Scanning Bigger Prints than 8x10

Greg Heath · Jan 14, 2018

How do I scan prints bigger than my Epson V500(8x10) can scan ? Lets say I have a 16x20 Print what are my options in scanning the image for sharing digitally ?

Greg

Ces1um · Jan 14, 2018

There's software out there named Hugin that will stitch multiple segments of an image together.. If you can scan say 4x5 or 4x10 you could then use the software to put the these two or four images together into a single image.

Greg Heath · Jan 17, 2018

Ces1um said:
There's software out there named Hugin that will stitch multiple segments of an image together.. If you can scan say 4x5 or 4x10 you could then use the software to put the these two or four images together into a single image.

Thanks !

Fast · Jan 17, 2018

digital camera?

adelorenzo · Jan 17, 2018

I've been thinking about this as well as I need to scan some larger prints. Problem is they are dry mounted so if I tried to scan them for stitching them they wouldn't be sitting flat on my Epson V700 scanner. (There is a lip around the edge of the glass).

I'm going to ask around town to see if there is a setup for doing art reproduction with a camera or a large format scanner. Otherwise I will probably borrow a digital camera with appropriate lens and use my copy stand.

Bob Carnie · Jan 17, 2018

this is a problem area for us Alt Printers as each print is different and needs to be catalogued correctly, I am in the long process of purchasing a Repro Copy system that has a large vacuum setup to handle up to 30 x40 prints. My goal is to hook up a used Phase Camera to tether to computer and using Capture One copy said art work.
I also want to make this device dual purpose where I can hang a powerful UV light source or Metal Halide light source to do extra large gum prints.. This will be the only way I can get ROI out of such a setup.
For now its set up lighting setups and have my clients use their DSLrs to copy.. Easy to do but a bit clumsy, I want a dedicated setup.

faberryman · Jan 17, 2018

adelorenzo said:
I'm going to ask around town to see if there is a setup for doing art reproduction with a camera or a large format scanner. Otherwise I will probably borrow a digital camera with appropriate lens and use my copy stand.

Scans of large prints are expensive. I use a digital camera. It's fine for the web. You also might want to try the Android/iPhone app from Google called PhotoScan. You scan the four quadrants of the image and the app stitches the images together. Works well enough for the web as well.

For a professional setup, Bob's sounds ideal. Bob, Hasselblad has just come out with an alternative to the PhaseOne setup. Naturally, it costs a fortune.

https://www.sonyalpharumors.com/new...es-multi-shot-mode-future-600mp-model-likely/

Chan Tran · Jan 17, 2018

should have no problem scanning in sections then stitch.

Bob Carnie · Jan 17, 2018

faberryman said:
Scans of large prints are expensive. I use a digital camera. It's fine for the web. You also might want to try the Android/iPhone app from Google called PhotoScan. You scan the four quadrants of the image and the app stitches the images together. Works well enough for the web as well.

For a professional setup, Bob's sounds ideal. Bob, Hasselblad has just come out with an alternative to the PhaseOne setup. Naturally, it costs a fortune.

https://www.sonyalpharumors.com/new...es-multi-shot-mode-future-600mp-model-likely/

I like the Phase People, they are sponsoring our Photrio Symposium and I am connected to the people there. You are right both systems are really out there in price, but lots of used , perfectly good gear
for my purposes.. Super high quality jpegs for Web and presentation.

I compared a large map of ontario waterways to a section of my scanner,and I was blown away with the Phase setup.

Bobby needs some money ... maybe I will start a kickstarter to raise money to purchase...

jim10219 · Jan 17, 2018

I would probably scan and stitch, as others have suggested. I have scanned 135 and 120 films before using a DSLR in multiple parts and then stitched them together in PS (not worth it for 135 film. No one needs to be able to see each original grain in detail). It's a load of work and if there isn't a lot of information in a particular section (like if it's mostly sky, or just a bunch of repeating windows in a building), it can give you fits trying to stich them together. But if you're just stitching 4 or so shots, it's usually not too bad. It's when you're trying to stitch 16 or so that things get really wonky. Another issue with doing what I did was barrel distortion (and other distortions) from the camera lens. It often made the overlapping areas blurry or not line up properly. If I shot enough overlapping area, it usually wasn't a problem, as the computer just got rid of the fuzzy outer edges on it's own (and as an added bonus, it helped the computer to line up the images better). I imagine that using a flatbed scanner instead of a DSLR would eliminate a lot of those types of issues and make the whole process a lot quicker and easier.

nsurit · Jan 17, 2018

How about scanning the original negative. I've done up to 8X10 negatives on my Epson V700.

David Brown · Jan 18, 2018

I've done exactly what you are asking with the Epson flatbeds. The only thing I found is once you get a good scan of one section, use the same exposure settings for the remaining sections, rather than letting the scanner auto-expose. The Epson scanning software can do this. Good luck!

Ko.Fe. · Jan 18, 2018

I have V500. Should be no problem to scan four parts and stitch in some basic software like Photoshop Elements. But it is for sharing of the print on the internet I would place it on black sheet of paper from dollar store, set light and take it with mobile phone.

Stefan Gonzalevski · Jan 18, 2018

There is also this scanner :

http://www.genesis-equipment.com/productdetailslink_Refurbished-CreoScitex-Scanners_239.aspx

It can scan up to 12"x17".

Maybe there are labs around you wich own one.

Patrick Robert James · Jan 18, 2018

If you are "sharing digitally" then just using a digital camera and photographing the print would be by far the easiest way. No need to get crazy with it. Any old digital slr would work fine. You could even use a cell phone if your cell phone is good enough. Most important thing is to get uniform light on the print.

Andrew O'Neill · Jan 18, 2018

Scan in sections. Stitch together using photomerge in PS. Easy peasy.

Scanning Bigger Prints than 8x10

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