

The solution to this has always been to apply some sharpening to the scan. As Taz Tally explains the phenomenon in his excellent SilverFast: the Official Guide, "Because a scanner does not capture all of the available image data but rather samples an image and averages the values, it tends to slightly lower contrast along high-contrast edges and smooth out the image." A raw scan will always look softer than the original. One of the more misunderstood aspects of scanning is sharpness. The 6400 dpi of the V600 easily exceeds that requirement. To get an 8x10 from that 35mm frame, you have to be able to scan 2400 dpi. If you need 150 dpi to make a good print on your inkjet printer, the biggest print you can make with your 1200x1800 images is an 8x12 (on, say, 9x13 paper).īut if your printer needs 300 dpi (like a 4圆 dye sub printer), the largest print you can make from that same image is just 4圆. Do some tests to confirm the manufacturer's recommendation. Simple math.įind out how many dots per inch your printer requires to make a high quality print. If you scan a 35mm film frame (which is 1.0x1.5 inches) at that resolution, your image size will be 1200x1800 pixels. So if a scanner touts an optical resolution of 4800x9600, it's the 4800 that matters.Īn inexpensive flatbed may have an optical resolution as low as 1200-dpi (although the trend is upward). The second one is usually higher - and inconsequential. Two numbers represent optical resolution: the number of sensors in the sensor array and how finely the stepper motor can move the sensor down the scanner bed. But scanning itself remains a black art and this brief discussion of some of the darker corners can help keep frustration at bay. You can skip our Short Course on Scanning if you know this stuff already. SHORT COURSE ON SCANNING | Back to Contents


We were particularly curious to see how it measured up to Canon's MP980 all-in-one, which is about the same price. But, he said, it outperforms inexpensive flatbeds.
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If the tedium doesn't kill you, something else will.Īnd scanning software is so difficult to use, you'll beg to be put out of your misery.īut nobody listens.

Figure an hour for every roll of film on your high-end flatbed scanner or even a dedicated 35mm scanner and, well, you retired too late. Frankly, we don't recommend a scanner at all.
