Wet scans softens detail

[david_simonds]

Friends, I just made my first wet scans and they seem soft when compared to dry versions. I am using an Eversmart

Pro II and Kami system. I applied fluid to the bed, put the image down, applied plastic sheet on top, and swiped top

to sqeeze out any bubbles. The fine detail is not as crisp, as if a slight blur filter was applied. One thing that is

considerable better is the loss of all the "pepper" looking crud, especially in the bright sky, which makes the dry

ones almost unprintable to any real enlargement. I am coming from a Nikon 9000 and used the ICE function which

took care of this. Was really surprized to see how much of this speckling there is. Is this dirt that could be cleaned

away before scanning, or some sort of artifact from the developing? Is Isopropol alcohol OK to clean chromes, or

should I buy some Pec 2 or the like? Thanks. David

[david_simonds]

Forgot to mention that I did put fluid on top of image before applying plastic.

[ronald_moravec1]

I have seen samples other places showing grain was lessened with wet scans. Check out Kami website.

 

Small black flecks are from the developing process. They are tars etc formed in the chemicals. Some will stick to the film, some will not. The better the system maintenence, the less of this you see and with todays lower volumn chrome processing, maintenence can be neglected to control costs.

 

One needs to clean film before enlarging or scanning. Blow it off with canned sir, use a small brush to clean any remaining, than examine with a loupe and see if you can find more. Then keep the film in a dust free place. Consider your sleves are already contaminated.

 

Depending on ICE to clean up film is bad practice. It makes scanning take longer and it it will also soften detail.

 

The best way to clean up a sky is to make a selection showing the defect areas, make a new layer of just the selection, use the arrow keys to move the selection one or two pixels sideways and up. Change the blend mode to I think screen and all the dark spots disappear. Repeat with a different blend mode for light spots on a different layer made from the original selection. Unfortunately I can not find the reference book that gives me the exact blend mode, but it is way better than healing brush and clonning in speed and accuracy. Experiment with the different modes.

 

Don`t use alcohol to clean film. There are film cleaners made, Edwal brand for one, I would avoid any chemical as they may interfer with the stabalising chems used in developing and leave marks.

[colin_mattson1]

<p>"Don`t use alcohol to clean film. There are film cleaners made, Edwal brand for one, I would avoid any chemical as

they may interfer with the stabalising chems used in developing and leave marks."</p>

 

<p>Edwal film cleaner, as most film cleaners, <b>is</b> alcohol. Isopropyl, to be exact. In Edwal's case, they give it a

kick in the pants with dry cleaning chemicals.

</p>

<p>

If your aim is to "avoid any chemical," reasonably pure isopropyl alcohol is considerably cheaper and less aggressive.

</p>

[david_simonds]

Ronald, thanks for the information, particularly the process for removing the tar dots with a mask. As I have not used a mask like this before, could you explain the steps that involve the arrow keys which move "the selection one or two pixels sideways and up." This sounds great and may be the perfect solution for images that I do not want to wet mount. Obliged. David

[WJT]

I am interested in this thread as well because I may be moving to a wet scan myself. Regards.

[david_simonds]

Colin, thanks for the chem lesson.

[ronald_moravec1]

I found the reference article.

 

I got it close, not exact.

 

Make the selection, make a new layer with selection active. All that will be there is the selection.

 

Press v for the move tool. Then the arrows.

 

Blend mode is lighten if spots are dark.

 

Repeat whole process and make blend mode lighten for light spots.

 

I have done this and it works great.

 

I would stay away from alcohol on color film regardless. Black&white ok. Clean with blower bulb, canned air, and brush. I am sure it will get cleaner if nothing else works. I worry about long term.

[david_simonds]

Ronald, I appreciate your effort. David

[stephen_ray]

Dear David,

 

I'm guessing you have turned the SHARPNESS setting in the scan software to NONE. That is fine so long as you understand you have done so and

you plan to UNSHARP MASK using Photoshop in post processing. Sharpening (or unsharp mask) is normal for scans from the EverSmart or any

drum scanner. In fact, in the case of the Imacon scanner, I believe the setting of 0 (zero) is the default setting which actually is a certain

SHARPNESS setting. (Indeed, a trick from the manufacturer.) The user has to make the setting of -3 (minus) to really turn SHARPNESS OFF! By

the way, the deal-breaker for me regarding the Imacon is the inability to fluid-mount.

 

A few things:

 

1) The scanner is really a microscope. You may see nuances of film, glass, light, liquid, etc., because of their inherent physics. Scitex used a scan

of salt or sugar crystals as a demo image. Try it for fun!

 

2) The scan software is the best place to make all settings instead of Photoshop but takes considerable time to master.

 

3) Learn the oXYgen work flow and Scan Once, Output Many.

 

4) Take a close look at this link and related -

http://graphics1.kodak.com/us/product/scanners/professional_scanners/Quick_Reference_Guide

 

5) Take a close look at this link and related -

http://www.hutchcolor.com/hct.htm

 

6)Take a close look at this link and related -

http://www.thelawlers.com/essays.html

 

I'm sure you've spent a good deal of time learning to use a camera and now I'm sure you'll spend a deal of time learning to use your scanner. Also, I

would venture to say you will want to re-scan any and all other scans you've made from any other scanner less than your EverSmart.

 

Best of luck,

 

-Stephen Ray

[david_simonds]

Stephen, thanks for your kind reply. You are correct that I scan with no sharpening or other enhancement of that

kind. Perhaps I should if the wet scans are going to be soft. While I have often heard that image adjustment is best

done in the scanner application, as you suggest, the reason has never been explained to my satisfaction. I am sure I

have a bias against it because I have a far greater faculty with CS2 than I do the Oxygen software, which, as a 2000

vintage, is rather clunky. Perhaps you can explain to me whether the adjustments made in the scanner application is

actually applied prior to the scanning. I had read some time ago that some scanners apply the adjustments the

image after it has been scanned. If so, adjusting in PS would be a distinction without a difference. And I appreciate

the links - particularly the Kodak one. Warm regards. David