Getting a dedicated slide scanner will allow you to easily copy, store, and share a slide collection for very little money. Many people would normally consider hiring a camera or photography shop for this job, but these services can cost a pretty penny at most places. The purchase of a scanner, usually for under $40, will be a one time fee for as many slides as your collection holds.

The biggest benefit that purchasing a slide scanner will bring is being able to have a back up of invaluable heirlooms. Just as with paper photos, when slides are obtained many people throw away the negative leaving only the slide as the single remaining copy of the photo. With family memories and historical events being held on many of these glass slides, having an affordable and reliable method of duplicating this information for storing and sharing is an extremely valuable resource for any slide owner.

Slide scanners are easy to operate and are generally plug and play operation, meaning that straight out of the box the slide scanner should just plug into a computer and be operable with no extra software or firmware needing to be installed. This is great for those individuals who may not be as skilled with computers or using peripherals.

There are various types of slide scanners available. Some mount onto an existing scanner, while others are stand alone scanners used only for slides. There are also several brands of commercially available scanners that have slide scanners built into the flatbed of a regular scanner.

e the photos are scanned, slides can be placed in long term storage for safe keeping or kept in active use. The scanned photos can be easily uploaded to photo sharing websites or copies of the pictures can sent to others in email.

Related Posts

1. Scanning Photos and Negatives Resolution
2. Scanning Old Photos? Get VueScan
3. How to Profile a Scanner in VueScan
4. My VueScan Photo Scanning Workflow

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Why is it important to profile your scanner? Simple. All scanners don’t reproduce the same colours the same way. Even scanners that are the same model may have a minor variation of a specific colour. Profiling your scanner allows VueScan to produce scans that are as true to life as possible. While profiling your scanner may sound complicated, it isn’t difficult and I’ll step you through the process in this article.

Scan Properly: Profile a Scanner in VueScan

Before you profile your scanner you will first need to buy a IT8 calibration target. They aren’t expensive, and can be used to profile any scanner. I purchased by calibration target from Wolf Faust for $10 USD plus $10 USD shipping. The target was packaged in a sturdy cardboard envelope, and within a second sturdy envelope inside the cardboard one. The target itself was inside a plastic sleeve to protect it from dust.

Steps Needed to Profile a Scanner in VueScan

Once you have your IT8 target, you can use the following steps to profile a scanner in scanner:

1. Place the IT8 target onto your flatbed scanner, as you would a photo. Turn on your scanner and then load VueScan.
2. Click the “Input” tab, and then select “Profile Scanner” from the “Task” dropdown option.


VueScan - Task - Profile Scanner
(Click to enlarge)

3. Next, click the “Color” tab, and then click the “@” button next to “Scanner IT8 data” and select the IT8 description file.


VueScan - IT8 Scanner Data
(Click to enlarge)

Note:

The IT8 calibration target that I received from Wolf Faust didn’t come with a description file. The description files are available from the website where I ordered the target. If you don’t have a description file, check to see if you can download one from the website where you ordered your target.

4. Click the “Preview” button to preview the IT8 target in your scanner.
5. After the preview is displayed, a cropping mask will be displayed over the image. This mask will need to be adjusted to line up with your target. You can simply drag the border of the cropping mask so it matches your target. This step is important if you wish to profile a scanner in VueScan properly.


VueScan - Copping Mask Not Aligned
(Click to enlarge)





VueScan - Copping Mask Aligned
(Click to enlarge)

6. Once the cropping mask is aligned with your target, click “Profile->Profile Scanner” from the top menu.


VueScan - Profile Scanner
(Click to enlarge)

7. A file called “scanner.icc” is created in the same folder as “vuescan.ini”.

When you want to scan a photo, you can specify the scanner ICC profile you created using the above steps. You specify the profile in the “Scanner ICC profile” option under the “Color” tab.

By using a profile, you can now scan photos with the correct colours with minimal adjustments needed. Getting the correct colours is one of the main reasons to understand how to profile a scanner in VueScan.

See larger image The VueScan Bible: Everything You Need to Know for Perfect Scanning (English and English Edition) (Paperback) By (author) Sascha Steinhoff List Price: $34.95 USD New From: $19.88 In Stock Used from: $17.44 In Stock

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3. The Benefits of Scanning Slides with a Slide Scanner
4. Turn Your Facebook Profile Photo Into A Video

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One thing I have begun to finalize is my workflow for scanning and archiving the photos. After doing some reading online on using VueScan, I have come up with my own workflow. While you can follow my workflow, and change it as you see fit, it is important to remember that a workflow must work for you. The one I outline below works for me.

My VueScan Workflow

I have created a workflow that performs the tasks that I need to create digital archives of my photos. The steps below outline the workflow that I have come up with for printed photos, but can be adjusted to work for both slides and negatives as well.

If you wish to try out my VueScan scanning workflow, you can use the following steps:

1. Turn on the scanner and then launch VueScan. If all goes well, VueScan should detect your scanner.
2. If the “Advanced” options aren’t displayed (you see a “Next” button at the bottom), click the “Advanced” button.
3. We will need to display all the options, so if there is a “More” button shown at the bottom of the window, click that button. If you see a “Less” button, you are good to go.
4. We will start with the “Input” tab. Click that tab if it isn’t currently selected.
5. For the “Input” tab, ensure the following options are set:
   • Media: Image
   • Bits per pixel: 48 bit RBG

     If the 48 bit option isn’t available, then your scanner may not support that option. Select the 24 bit option instead. I use this setting for both black and white, and colour photos.

   • Scan resolution: 600 dpi or higher (see below)

     While 300 dpi is all you need, I like to scan just a bit higher to allow for a little enlargement. I always downsize to 300 dpi when printing. I scan at 2400 DPI for photos, and use the TIFF size reduction option in the “Output” tab.

   • Auto save: None

     While you can scan directly to a file, I prefer to scan to memory, make some colour adjustments, and then save the result to a file.

6. With the “Input” options set, next click on the “Output” tab and set those options as follows:
   • Default folder: Any folder you want to save the images
   • Auto file name: Checked

     This will allow VueScan to auto-name your images. This is a personal preference, but you may want to do this.

   • TIFF file: Checked

     You should choose TIFF over JPEG since the files will be much higher quality, will have no loss of data and you will have 48 bit files. The files, however, are much larger, so ensure you have plenty of disk space. This is the recommended format for archiving photos.

   • TIFF size reduction:

     Keep at 1 if you scan at 600 DPI. I scan at 2400 DPI, so I set this to 4, which results in a 600 DPI image. See the VueScan documentation on why this may be a good option for you.

   • TIFF file type: 48 bit RBG

     We are scanning at 48 bits, so saving the image at 48 bits results in the maximum amount of colour data for future editing.

   • JPEG file: Unchecked

     We will be generating TIFF files, and not JPEG files.

7. After specifying the above options, place the photo in the scanner, and click the “Preview” button.
8. Once the preview of the photo is displayed, adjust the crop box (the dashed box in the preview window), so it surrounds the photo. You may need to “crop” the photo by a few pixels on some sides, but as long as the photo is within the crop box, you should be okay.
9. Once the crop box is positioned, click the “Scan” button to scan the image. This may take a few seconds to a few minutes – it depends on the scan resolution and the size of the photo being scanned. Once completed, the scan will be stored in memory – not on your hard drive.
10. Now comes the more complex part. Once the photo has been scanned, click the “Color” tab to adjust the colours of the scan.
11. Select “Image->Graph Image” to view the histogram of the scanned photo. Use this graph to adjust the colors of the scan. I like to set both the Black and White point % to 0 to avoid any clipping, and then increase each one slightly. I then adjust the remaining sliders to adjust the colour.
12. Once you are happy, or reasonably happy, with the scan, click “File->Save image” or press “CTRL+S” to save the image to the hard drive.
13. Replace the photo in your scanner with another photo, and start with step 7 above.

The above steps outline the workflow that I use for scanning and archiving photos. If you are or will be doing the same, it is important that you develop a workflow that works for you.

See larger image The VueScan Bible: Everything You Need to Know for Perfect Scanning (English and English Edition) (Paperback) By (author) Sascha Steinhoff List Price: $34.95 USD New From: $19.88 In Stock Used from: $17.44 In Stock

Related Posts

1. Scanning Old Photos? Get VueScan
2. Digital Photo Workflow
3. How to Profile a Scanner in VueScan
4. What is Your Archiving Workflow?

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I decided to scan in as many of these originals as I can, and then back them up as I have done with my digital photos. Unlike digital photos, however, scanning, the photos, slides, and negatives takes more time and effort than simply taking a picture. For the scanning process, I use a tool called VueScan.

What is VueScan?

Scanners come with their own easy-to-use software for scanning photos, slides and negatives. The software is simple enough where anyone should be able to get a good digital copy of the original. The problem that I have found with such tools is that they are limiting with the options that they offer. Some software may not offer the ability to scan in 48-bit colour mode, or provide the ability to easily change the colours in the image.

When I decided to archive the old photos and negatives, I wanted to use a program that provided the most flexability with regards to scanning the images. There are several tools on the market, but the one I chose to use was VueScan.

VueScan is an application that is used to scan in various types of media, including photos and negatives. It supports over a thousand scanners, so chances are you will be able to use it with your scanner. It has all the options that I was looking for: 48-bits of colour (even 64-bit with the infrared channel), large scanner support, great control over the colours, and the ability to save in multiple file types, including TIFF and DNG.

It was created in 1998 by Hamrick Software, which was founded by Ed Hamrick. Ed originally create a program called VueSmart when he wanted to create an application that could do a better job than the one that came with his scanner. When he modified VueSmart to support other scanners, he renamed the application to VueScan. The scanner support for VueScan has grown considerably since then.

One Price for Life

Much of the software you buy, you purchase the right to use a specific version of that software. With VueScan, things are a little different. There are two versions of the tool: standard and professional. There are slight difference between the two besides the price.

The standard version is $39.95, which allows you to upgrade the software for free for one full year. With the standard version, however, you can’t create raw scan files, perform IT8 calibration, or manage ICC profiles.

While more expensive, at $79.95, the professional edition has some benefits that more than make up for the higher price tag. The biggest difference is the unlimited upgrades. When you purchase the professional edition, you get upgrades, including new versions, for life without making another payment or purchasing a newer version. In addition, you also get the ability to create raw scan files, perform IT8 calibration, and manage ICC profiles. If you are serious about archiving, then you should look into buying the professional edition.

If you are unsure about purchasing VueScan, you can download a trial version, and try it out before you buy.

Operating System and Scanner Support

VueScan supports three operating systems: Windows, Mac, and Linux. The web site contains downloads for the following operating systems:

• Mac OS X 10.5, 10.4, 10.3
• Mac OS X 10.2
• Mac OS 9
• Windows Vista, x64, XP, 2000, NT
• Windows 95, 98, ME
• Linux (built with Ubuntu 8.10)
• Linux (built with Red Hat 9)

As you can see, there is a wide range of operating system support with VueScan. There is also support for 35 languages.

For those who are unsure if their scanner is supported, you may be able to rest easy knowing VueScan supports 1200 flatbed and film scanners. You can check out a list of supported scanners to be sure that yours is listed.

The Learning Curve

The one drawback that I found with VueScan is the larger learning curve than with the software that comes with your scanner. While there is a simple step-by-step guide that will help you, the real power comes from the advanced settings.

There are many settings that can be changed, from colour to output file types, from the advanced features. There were many times where I had to perform multiple scans to get an image the way I wanted it. I found that when I changed the DPI, the image colours would change. There is a way to lock the image colours, but I couldn’t remember if that was set when I changed the DPI.

If you can master the advanced features, then you will be able to get top-quality scans from any media.

Image Quality

When archiving, I like to get the best quality scan possible. This means producing 48-bit TIFF files that need little processing before they are to be printed. When I make a scan, I can adjust the colour to my liking, and then scan in the image. A full-colour histogram allows me to see if either the highlights or shadows are clipped. If an image ends up with too much blue, then I can easily adjust the blue in the image and re-scan to produce a better looking image. If your scanner has the ability to remove such things as dust and dirt using an infrared scan, then VueScan can use this ability.

I remember scanning in some negatives and looking back at the original prints. I was surprised to see the amount of detail that was in the digital image from the negative that was missing in the print. The photolab that created the prints had darkened all the photos, so much of the detail was lost.

The image quality that you get with VueScan is amazing, and you won’t be disappointed.

Summary

While there are many tools on the market that can be used to scan in photos, negatives, or slides, VueScan is tough to beat. For the price and quality of the digital images that the tool produces, I don’t think there are many tools that can compete.

I am currently using VueScan for all my archiving needs, and am very pleased with the results. For those involved in archiving, or are looking to archive in the future, then I highly recommend VueScan.

See larger image The VueScan Bible: Everything You Need to Know for Perfect Scanning (English and English Edition) (Paperback) By (author) Sascha Steinhoff List Price: $34.95 USD New From: $19.88 In Stock Used from: $17.44 In Stock

Related Posts

1. My VueScan Photo Scanning Workflow
2. Scanning Photos and Negatives Resolution
3. How to Profile a Scanner in VueScan
4. About Scanning Photographs

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Scanning multiple photographs is a different story. Many times people would scan multiple photos in at one time and then manually separate them. My scanner software can do that, but with automated settings only. Photoshop includes an automated action that can do this for you after the scan, and straighten your photos automatically.

Scanning the Photographs

The Photoshop automated action is executed after you have scanned in your photographs. To scan in the photographs, use the following steps:

1. Place the photographs you want scanned on your scanner. Ensure that you leave some empty space between each photograph.
2. Open your scanning software.
3. When you select what to scan, ensure all the photographs are outlined so you will have one large photograph.
4. Set the scan options to your liking. For photographs a scanning resolution of 300-600ppi is more than sufficient.
5. Scan the photographs. If you are scanning the files from Photoshop, then the file will be displayed once the scan is completed. If you are using an external tool then save the file to your hard drive.

You should now have one large photograph comprised of all the photos. If you scanned the file outside Photoshop, then open up Photoshop and load the file to continue with the next section.

Separating into Multiple Photos

Once you have your large photo loaded in Photoshop, separating the photo into multiple photos is simple.

1. Click File->Automate->Crop and Straighten Photos.
2. At this point Photoshop will analyze your photo and attempt to distinguish the individual photos. A new file will be created (but not saved) for each photo. The original large scan will still be loaded in Photoshop.
3. Once the cropping and straightening has completed, examine each photo to make sure they look fine. Once they are to your liking, you can then save each photo separately.

Problems with Crop and Straighten

As with most automated methods, this one is not without some problems. For the majority of the time I have used it, I haven’t had any issues, but were a few times I had to make some corrections.

Photos include a white border around some edges. This problem can occur if there is a light background in the photograph. Photoshop may not have been able to determine where the photograph ended and the scanner background started.

You can simply crop out the unwanted background from the scanner, but if you have many photographs with a light background, you may want to include a background in the scanner that provides more contrast during the scan.

Multiple photos are included in a single file. This can occur if you don’t include enough empty space between photographs. Photoshop may have had trouble determining where once photo ended and another began.

When you scan multiple photographs, ensure that you include enough empty space between the photos.

Summary

If you need to scan in many photographs, you can easily scan many in at one time. You can then use Photoshop’s Crop and Straighten automated action to help separate the large scan into individual files.

Related Posts

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2. About Scanning Photographs
3. Converting Digital Photos for E-mail or the Web
4. Photo Event Organizer – Organize Photos From Your Camera In Events

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