Print Scanning

Pieter12 · Apr 14, 2021

I wet print my negatives and have to scan them to post to my website, submit to competitions, reviews, etc. I have an Epson V600 Photo and scan 8x10 prints. I notice that I get edge flare along the sides (not top or bottom usually) of the scanned images. I thought it might be extraneous light and started covering the scanner lid with an opaque dark cloth, bit it doesn't seem to change anything. Any suggestions? The prints typically have a 1/4" white border along the sides and I line the print up with the top right corner of the scanner glass.

Lachlan Young · Apr 14, 2021

Are they FB prints? Either way, it's likely a flatness issue relative to the scanner platen. For all that flatbeds can seem convenient, sadly they're nowhere near as good as the age old cross-polarised repro setup.

Pieter12 · Apr 14, 2021

Lachlan Young said:
Are they FB prints? Either way, it's likely a flatness issue relative to the scanner platen. For all that flatbeds can seem convenient, sadly they're nowhere near as good as the age old cross-polarised repro setup.

Yes. they are almost all FB prints that have been flattened in a dry mount press. But I have also had the same problem with RC prints. In either case, the prints curl slightly concave, so it doesn't seem logical that the edges would flare. I might try putting a heavy book on top of the scanner lid to insure flatness, but they don't seem to have a strong curl in any case.

Saganich · Apr 14, 2021

Is the crop window including the print border?

Pieter12 · Apr 14, 2021

Saganich said:
Is the crop window including the print border?

Yes. So I can make minor adjustments to straighten the image if needed.

Lachlan Young · Apr 14, 2021

Pieter12 said:
Yes. they are almost all FB prints that have been flattened in a dry mount press. But I have also had the same problem with RC prints. In either case, the prints curl slightly concave, so it doesn't seem logical that the edges would flare. I might try putting a heavy book on top of the scanner lid to insure flatness, but they don't seem to have a strong curl in any case.

It's likely from the specific angle of the light hitting the edges & causing halation or something like that. I'd suggest getting piece of foam board or similar & using that + weight to hold the print down - and scanning that sandwich with the lid open.

Patrick Robert James · Apr 14, 2021

You need to clean the inside of the glass and maybe even the mirrors.

Urs Gantner · Apr 14, 2021

Why scanning the print on a flatbed? Did you consider doin' a digital repro with a dslr?

Pieter12 · Apr 14, 2021

I doubt it is coming from inside the scanner, unless it is light reflecting back from the white borders of the print. And I do not have the space to set up a dedicated copy stand, lights and camera for the prints and all the fussing necessary to align/evenly light/remove reflections/hold the prints flat, when all that is taken care of with the flatbed scanner that sits on my desk. I think my best bet is to cut a black paper mask the size of my image (I print everything to the same size) and try that.

grat · Apr 14, 2021

Silly question: You've got the "document mat" installed on the top glass, yes?

Pieter12 · Apr 14, 2021

grat said:
Silly question: You've got the "document mat" installed on the top glass, yes?

Yes.

MattKing · Apr 14, 2021

FWIW, Satin surface prints seem to scan the best.

George Collier · Apr 15, 2021

+1 for the idea of the foam core and weighted print. I've done this and it worked on a 4990 I used for years. I would scan my final 8x10 with all corrections, scan used for digital submittal to shows.
Paper was Ilford mulitigrade warmtone.

FotoD · Apr 15, 2021

Usually some light leaves the scanner lamp at an angle, it hits the print further away along the lamp/sensor strip, and then hits the wrong part of the sensor row. This can create ghost images and/or flare.

If this is your problem, it's not much you can do but trying to mask off the areas you aren't scanning. It doesn't remove flare within the scanned area though.

Good luck!

Pieter12 · Apr 15, 2021

FotoD said:
Usually some light leaves the scanner lamp at an angle, it hits the print further away along the lamp/sensor strip, and then hits the wrong part of the sensor row. This can create ghost images and/or flare.

If this is your problem, it's not much you can do but trying to mask off the areas you aren't scanning. It doesn't remove flare within the scanned area though.

Good luck!

I will try masking the print. Flaring on other areas besides the edges is not as evident so far.

Print Scanning

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