What can scanners do for B&W?

[ymc226]

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Thanks for everyone for getting me started on digital. I'm now comfortable working with LR4, editing color and B&W photos and printing on an Epson 3880.

 

I do enjoy film still quite a lot but wonder if scanning instead of wet printing would be something appropriate for me in saving darkroom time. Interest in scanning was due to the impending release of an affordable high quality 120/135 scanner by Plustek. http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1887826&postcount=221

 

I'm not a good darkroom printer by any means but the print would be my goal, not the web. With scanning and the ability to manipulate in LR4, would the dynamic range be just as good compared to a completely wet process for a less than average printer which I consider myself to be?

 

As I would be completely new to scanners, what other software would one need besides LR4, Photoshop etc?

[250swb]

There is no reason you should expect the dynamic range of the print to be any less than by using a wet darkroom. And if you do find your are getting blown skies or filled shadows you can do what anybody would do in a wet darkroom, expose and develop the film with regard to the workflow. It is essentially the same chain of events all of which must marry up. So the ideal scan from you neg should be moderately soft tonally, and then you use post processing to introduce contrast etc. and work towards the final image. Which makes it easy, because you don't have to scan to perfection.

 

As regards software, all scanners come with some, and some are better than others. The software that many people keep coming back to though is an independent programme called Vuescan. It is pretty cheap but works like a dream once you understand how to set it up.

 

Steve

[erl]

I totally agree with Steve in his comments and particularly support the use of VueScan. Both scanning and using VueScan does have a learning curve, like any worthwhile pursuit. Similar to using your camera and working in the darkroom, you never really 'perfect' the art, but rather just keep getting better.

 

My prefence at present is to shoot film, scan to create a digital file, then print on an Epson 3800. I have to admit, even though I consider myself a very experiences and good darkroom printer, I find I am getting equal or better results using my current workflow, to which I am adding some 'digital tricks' that just can't be done in a darkroom.

 

Using this hybrid technique is no better or worse than pure analog or pure digital, it is just different. Chose the 'tools' and 'technique' that suit your desire. Simple!

[tobey bilek]

Scanning requires a softer neg than printing with a diffusion enlarger. The better films will print on a condenser enlarger and scan decently. Some others will not.

 

Handling a neg that is too contrasty is difficult in a darkroom, impossible with scanning. Then you must scan twice, once for highlights, once for shadows, then merge like HDR. Yes it works, done it many times.

 

If you like printing on a diffusion machine, you will need to use #3 paper or find it impossible to scan silver based black and white, tri x, delta etc. C41 films are far easier to scan.

 

Some scan, work photoshop, then print to a clear sheet as a neg with inkjet printer which becomes a large format neg, then print that in the darkroom. You need a 4x5 or larger enlarger to do this.

 

I find black and white inkjet prints not to attractive. I still make black and white prints in my darkroom, and send color to a pro lab that uses a laser printer on real photo paper.

Needless to say I am not an inkjet fan.

[Jamie Roberts]

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I find black and white inkjet prints not to attractive. I still make black and white prints in my darkroom, and send color to a pro lab that uses a laser printer on real photo paper.

Needless to say I am not an inkjet fan.

 

I still print BW optically as well. But have you tried / seen the latest Epson pigments on the new Baryta paper stocks? To my eyes they're much improved over older paper stocks for inkjet BWs.

[tobey bilek]

Yes,Epson has sent me the latest in color and B&W. I consider the color inferior to B&W.

 

But my point is some films will not print with a #2 paper and scan for digital reproduction at the same contrast in development.

[erl]

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Yes,Epson has sent me the latest in color and B&W. I consider the color inferior to B&W.

 

But my point is some films will not print with a #2 paper and scan for digital reproduction at the same contrast in development.

 

Tobey, have you considered developing for scanning, ie. low contrast, and then printing on Gr3, or even Gr.4 paper? ie. set development to optimize scanning and adjust DR printing to match by selecting the appropriate grade of paper to match.

 

A lot depends on your taste for contrast, but I usually prefer Gr3 paper as my 'normal' in the DR. The corresponding neg scans well for me.

[Jamie Roberts]

Yes,Epson has sent me the latest in color and B&W. I consider the color inferior to B&W.

 

But my point is some films will not print with a #2 paper and scan for digital reproduction at the same contrast in development.

 

Understood on the main point on contrast and scanning.

 

Just FYI and FWIW, the best baryta paper stocks do not come from Epson Maybe Epson sent you some Hahnemuhle / Harmon / Canson papers, and in that case ignore what I'm saying... Also, the Epson print driver is not the best for making these prints either. A RIP of some kind is required IMO to get the most out of BW inkjet.