Scanning Contact Prints

[hamr22]

Does anyone scan contact prints made from 4x5 (or larger) negs? If so, what is the difference in quality as compared to just scanning the negative? Thanks!

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

It depends on your scanner and the paper surface and how flat you can get the paper, but I find it difficult to get a scan that I'm really satisfied with from a print unless the print is dry mounted, and I usually don't dry mount. If the paper isn't perfectly flat, you get distortions and unevenness, and if you scan in color to reproduce the tone of the print accurately, sometimes one gets blotchy color when the print isn't flat. Some paper surfaces don't scan well and make the print appear grainy.

Some people seem to have more success at this, perhaps because they dry mount or use paper that sits flatter or that has a surface that isn't as difficult to scan.

If I must have a digital representation of the print, I usually find it easier to dupe it on a copy stand with a digital camera using standard copy techniques.

 

[Richard Boutwell]

Like other people have said, it depends on the surface of the paper and how the scan will be used. It if is just for archival and reproduction purposes (small ads, or small offset prints) then a good flatbed scan would suffice.

For anything else I would scan the negative-- either have a drum scan made, or wet mount on a flatbed.