Step by step: How to scan prints and negatives page 2

How to scan film

Step 1
Film scanning requires a little more thought and we recommend mastering the advanced – professional mode. First, replace the reflective scanner hood with the transparency adaptor. This will allow you to free up space for the slides to be loaded, but don’t put them on just yet.

Step 2
Before loading your slides onto the transparency holder, make sure they are free from dust and load it into the film holders (with the Epson V700/750 you can load five strips of six exposure 35mm film or 12 mounted slides at a time; this is handy for archiving a large collection of
film stock). 

Step 3
Set the resolution to the scanner’s maximum optical resolution – check the specifications for your scanner. Generally for high-quality 35mm scans the resolution should be set between 2400 to 4800 dpi; for web use images you can select a lower resolution between 200 to 600 dpi. With medium format and sheet film you can set the resolution to a lower setting of between 1200 to 2400 dpi.

Step 4
Choose your image selection and adjustments. Don’t be too critical with your cropping for film scans – scan slightly more area than you need and apply the final crop in Photoshop. This will give you more precise control.

Step 5
Press the scan button to perform the scan. Once opened in Photoshop you should save the file. Save as a TIFF or PSD to retain the best quality or save as a JPEG at a high quality setting to maximise your storage space.

Jargon Buster: Optical resolution
The resolution of a scanner that is calculated by dividing the width of the scanned area by the number of pixels in the CCD. Optical resolution does not include any interpolation.

Top Tips
Even if you haven’t been able to remove all of the specks from your slide with the rocket blower, you can easily remove blemishes using the Spot Healing Brush in Photoshop. This tool paints with sampled pixels from an image or pattern and matches the texture, lighting, transparency, and shading of the sampled pixels to the pixels being healed.