Scanning problems

[DavidStone]

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Right, so finally I got myself a scanner that can handle 35mm negs. I chose the Epson V700, since I am still occasionally using a Rolleiflex and I have older negs right up to 10x8. But, even though I got an M8, the M2 is still in use, as is my 1938 Leica III.

 

So far so good. I have VueScan, and I also got Epson Scan with the scanner.

 

And I need to make contact prints. And can I find out how to do this? Like hell I can.

 

So I'm sitting here feeling slightly stupid and more than slightly frustrated, having worked through the help files for both the applications.

 

What would be nice, if it's possible, would be what we used to call enlarged contacts. When I had a fully-equipped darkroom, I would load up my Leica negs into the carrier of a 10x8 enlarger, and make a 20x16 print. Given that, so far, I've not progressed beyond A4 in digital printing, then 8 negs printed on A4 would be ideal. Then I can make sets of small proof prints of my backlog of negs, from which to choose those I'll print up to A4.

 

So advice please. Can this be done? Or does anyone have a better idea?

 

David

[andybarton]

Can't you just lay your negs in their clear plastic archive wallets on the plate of the scanner and scan them all at once?

 

I used to do this when I had a flat bed (it didn't have a light source in the lid, so I sued a light box instead. Used to work OK.

[DavidStone]

Can't you just lay your negs in their clear plastic archive wallets on the plate of the scanner and scan them all at once?

 

I used to do this when I had a flat bed (it didn't have a light source in the lid, so I sued a light box instead. Used to work OK.

 

That would be a possibility, except all my negs are in the old-fashioned translucent paper wallets, but I could of course take them out. Might have to do this. I thought there might be a more high-tech method. Can't it be done with mounted transparencies? So why not negs?

 

David

[andybarton]

In that case, you will need to just lay out your negs on the glass.

 

Epson should do a neg holder that takes a whole roll.

 

It would be worth trying with the translucent wallets, though. If I hold up my translucent ones to the light, I can see the negs fine.

[stunsworth]

Do you Photoshop? If so there may be a Contact Sheet option under the File>Automate menu. From memory that isn't loaded in CS4 but can be accessed via Bridge - see thids video...

 

Peachpit: Photoshop Reference Guide > The Missing Contact Sheet in CS4

 

If you use Lightroom it's under the Print module - select the frames you want on the contact sheet and then click on Print. You'll need to set the rows ans columns until everything fits on a single page.

[andybarton]

Trouble is that you need to scan every frame to do it the PS way.

[DavidStone]

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Well, although the help files are especially unhelpful on making proof sheets, I worked out a way to do this.

 

I did a batch scan using EpsonScan, at small size and low res., on three strips of six negs. This didn't take too long. The scanner recognises, numbers and scans each neg., so it's all automated.

 

Opened these 18 scans in PSE and chose a contact sheet, using three across and six down. Fits nicely into A4, each image is 6x3.7cm.

 

Printed onto Epson's cheap Photo Quality inkjet paper.

 

This way I can get a 36-exp. film onto 2 A4 sheets, back-to-back in a transparent pocket in a ring-binder.

 

Not too difficult. So I shan't want for somthing to occupy me during the long dark winter days.

 

David

[henri]

Hi Steve, the contact sheet option is a simple automate-plug-in. I do not know why it was omittet in CS4. But you can just take this plug-in from the older PSD CS3 and move it into the folder Applications>Adobe Photoshop CS4>Plug-ins>Automate.

Restart PSD and you will have the contact sheet option working again.

Greetings, Henri