want an 8x10 from 35mm scan at 2800
to 3200 ppi. The high bit depth captures a full range of the negative,
scanning at 8 bit or 24 bit will give posterization in some
circumstances, and create a harder job for you to hold shadows and
highlights. I tried both 16/48 bit modes as well as the 8/24 bit
modes, there wasn't a noticable difference in the 2 high bit modes.
Keeping the scan ppi down to get the appoximate size of the final
print saves you from having to resize the image drasticly, which can
have an effect on the sharpness of the file. If you are archiving for
later printing then it makes sense to scan at the largest resolution
on some scanners. With an Epson V700 I'm using there is very little
change in the quality of the scan above 3200ppi, so this is where I
max it out. You still get huge files with large format film.
On Dec 23, 10:28 pm, Lou Dremer <louisdre...@intergen.com> wrote:
> What is the procedure for scanning 35mm B&W negatives and manipulating
> them in Photoshop to produce positive images suitable for 8x10 prints?
>
> What resolution scan would be best for this?
>
> Louis Dremer
If your scanner has a transparency adapter, chances are it has the
software itself to reverse the image. If so, it can import it into
Photoshop that way, already corrected to a positive. It should be in
the scan setup parameters.
On Mon, 24 Dec 2007 05:27:19 -0800 (PST), tomm42
<tmonego@wildblue.net> wrote:
>On Dec 23, 11:28 pm, Lou Dremer <louisdre...@intergen.com> wrote:
>> What is the procedure for scanning 35mm B&W negatives and manipulating
>> them in Photoshop to produce positive images suitable for 8x10 prints?
>>
>> What resolution scan would be best for this?
>>
>> Louis Dremer
>
>
>Looked into this about a year ago, you can either use 16bit B&W mode
>scan or 48 bit color scan. If you want an 8x10 from 35mm scan at 2800
>to 3200 ppi. The high bit depth captures a full range of the negative,
>scanning at 8 bit or 24 bit will give posterization in some
>circumstances, and create a harder job for you to hold shadows and
>highlights. I tried both 16/48 bit modes as well as the 8/24 bit
>modes, there wasn't a noticable difference in the 2 high bit modes.
>Keeping the scan ppi down to get the appoximate size of the final
>print saves you from having to resize the image drasticly, which can
>have an effect on the sharpness of the file. If you are archiving for
>later printing then it makes sense to scan at the largest resolution
>on some scanners. With an Epson V700 I'm using there is very little
>change in the quality of the scan above 3200ppi, so this is where I
>max it out. You still get huge files with large format film.
>
>Have fun
>Tom
I have a Nikon Coolscan III which scans at 2700ppi... and find that
even at that resolution, which is fine for almost any print I would
want to make at 8 by 10, with older film the grain becomes quite
evident... Tri-X from the 60s, for example, is quite grainy, so a scan
at more ppi becomes even worse for the viewer's eyes. There is no
point in scanning so that you are simply magnifying the grains - when
that happens, reduce the resolution. Black & White is particularly
subject to this since, unlike slide film, the silver was not removed
from the negatative and replaced by dyes. But even older slides show
the grain when scanned at a higher ppi...
Photoshop Scan B&W negs 
Linear Mode
