Slide Scanning News

In the event that you’re starting to hunt for a digital scanning solution and you could use some advice on which one to buy, then you just have to listen to some good advice on the subject that will ensure that you purchase the right scanner for you. The use of a compact scanner can actually revolutionize your daily and weekly data-handling routine, for example, when keeping critical material is a factor. Before buying a portable scanning solution, it’s highly recommended to browse the information that follows.

As is true of every high-tech product you might encounter, transportable scanners have been developed to be easy to learn and to get comfortable with. Compact scanners are great for a variety of scanning needs such as business cards and receipts that have accumulated, various records and licenses… In just a few short moments portable scanners offer exceptional pixel resolution in a format to meet your every need. In today’s market, the cost of a digital scanning solution is both smart and affordable whether you are buying it for personal or business use.

According to many users, the best thing about these handheld scanners is the great convenience of them whether you’re at home, at work, or on the road. Each scanner is equipped with a custom slide scanning program that will allow you to obtain impressive results from pictures and text and save them in your choice of a variety of formats. As an example, an id card scanner has the ability to pull out the images and data, including the photo, signature, and all the text of the id and then sort it into useable data fields, into an external document, your clipboard, or any appropriate application.

Before committing to a digital scanning solution here are several factors you need to keep in mind: (1) what will your scanner’s main purpose be? (2) search the internet for scanners you think might fit your needs; (3) compare the technical specifications of each scanner; (4) be sure that the manufacturer has a good name and see what past customers have to say about it; (5) find out about freight charges and returns.

Photo slide scanning plays a very important part in the process of photo restoration. Photo slide scanning provides a workable foundation for restorers to work on photos that need work, without having to alter the original photo in any way. When an original photograph is tinkered with, there is great risk for irreparable damage to occur to the photograph.

When people handle their pictures and negatives, they do many things, unintentionally, that are very harmful to them, and most do not even know they are damaging their photos. Photo scanning can produce corrected copies of old photos and photos that have been damaged.

Photo scanning can help with restoring photos that have been damaged by common wear. Besides sticking fingers all over the pictures, there are more than fingerprints that can slowly destroy your paper memories. Pictures are actually made of gelatin and tiny silver particles. This makes them susceptible to bug infestation, mold, mildew, and humidity.

Unfortunately, many things that are made for use with pictures are the very things that hasten their disintegration. Photo scanning can give you a picture that is free from the damage that has occurred to your originals. Many picture boards, cardboards, and most glue contain an acid that slowly eats away at the pictures. Even the chemicals that are used to develop the film from negatives are to blame for the eventual demise of these photographs. Photo scanning can give you corrected duplicates of your original, damaged, photos.

Photo scanning can correct sunlight induced fading damage. Most people are commonly aware that sunlight will ruin photographs. Even pictures that were never intentionally put in the sun can still show damage, even if the sun hit the picture for a few minutes each day.

Photo scanning can provide a smooth replacement for a sticky, corroded picture. Never use rubber cement to adhere photographs to anything. The acids in rubber cement will ruin the picture quickly, cracking the emulsion and paper backing. Rubber cement contains sulfur, which reacts with the silver that sentences pictures to certain death!

Scrapbooking and photo album hobbies have become very popular ways for people to store and share their photos. It is best to use pictures that have undergone photo scanning for these projects, with the original pictures stored properly. You should not use originals in these albums, but the photo scanning copies work well. Do not use the photo albums that have the self adhesive pages covered by clear plastic film.

The glue, again here too, is acidic. Never display your pictures in vinyl sleeves. The sleeves are made out of a certain type of plastic that will cause both color and black and white photos to fade. However, if you find pictures that are dear to you that have fallen victim to any of these damaging mishaps, photo scanning can make it all better, and can even make your pictures better than they originally were.

Since digital cameras came into the market, most people use digital formats for new photos, and there are people keeping older film camera paper prints, slides and negatives. We will show how to convert them into digital formats.

Paper Prints

Sizes 4X6 and 5X7. If they are kept too long, tend to lose their quality, the paper might turn yellow, bend and colors faded.

Slides

Are similar to negatives but projecting photos on large screen.

Negatives

Are processed film usually 35mm roll which hardly used unless to develop new paper prints.

Want to know how to convert all those old photos from traditional paper and negatives to digital? This is easy to copy and a better way to keep the photos in the computer for long time. For amateurs try simple, easy and cheap methods. Professional photographers will spend time and money on this process scanning and requires different equipment.

Scan paper photos prints on a scanner yourself, is a cheaper way, unless you want to send to a professional scanning service that will scan and mail them back the originals and a DVD with the digital scans. Sometimes, it’s a risk to take, mailing the only hardcopy of your photos.

The Resolution is measured by the number of dots per inch, if you are going to scan it yourself. Usually the scanner can scan at 1200DPI or more. The higher the resolution the slower the scan and bigger photo file size. If the higher resolutions scan is at 300 to 600 DPI, you get better results.

When you buy a scanner check the scanning Speed, which is measured by number of scans per minute and check the speed at the DPI you’re going to use. Speed is important if you are using more than hundreds photos. For better results, scan at the lowest resolution possible, 300-600DPI is good enough.

Photo feeding is not an issue if only small number, but for more photos make sure that the scanner is fast and easy loading. A good scanner will automatically load stacks of photos, feed and scan them for you.

Scanning negatives and slides is harder than scanning paper prints, so a professional scanning service is easier and cheaper. Standard flat scanner will not be good enough; you need a film/slides scanner. Negatives and slides are high resolution sources and require scanning at higher DPI than paper prints. In this cases 2400DPI or higher should be used. So scanning home photo paper prints is good enough but scanning the source negatives is a not needed.

You can see how easy to photo paper prints by yourself rather than using professional slide scanning service. For a small investment, get an expensive automatic scanner which has all the functions to convert your original quality memories into digital format, for you and your children to enjoy.

Plus you can keep these photos stored safely on DVD hard drive or online where you can never loose them. And you can share your photos with the world faster then you can say cheese!

One of the best tools that photographers and those in the printing business can ever have today is the slide scanner. With this device, storing and printing images are made faster and easier than before.

For those who have already bought a reliable film and slide scanning, congratulations as you’ve taken the right step. But for those who are still contemplating on what to purchase, make sure to get a dedicated 35mm film scanner especially if a major part of your project focuses only on slides and films. Unlike a flatbed scanner, getting a specific film or slide scanning will be an advantage to you in terms of scanning speed and fast transfer of images to your computer.

Now before you start your work, preparing your materials is very important. When you’re ready with what you need, everything will just move on smoothly and you’ll finish your work in less time.

Clean first

So get those slides you’re going to work with and organize them accordingly on your desk. The first thing you’ll need to do is to make sure that they’re clean and free from dust. These tiny particles may not be visible to your eyes but they can be captured by the scanner and then visible on the images stored on your computer afterwards. Even though a software that came with your purchase of the scanner can help you get rid of dust on your slides, do it manually beforehand just the same.

Sort next

Nothing can make your work quicker than being organized. This means you need to group your slides according to what you want such as by date, by location of the images you’ve taken, by film type or mount (thickness) type, by orientation or by other factors. When you are able to do this, then you won’t have a hard time locating your images on your computer as well.

Grouping your slides scanning according to thickness will be very helpful as you won’t need to adjust the setting for the film type every time you scan.

Right resolution

Remember to scan your slides and negatives at the right resolution which is estimated at 300 dpi. When you do this, you are assured of high quality digital images and prints should you wish to have a hard copy later on.

The higher your resolution, the longer the scanning time needed. This also means large files but the benefit on the images you’ll get is far greater than negative scanning at a low resolution.

Image format

Save your scanned images in the right format if possible. For small scans, BMP is okay for Windows and TIF for Mac users. If you’re scanning large files, use the compressed TIF for both Windows and Mac operating systems.

Always back up

Images take up lots of space on your computer. And the more you scan and edit, the larger the files you will have. In this case, it would be best that you back up your files by copying them to an external hard drive, a CD or DVD perhaps to free up your PC’s storage space.

If there’s one photo printing gadget that benefits both the digital SLR camera users and those who still prefer to use the traditional film, it has to be the slide and film converter. With this device, there is always a way to turn even your old negatives into quality digital images and have them printed as if they were just taken recently. What seem not feasible in the past is now very much possible, thanks to the ever dynamic and advancing technology.

Many of these slide and film negative scanners have the capability of converting the images into Jpeg files and scan several slides at a time. And with a USB port that can easily be connected to the computer, transferring of images is really fast. A Windows software normally comes with any purchase which allows users to edit and resize their photos.

Using a 35mm slide converter is quick and easy. Make sure that you read the manual before doing anything else. There are some scanners that will require the installation of a driver and software on your PC before you can connect the two devices. If this is so, you will have to configure certain settings such as the color, resolution, the number of slides to be scanned at a time and whether you’ll be using a slide or negative.

Being a small sized gadget, you can place the scanner on any flat surface such as a desk. The next step is to insert the USB cable to your computer before switching on the device. Now you need to get the slides from their frame and place them into the slide cartridge. You have to be careful, though, when handling them so as not to leave any fingerprint and make sure that they’re free from dust and dirt as well. After that, insert the slide cartridge to the scanner and check the images first according to your preference. Once you’re okay with the exposure, you can then push the scan button to capture your image.

Slides can actually be scanned at different resolution levels. In other words, you can adjust the resolution to the size of the image you want printed and to your specific purpose such as for photo sharing on the internet through email, social networking sites or for making videos. Just remember that the bigger the size you want, the higher will be the resolution required. An important thing to keep in mind as well is to always preview your images before negative scanning to save time.

The slide converter can scan old film negatives and slides up to 1,829 dpi and save them as Jpeg files. What’s for sure is that your images will be stored in its original form and you can do whatever you want with them using your computer. You can either email them and share with your friends, print them for souvenir purposes or for gift giving to your loved ones or you can even turn them into movies which you can pass on to the next generation. This is the beauty of digital technology.

One of the best tips for 35mm slides scanning is to spend the time and the money to get a good scanner. Your scans will only be as good as the weakest link in the scanning process, which is why getting a good scanner is one of the best tips for 35mm slides scanning.

As with all purchases, you should weigh the features that you get, against the price you have to pay. In today’s market you can get a lot of features for relatively little money. You should be able to get all that you need to do a great job of 35mm slides scanning for under $200.

I use the HP 4050 and I am thoroughly satisfied with the quality and the many professional features that it offers. The HP 4050 gives you superior color accuracy and high-definition scans with 4800 x 9600 dpi (dpi stands for “dots per inch.”) The greater the amount of dots of information per inch a scanner can detect, the greater the resolution it has. Or to put it in plain English, the clearer the picture is. Inadequate dpi may result in blocky images. Photo scanners capable of 4800 x 9600 resolution produce spectacular images that go way beyond what you get with regular document scanners.

Preview speed is important and the 4050 previews as quickly as 8.5 seconds. You can scan up to 16 slides or 30 negatives at a time and the software included with the scanner automatically separates the slides into individual files. Some of the features of the HP 4050 include:

1. Excellent color accuracy and photo reproduction with 6-color, 96-bit scanning

2. Beautiful photo reprints with the 4800 x 9600 dpi resolution

3. Remove dust and scratches from photos, slides, and negatives at the touch of a button

4. Preserve documents digitally with archival-quality output

5. Edit text from scanned documents like magazine articles and letters

6. Scan up to 16 slides or 30 negatives at once with the built-in adapter, then save as separate files

7. Bring old and damaged photos back to life by restoring faded color with the included software

8. Automatically remove red eye and enhance detail in dark photos

These are all professional quality features that will greatly enhance the ease and quality of 35mm slides scanning. When you start with a quality scanner, the whole process of 35mm negative scanning becomes easier and your final results are better. There are many fine photo scanners out there and the one that you choose is subject only to your needs and your budget. The HP 4050 definitely meets my budget and my needs, but I urge you to do your own research before you go out and spend your money on a photo scanner. The scanner you choose should be number one on your list for tips for 35mm slides scanning.

Most of us have boxes and albums of photos that we seldom see. We take photos to remember and then we pack them up neatly only to see them if someone asks. With the ability these days to turn old slides and photos into a digital form there are many new ways to enjoy those old photos again.

1. Digital Photo Frame. The prices on these continues to drop and the screen size grows. Most frames offer a pretty good picture and its amazing the pleasure a whole family can get from sitting together and watching the photos appear.

2. DVD/CD Player. Most modern DVD players give you the option of watching a disk of images as a slide show – just pop the disk in and select the images. This way reminds me of the old slide shows my Dad used to put on for us on a Sunday evening. It’s very good for a family to remember (and laugh) together.

3. Internet. There are of course many sites that offer a way for others to view your photos online. I assume you are happy using the Internet and so wouldn’t be put off by the technology. This is a great way to share photos especially with family and friends in other parts of the country or event world.

4. Social Networking Sites. They can become a little addictive but also great fun – especially for finding old friends from clubs and organisations you once belonged to. Often there is the chance to upload photos of the good old days. Great fun.

5. Computer. There are many ways to use photos on a computer. You can of course watch slide shows but also enjoy seeing your happy moments displayed as a screensaver or desktop image. If you get really creative you can even create icons etc to build a whole theme.

6. Multimedia slide show. It’s possible now to go much further with a slide show than the simple swapping of slides one after the other. For a special event like a wedding or reunion a professionally produced mulitmedia slideshow can offer a wonderful way to remember the event. Video, still photos, music etc can all be combined.

7. Scrapbook. When you have digital images it allows you to arrange and print photos in exciting new ways. Why not build a book of the best shots from a holiday and include other things to remember it as well (tickets, brochures etc).

These are just a few simple ways to enjoy old photos in a new way.

Britepix enjoys helping people find new ways to make good use of photos. He owns and runs a photo negative scanning business as well as being an expert professional.

Why digitize 35mm slides? The main reason why you want to digitize 35mm slides is that you protect the memories that those slides represent. All across America and, for that matter, the world, 35mm slides are languishing in closets and slowly deteriorating. Even under the best conditions, when 35mm slides are air conditioned properly, they are slowly decomposing as they sit and wait for preservation.

Even if you have no desire to look at the slides right now, it behooves you to take the time and digitize them now so that at the very least you stop the deterioration.

At some point in the future, you or your relatives will want to view the slides or perhaps create a slide show your 35mm slide scanning that you can send to relatives on a DVD. Once you convert your slides, the deterioration is stopped in it’s tracks and will not get any worse.

The decomposition is gradual, but persistent. Colors slowly fade and lose their vibrancy and in the worst case, the film can split and crack. Once the slides are digitized you have a stable base from which to work. Photoshop can help restore some of the color’s original qualities and there are an infinite number of options that you use to enhance the quality of your slides.

If you choose to create a slide show with your slides, you can colorize different sections or make them black and white if it enhances your slide show. Once the film is digitized, the sky is the limit for your creativity as it pertains to slides, that in the past, could only be viewed.

There are a couple of options for you to consider. If you are computer savvy, a simple Google search will point you in the right direction for purchasing the hardware and the software to do the job yourself. If that is not to your liking, there are many companies that will do the digitizing for you. That eliminates having to buy the scanner. If you want to create your own slide show on your computer but don’t want to scan them in, just ask for a data disk from the company that digitizes your 35mm slides.

By now I hope you realize why you should digitize 35mm slides as soon as possible. The 35mm slides scanning that your parents or grandparents shot are part of your family history and should be preserved, if not for your use, but for your children and their childrens use.

Do not be afraid of the flash. Did you know that even on the brightest, sunniest day, you can still use your flash as a tool to fill in harsh shadows? It is true, and professional photographers refer to this technique as fill flash. This technique can be especially useful when natural shadowing blocks and/or interferes with the clarity of the subject of the photograph. Digital photo restoration services see this type of photo problem often, particularly when scanning an old negative, taken before flash photography was available. You, on the other hand, have no excuse not to make use of the fill flash technique, and doing so will greatly improve the quality and clarity of your photos.

Bounce the light. This can serve as a caveat for the above tip, because while it is important to fully utilize your cameras flash, it is just as important not to overuse it. Just as photo restoration and slide scanning pros see many instances of under use of the flash, they see just as many instances of on camera flashes pointed directly at the subject, instead of the shadows around the subject, and this causes glare and hot spots that can easily ruin your picture. It is also important to make sure that the flash is not overexposed in the background, since this can lead to overly bright spots. Whenever possible, the experts recommend pointing the flash towards the ceiling, since the burst of light will bounce off and fall down on the subject, and this technique is what is known to the pros as bounced light.

Clear the background. It is important to make sure that nothing in the background is distracting, although this can create unintentional humor; professionals always make sure that that their backgrounds are calm and that they complement the subject, for best results.

Avoid direct sunlight and seek out open shade. Bright sun causes people to squint, resulting in closed eyes and harsh shadows. If shooting your photos under these conditions is unavoidable, turn your subject(s) in such a sway that the sunlight comes from a 45 or even 90 degree angle, and use a fill flash for the shadows. If you can, take photos involving people in bright, shady spots, since the colors will be brighter and the glare will be lessened.

Remember sometimes the perfect photograph only comes along once in a lifetime, so make sure that you take your photos, old and new, to a company that provides photo CD services, in addition to Slide scanning and digital photo restoration options.

Taking better photographs is a combination of proper technique, talent, and experience. Once you have shot your best work, you should consider sending your pics to a company that specializes in digital photo printing services, digital photo restoration, and 35 mm negative slide scanning, in order to obtain digital quality prints, even if a digital camera is not your preferred medium. Photo printing, restoration, and scanning services also give you the option of purchasing a CD of your photographs, which can be an invaluable backup resource in the event that your original files, film, or prints are lost or damaged.

Go in for the close up. One thing that photo restoration and 35 mm slide scanning services notice is that most people stand too far away from their subject, and since most photos are taken with digital cameras nowadays, this problem is becoming more prevalent. Before digital cameras, professional camera men used the term shoe leather zooms, when describing their photography techniques, meaning that if they wanted to zoom in on the subject, they just walked closer. Even if you are utilizing an antique camera, or a drug store disposable, you can improve your photographs, just by getting a little closer to your subject before taking the picture.

Use all of the space. It is important to focus on your subject, and less important to focus on the really pretty flower or interesting tree next to it. It may sound obvious, but you would be surprised if you knew that amount of crowded shots that the average digital photo printing service company sees in a week, let alone a day. In other words, going along with the first tip, do not be afraid to get closer and make the subject, not the background, the focus of the picture. Take a look through the photo archives, particularly those of family portraits, and you will see that more often than not, the subject, or subjects was always the focal point of the shot, regardless of what was in the background.

Remember the rule of thirds. You should think of the viewfinder of your camera as being divided into three columns and three rows, and position your subject in a way that will cover as many of these blocks as possible. Often, the only real distinction between a professional photograph and an amateur one, according to digital photo restoration and slide scanning pros, is the placement and size of the photographs subject. At the risk of sounding redundant: do not be afraid to move in for that close up.