Using a scanner as a colour analyser?

[wiggy]

Is it possible to use a scanner and software such as photoshop as a colour analyser to get approximate filtration values which can then be dialled into the colour head. I was thinking in particular when calibrating a colour analyser using a reference negative/transparency but if it was possible to do it accurately enough you could dispense with the analyser completely.

 

[srs5694]

I still have yet to try it, but (there was a url link here which no longer exists) describes how to do it.

 

[waynecrider]

What with some scanners not necessarily giving accurate colors, necessitating color balance adjustments, I don't see how you could depend on some. My 4490 Epson lacks in that department with certain colors. I suppose you would have to buy a high end scanner and hope it works.

 

[wiggy]

I still have yet to try it, but (there was a url link here which no longer exists) describes how to do it.

Many thanks - I did do a search but didn't pick up any hits (see the one you pointed out was part of a query re paper choice!)

Looks like there's really no short cut to doing it the proper way. I suppose I was trying to be a cheapskate to be honest and hoping to avoid shelling out on an analyser I know it's not a necessity but when I used to print colour I saved shed loads on paper costs when I got one.)

 

[Photo Engineer]

See my post after that one you have referenced above.

I have made over 1000 contact sheets of our family negatives from the 50s to the present and used the same exposure from the same 1000 sheets of paper. The balance varied less than 10R over the entier 60 year span of negatives.

If you get good lab work and have given good physical treatment to the film, the images of negatives should be as stable in balance as reversal slides.

Once you have the balance of your printing set up, you will inevitably be within this 10 R range so a test strip after the first print just as with B&W will put you on the money. And, you will save the cost of the analyzer at the cost of a small test strip.

I actually buy a box of 100 sheets of 5x7 paper to go with my 8x10 box to use the small sheets as test strips.

PE

 

[Photo Engineer]

Sorry, there was a slight error there. It was 10 boxes of 100 sheets each that I bought and there were 2 emulsion numbers in them. One batch was in the middle of the Endura change and I applied the 10M correction and was right on, so it was 500 and 500 from 2 batches of paper.

Which only shows that when there is a pack change on the box, it works.

PE

 

[Chan Tran]

It was my idea to use the film scanner as color analyzer but I still use a color analyzer along size with it. But then PhotoEngineer, a very experienced color printer, said and I believe him that you don't need a color analyzer of any kind any way.

 

[Photo Engineer]

You may be interested to know that the color paper development group in the research labs threw out ours as we found it to be unnecessary. AAMOF, my boss gave it to me to take home.

I was learning in earnest how to print by the ream back then so I thought it would help. I found that once color paper became fixed in speed, it was a useless tool that wasted time.

It sits here on a shelf as an antique.

PE

 

[roteague]

It was my idea to use the film scanner as color analyzer but I still use a color analyzer along size with it. But then PhotoEngineer, a very experienced color printer, said and I believe him that you don't need a color analyzer of any kind any way.

I found the same thing PE, back in the days when I was doing Cibachrome. I wouldn't worry about the scanner or a color analyzer.

 

[PHOTOTONE]

Just a note. While I also second the fact that with modern Kodak color paper one does not need any type of analyzer, it should be noted that different films will require different color balances. Agfa, Ferrania, Fuji and Kodak color negative films will not print at exactly the same balance.

 

[Photo Engineer]

I agree in part about that. Agfa is wildly different and keeps poorly which contributes to the problem, but my Fuji and Kodak films print pretty close to the same with slight tonal changes and of course a big difference in color rendition. I have not printed Ferrania.

PE