Scan 35mm Slides and Negatives into Digital Images

If you only want to scan images to use on the web, then you can use a flatbed scanner. However, on a flatbed scanner, the scanner must see through glass and there's usually not a focusing feature for the user. A mounted slide is a few millimeters higher than the glass plate, so your scan will probably not be as sharply in focus as a slide in a slide scanner. But for web viewing, it's fine.

Less expensive flatbed scanners scan objects that reflect light that is shone onto them. But slides and negatives are transparent and light passes through them. Some flatbed scanners have a transparency adapter which provides a light source from above. But there is still a sheet of glass between the film and light sensors.

Scanners built specifically for scanning negatives and slide film do not have glass between the film and the sensors, and the light source is usually more intense.

Try scanning with your flatbed scanner (or a friend's) and see if you're satisfied with the quality of the scan, both for the web and for making prints.

The software is compatible with both a PC and a Mac. Both versions are included so you don't have to order anything special.

Do a quick Prescan to view the image

You can then crop the image or rotate it horizontally or vertically

You can quickly adjust brightness. contrast, and saturation and view the changes on the screen as you move the cursor

Choose your output (decide how you want to use your image)

OUTPUT:

web 72 dpi
newspaper 85 dpi
magazine 133 dpi
standard print 150 dpi
art print 175 dpi
photo print 300 dpi
other i (mostly used for line art)

You can save the image as a tiff, jpeg, pdf, or jpeg 2000.

When you scan, you can choose one or more options:

dust & scratch removal
multiscan - minimizes noise and grain
multi exposure increases density range

REMEMBER: You don't have to scan every slide you own. Quickly sort through them and scan the best ones first

Don't make a big chore out of it - scan a few slides at a time. It's probably best to scan at the highest resolution in case you'll want a large print. Then you can use an image resizer to lower the resolution for smaller prints, to send as attachments or to post on the web.

Name your images so you can find them later and create folders to put them in. Create a workflow and the process will run smoothly.

Scanning your slides can be a great project to create some photo DVDs to give as Christmas gifts. Or keep yourself busy during cold, winter days and you'll have some great images to show at family gatherings or reunions.

READ MORE on the SilverFast website

You may think buying a scanner is too expensive, either for yourself or for a gift. But consider sharing the expense with a friend who also wants to scan 35mm images. Or perhaps this could be a family Christmas gift. And you could always resell the scanner when you've finished scanning your own slides, or make money scanning slides for other people.

In deciding what you can afford, consider what you want to do with your scans. You don't want to scan using a flatbed scanner and then decide later that you'd like prints. Your small images won't make good prints. You should always scan at a high resolution. You can resize your images to make them smaller, but can't enlarge a small sized image very much.

To help the scanning process, you may also want to consider these items:

A slide sorter - This has a lighted background to show through the slides or negatives so you can view them quickly. There are ledges on the sorter so you can prop a row of slides or strips of negatives for quicker viewing. You can also hold the images up to a light or window, but that gets tedious.

A photographic loupe - A loupe is like a magnifying glass, but is dome shaped to fit over your slide. You need to have a lighted background like a slide sorter or light box. You'll see much more detail with a loupe. If you want to use a loupe to look at negatives, make sure the diameter of the bottom of the loupe is large enough not to press on the negative. Negatives are in strips of 4 images and you don't want any scratches. If you're only scanning for web displays, a loupe is probably not needed.

A slide viewer - This is a device where you put one slide in and press a button to see an enlarged view of the slide. This is an easier way to view slides for clarity, but on most of them you can only view one slide at a time. Some slide viewers that will accept about 10 slides and you push a lever to go from one slide to the next.

A soft photographic or artist brush - Your slides and negatives will probably have dust on them. Never brush the dust off with your fingers or a cloth. The dust or grit may scratch the image. You want to remove dust before you scan so you don't spend a lot of time on the computer removing the spots.

A film cleaner Some of your slides or negatives may have dirt or mildew that can't be removed by a brush. Scan your image first before using the cleaner. That way if you accidentally damage your film or slide by using the cleaner, you still have a scan of the original and can still try to get a good image using editing software.

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