Scanning mounted bromoil prints

[cliveh]

I wish to scan a series of bromoil’s that are mounted with card frames. This means that when I lay them on the scanner the image is not flat with the surface. The frames are glued on. My question is - Is there any way I can scan the image to be in focus when the image is perhaps 1mm away from the scanner surface?

 

[shutterfinger]

What scanner are you using?

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Title updated to be more specific.

 

[cliveh]

What scanner are you using?

It's part of an Epson printer, but also have a Epson perfection V500 film scanner.

 

[ced]

Photograph them but try scanning first as the scanner may give a decent result.

 

[shutterfinger]

Microtek flatbed film scanners used a glassless scan bed for film. Microtek no longer markets in the U.S.
The Epson all-in-one is junk for anything other than text document scans, XP-610 to be precise.
The V500 gives good scans. The scanner separates by removing the screws at the bottom of the lid hinge. Start a scan, pull the power plug from the rear of the scanner when the scan block has moved partway down the bed, remove the lid, remove the screws, lift the bed off the base starting at the rear and unhook the snap locks at the front and unplug the switch wires at the switch panel. The bed glass is held in place by a double sided tape. Separate the glass from the frame and set aside. Attach a frame in place of the glass to hold the photos so that the photo surface is at the same height as the bed glass. Replacement glass tape should be available from Epson authorized repair shops.
When finished with the photo scans reinstall the bed glass. Otherwise use the V500 and try to correct with post processing software.

 

[cliveh]

Microtek flatbed film scanners used a glassless scan bed for film. Microtek no longer markets in the U.S.
The Epson all-in-one is junk for anything other than text document scans, XP-610 to be precise.
The V500 gives good scans. The scanner separates by removing the screws at the bottom of the lid hinge. Start a scan, pull the power plug from the rear of the scanner when the scan block has moved partway down the bed, remove the lid, remove the screws, lift the bed off the base starting at the rear and unhook the snap locks at the front and unplug the switch wires at the switch panel. The bed glass is held in place by a double sided tape. Separate the glass from the frame and set aside. Attach a frame in place of the glass to hold the photos so that the photo surface is at the same height as the bed glass. Replacement glass tape should be available from Epson authorized repair shops.
When finished with the photo scans reinstall the bed glass. Otherwise use the V500 and try to correct with post processing software.

Thanks for this detailed explanation, but as the cardboard frame widths are larger than the width of the V500 scanner, I don't think it would work.

 

[Ted Baker]

cardboard frame widths are larger than the width of the V500 scanner

Image stitching, may be worth the effort in learning a new skill, or not

 

[jeffreyg]

I don't know what the maximum resolution of your scanner or what you intend to use the scans for but just out of curiosity I copied a three dimensional object* with a HP all in one copier that also scans at whatever the default resolution is and got a rather decent result. Most film and transparency flatbed scanners don't have the film touching the glass so they are scanning an elevated subject. Why not try it and possibly do some sharpening with software?
* a small screwdriver which is round so very little of the surface was touching the glass.

http://www.jeffreyglasser.com/

 

[MattKing]

If you need to do multiple scans and then stitch the images together, Microsoft ICE software is both effective and a free download.

 

[shutterfinger]

I have a XP-610, V500, V700.
The V500 and V700 have a 6400 dpi max optical resolution before software interpolation.
In PS open the scans, record their image size in pixels, create a new blank document the same width as the scans with the length the sum of the scans. Copy and paste each scan into the new document. While holding the control key (Windows) position the mouse cursor over the pasted scan, press and hold the left mouse button to move the scan anywhere in the document frame. Each paste will be a new layer, highlight the next layer and position it as needed then merge the layers or flatten them when finished. Any excess area in the document can be removed or the whole image area copied and pasted into another new document, flattened, then saved. If you use copy-paste with the crop tool you will still have the original scan to go back to and try again if you mess up.