Scanning for Photo-Mural

[susan_bowen]

I will be doing a photo-montage mural (5-1/2 feet high) and am not sure what

the best approach is r.e. scanning. Most of the images were shot with 35mm; I

will have access to the negatives (not my own). Usually I think that scanning

from the negative rather than a print is the way to go, but there are obvious

limitations to such a small negative. I'm not sure at what point a higher

resolution scan of the negative would be pointless and I don't know if there

might be some advantage to scanning from a print instead (or a combination of

both techniques).

 

Anyway, any ideas appreciated. These will be black and white images.

[robert lee]

Scan from the negatives. Scan from the print and you suffer one additional, likely significant, generational loss.

 

At the very least, use a quality, dedicated desktop scanner like the Nikon V or 5000. B&W can potentially be sharper than color film. So, there might be worthwhile additional image detail on select negatives that's beyond the 4000dpi scan resolution. Send these out for higher resolution scans.

[samcisa]

In our experience, 35mm film contains maximum amount of information for about 24x16

inch 300dpi digital file. Anything beyond this becomes a some kind of 'interpolation'. If

you want to show more grain it is better to do a large scans from film, but sometimes is

better to make big, high quality print and then scan it. Grain can make a picture, but

sometimes-destroy it. If you do it with a scanner, you need to make a major adjustments

with sharpness settings in scanner software. In some cases, PS interpolation is better then

one in the scanner software. And I agree, don't try it on non professional scanner.You

need something with a decent dynamic range. We usually use Topaz flatbed for a high

quality print scanning, and if I scan a negative, our Imacon does the best job.

[susan_bowen]

Samir: So the 24x16 print would be a 16x enlargement, so I think would require 4800 dpi scan (16 x 300). And you would use an Imacon for that.

 

Is the best approach to make such a scan and then a 24x16 print and then scan from that? Would a digital C-print be a good print to scan from?

 

Thanks.

[samcisa]

The last digital-C print I've seen did show a little pattern on the scan, but I am not sure about

quality of the print itself. As a print, we use regular photo print 8x10 or bigger on Hi-Glos

paper.

[JeffOwen]

You don't say how big each of the prints in the montage will be. If each print is only 5X7 then scanning the original prints (depending on the size of each original) would be fine at quite a modest resolution. If the prints are to be say 20X16 then it would be best to scan the negs at a high resolution.

 

Generally speaking it is best to scan the negs then you know you have the best possible end result, but neg scanning can take a lot longer to do.