Scanning secrets for Alt Prints (not digi-neg related)

[wilsonneal]

I'm a bit of a Luddite, and finally bought my first scanner. It's a cheap Epson 4490, but I am told it's capable of good results. I am SOLELY interested in scanning for the web.

As you can see in my user gallery, I've managed to get a decent scan with a color image, but my black and white images are disappointing. The scans I've done of PtPd prints are just horrible. They convey none of the subtle characteristics of the print, and they seem to exaggerate any imperfections.

I've tried adjusting the curve, pre-scan, and that helps a little. I've set the 'unsharp mask' to high, pre-scan, and that seems to have helped a bit. There's not a helpful manual with this scanner, although I bought it new.

Some of you have beautiful scans of Alt Prints. What are your secrets?

Neal

 

[menglert]

Sorry I cannot answer your specific question because I don't have a lot of experience scanning atl prints... But I'd suggest you try the hybridphoto.com site. People there have been very helpful with these aspects of alt printing.

Regards,
Martin

 

[Robert Hall]

Some of you have beautiful scans of Alt Prints. What are your secrets?

Neal

A little bit of luck.

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

Neal - I picked up this trick from Kerik, Matt Macgruder(sp?) and Ted Harris, I think. Scan the image at much higher resolution than you'll need, and downsize in your image editing application. That is a big help right there.

 

[Kai Hamann]

Neal,
learn the basics of scanning first, there are a lot of sticking point.

Scanning alt prints is particularly critical because of the spectral resonse of the prints. Especially the fluoresence bulbs of ordinary flatbed scanners may cause problems. I drumscan alt prints (hlaogen bulbs) or make digital photos with daylight characteristics artificial light. Better results may be possible if slides of repro photographs of alt prints are scanned.

All the best
Kai

 

[Jim Noel]

I think this discussion is in the wrong place. Although it started out about alt prints, it has degraded.:confused:

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

Jim- I respectfully disagree. If folks here want to show their alt process work, they need to know how to scan it, and issues with regard to how scanners read the image on paper are quite relevant. People shouldn't have to leave the forum to get advice on how to participate in it.

 

[bobherbst]

Scanning Alt Process Prints - Don't do it!

Scanning Alt process prints for web or other reproduction is a bad idea in my experience. The parallax between the scanner sensors and the light source will ALWAYS create minute shadows of the paper texture and has the effect of enhancing the appearance of the texture, particularly on rougher papers after processing. Flattening the prints in a dry mount process will not eliminate the texture. Scanning at higher resolution and downsizing may seem to address the problem, but the paper texture will still be there and in effect, you are reducing the clarity of the image in the process of getting rid of the paper texture. Not good in my book - the image is everything.

Scanning film of copy transparencies of pt/pd prints is a lost cause. Transparency films simply can not reproduce the range of a platinum print - either the highlights are blown out or the shadows are gone even with development adjustments of the copy film. Our local professional lab that has serviced the Cleveland area professional photographers for years could never get the copy slides good enough to meet my standards and believe me they tried hard with many, many re-makes at no charge to me. I learned this lesson from years of having copy slides made for submission to juried shows and when having my work reproduced in View Camera magazine. I will no longer submit work to any competition that requires slides. Steve Simmons sent some of my 12x20 work to Betterlight for them to use their scan back for reproduction in View Camera. Steve sent me a CD with the scans and they were not as good as direct digital capture with a camera.

The only acceptable solution in my book is to use a digital camera on a copy stand with proper illumination. I learned this several years ago when I needed to provide image files of my 12x20 work - there are no economical scanners to do 12x20s. (Important safety tip - make sure you match the white balance setting of the camera to the light source on the copy stand.)

All of this was confirmed in my mind when I talked with Brooks Jensen at Lenswork magazine a year or so ago about their submission guidelines. They will not accept any print larger than 11x14 (the max size of their scanner) and they will not accept platinum/palladium prints of any size in a submission for the reasons I mentioned above - paper texture coming through and degrading the image quality.

That's my 2 cents for what it is worth, so good luck to all.

Bob Herbst

P.S. This IS the appropriate location for this thread in my humble opinion.

 

[Jim Noel]

Flying Camera
I also respect your opinion. I don't argue, just expressed my point of view. Your point is very well taken.