35mm Tri-X scan resolution

[martha]

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Perhaps it's been answered here somewhere already, but I can't find it. Here's the question:

 

What target resolution should I use to scan 35mm negatives from my M6 so that they will print reasonably well to 11"x14". ( I am using an Epson 750.)

 

Since I had to sell my M6 to finance my new M8.2, I have many, many negatives to convert.

 

Thanks inadvance for any input.--martha

[martha]

Just answered my own question by reading the sticky by Rich C. (above.)

 

Very valuabloe information. thank you adminbistrator for sticking it up there and thank you to Rich C. for the thoughtful and well wrought summary.

 

--martha

[stunsworth]

My advice would be to scan at half the quoted resolution of the scanner. Maybe the 750 is different, but I've found most flat bed scanners to be overly optimistic regarding their highest resolution. The pixels will be there, but without an increase in detail.

 

Certainly at 4000 dpi you'll see tri-x grain very clearly, and it should be well defined. That's not a criticism by the way.

[martha]

; Epson and HP, 360 pixels = 1 inch).

 

Thanks again, Rich.

 

Re: the quote above, are you saying that scan res should be 360 for every inch of enlargement desired? I guess I don't understand what the equation means. Sorry to be such a dope!

[martha]

BRILLIANT, Rich!!!!

 

Your last post was, by far, the simplest explanation of scan resolution vis-a-vis print size I have yet to find. It was straightforward and written in plain language and, most importantly, easy to understand as a result.

 

THANK YOU!!!!!

[tgray]

I personally scan at 4000 dpi on my Nikon scanner for images destined for print. It resolves somewhere between 3000 and 4000 dpi if tests are to be believed. Even if it doesn't resolve at the full 4000 dpi, it helps alleviate grain aliasing compared to lower dpi scans.

 

Hard drives are cheap. A 4000 dpi B&W tiff is about 40 megs, and I shouldn't have to rescan if I decide to print at a larger resolution.

 

The Epsons are said to not really resolve much more than 2200 dpi (or something like that). You might want to run some tests though. Try scanning at 4000-ish dpi (4400?) and 2200 dpi and compare. If 2200 is the way to go, also compare scanning at 4400 and down rezzing immediately to 2200 dpi. It might help with grain.

[stunsworth]

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I personally scan at 4000 dpi on my Nikon scanner for images destined for print

 

With a film scanner I scan everything at the maximum scanner resolution, so like yourself that's 4000 dpi with my Nikon.