Trouble scanning negatives

[antoniobunt]

Hello, I scan negatives using an HP ScanJet G4050, the problem is that lately, the images I scan appear squeezed like a bad CinemaScope transfer and with part of the adapter (a white line under or at the side of the negative) when opened in Photoshop. Is it a software problem? My scanner needs calibration? The weird thing is that positives come perfect. I know this is not a dedicated negative scanner but it used to work fine. Any tips and help will be appreciated, I have a deadline! Thanks!

 

[the_minds_eye]

Have you tried scanning with different software?

 

[pellicle]

Hello, I scan negatives using an HP ScanJet G4050, the problem is that lately, the images I scan appear squeezed like a bad CinemaScope transfer and with part of the adapter (a white line under or at the side of the negative) when opened in Photoshop. Is it a software problem? My scanner needs calibration? The weird thing is that positives come perfect. I know this is not a dedicated negative scanner but it used to work fine. Any tips and help will be appreciated, I have a deadline! Thanks!

So, what happens if you scan a negative but tell the scanner that you are scanning a positive?

This is my prefered way to scan, I then invert in photoshop.

If this works to get your image looking undistorted then follow the steps I suggest in my blog page to get good images:

http://cjeastwd.blogspot.com/2009/10/quick-negative-scan-tutorial.html

I don't know your specific scanner software but I will be very surprised if there is not the ability to set the levels independently for each of the Red Blue and Green colour channels.

let us know how this goes for you

 

[the_minds_eye]

So, what happens if you scan a negative but tell the scanner that you are scanning a positive?
...

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the OP said this problem is a recent change for the worse, and not an initial hurdle. Something has changed recently with his digital work flow. Either it's a software setting has changed, or there is a glitch in the hardware processing side (sounds more like a software change though).

 

[pellicle]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the OP said this problem is a recent change for the worse, and not an initial hurdle

I read this part:

The weird thing is that positives come perfect.

so i leave it to the OP to decide if what I wrote was helpful or not

 

[glhs116]

These scanners are pretty cheap. I started with one of those and still use it for documents.

I think even a cheap Epson would be a step up (V600?) and then you could follow pellicle's tips to the letter since he shows step-by-step with the Epson software. From my experience you will get a sharper scan and much better colour from an Epson than from that HP.

 

[jeffreyg]

I am not familiar with the HP scanner or that software. I've been using an Epson 4870 with SilverFast Ai Studio. Occasionally the software acts up. I correct it by resetting the preferences. Perhaps that might work.

http://www.jeffreyglasser.com/

 

[antoniobunt]

Thanks a lot for all your replies.

No, I haven't tried another scanning software, any suggestions about that?

I haven't tried it as scanning a positive yet. In a couple of minutes I'll scan that way. I'll let you know!

What makes me wonder is that document scanning is fine.

I know it's a cheap-o but I can't afford another scanner.

HP support told me it may be a thing of the power supply.

Once again, thanks a lot!

 

[antoniobunt]

Just in case you were wondering, these images show the problem.

 

[pellicle]

Hi

The bar would appear to be the holder being visible in the scan, there is no sign of stretching to me. The image is about the right height and width for a regular 35mm frame

 

[antoniobunt]

In fact, it's 4x5, it is indeed stretched, even on 120 negatives does that.

 

[the_minds_eye]

Try downloading a trial version of Vuescan or Silverfast. If you don't have this problem with other software, then you know it is a problem with settings in your software (and your scanner hardware is most likely fine).

If you have the same problem using other software, than it would be your scanner itself acting up.

My local university library has an Epson 4490 that I tried using a few times. I brought in my own glass to lay the negatives flat, and used the Epson scanning software. That scanner had seen a lot of use and acted very quirky. I figured out a protocol that worked for me though (but it was a pain in the ass, and very slow). I had to turn it on, let it warm up, do a preview scan, wait for an error message after what seemed like an alignment problem, and then turn it off for about 5 seconds, turn it back on (meanwhile I have to close and re-open the software for it to see the scanner again). Luckily, in the advanced mode it kept my previous preview scan even after closing and opening the software. So I was able to immediately just hit "scan" and let it go. It worked fine until the scanner head returned after each pass. Once it did one pass, then returned, it would stop working, and need resetting.

Some other protocols to try and make it work were giving me oddly stretched or misaligned images (wasn't scanning the portion of the negative I had outlined), which is partly why I think it is a head alignment issue.

Anyways, good luck! I hope it's not a hardware problem, and hope you figure out settings that are making it act strange.

 

[antoniobunt]

Thanks a lot! Silverfast is for Windows only so I downloaded the VueScan demo and I made yet another test on a 6x6 negative: 16-bit greyscale, 600dpi, a monster file to sum it up and it worked fine, so I guess the problem was indeed the software, I'll make another test in the following days to keep on checking the scanner functionality. Thanks to all forum members who replied! Take care!

 

[pellicle]

In fact, it's 4x5, it is indeed stretched, even on 120 negatives does that.

it might have been nice to say what it was at some point.

I wonder ... is there a setting for scan that talks about the dpi? Is one something like 1200 x 900 or something like that?

just wondered

can you tell us anything about the scanner driver and what options you're seeing? A screen grab pasted to a file and loaded on flickr would be nice.

did you try scanning it as positve and did it come out ok?

lastly, it seems you're scanning monochrome. I must say its easier to help when one has some information to work with (even the film format you're scanning was not mentioned)

 

[antoniobunt]

Sorry about the missing information. The scanning software was the one that came with the scanner HP Scan Pro. The software made a caution about the file being too big to handle and that the scanning was going to be slow. I am scanning for big prints (20x24) on 600 dpi, I know it's probably too much but I can't be too cautious about the future of printing. The files came humongous! Anyway, indeed I am working monochrome. About the grab, the software is in Spanish, let me figure out how to do the screen grab. I tried scanning as a positive with the same results.

 

[Diapositivo]

My guess is that your problem is in that part of the configuration that sets the output file, there probably is a certain dimension of one side set but there is not some sort of "keep proportions between sides" option ticked. If you tick it the sides should be kept in proportion.