Tips on cleaner Scans?

[zachary]

I tried this thread on APUG but got the boot.

Anyone have any tips on cleaner scans? I always seem to get crap on my scans. Im using a Canoscan 8000f.

[Anthony Martinez]

There's tons of dust in the air, as far as I can tell it's not possible to open a flatbed scanner without getting dust on the glass or on the film while you're putting it in the holders. I have given up trying.

[venchka]

Asking a scanning question on APUG. Priceless!
Clean the glass. Both pieces. Inside and out if you can get the scanner apart without killing it. Keep the scanner covered when not in use. I use a cat litter liner bag. Fits my scanner perfectly. A wipe and a blast from canned air before scanning. An antistatic brush & canned air cleans the negatives as I place the loaded holder on the scanner. Close lid. Scan. Minimal spotting post scan.
Done.

[Anthony Martinez]

*sigh* I've tried all of the above, but gazing left towards my window right now shows why my attempts are futile. This is one super dusty room.

[wclavey]

I also wipe the glass with an anti-static cloth as the very last thing before putting the film holder on the glass. That, combined with everything else seems to help keep it down... cleaning the insides of the glass periodically helps because the plastic body and the electrical components outgas solvents which, together with the humidity in the air, trap dust on the interior surface. For Epson scanners, there is a Yahoo Group devoted to Epson Scanner maintenance. I will dig out the link, if you don't already have it. Lots of pictures and step-by-step instructions on dis-assembly, cleaning, etc.

[zachary]

Originally Posted by venchka

Asking a scanning question on APUG. Priceless!

no body told me no one there scans. Geesh. They get their pictures on their site SOMEHOW.

[studiocygnet]

I've taken to shooting color film, though B&W is the final intended print, just so I can use Digital Ice during the scanning process.

[venchka]

Originally Posted by zachary

no body told me no one there scans. Geesh. They get their pictures on their site SOMEHOW.

The Most Rabid ANTI-DIGITAL place on earth.
Sure, some folks are forced into analog-digital conversion. BUT. They don't talk about it at APUG. Never. Ever.


on topic: Nicely cluttered color scans generally require no spotting. It's only large expanses of monochrome areas (even in color) that require spotting.

[Big Dog]

Originally Posted by zachary

no body told me no one there scans. Geesh. They get their pictures on their site SOMEHOW.

APUG was founded to not discuss digital. And, when someone asks about scanning, they are almost always directed to apug's parallel sister site: dpug. DPUG.ORG

You would have gotten your query answered there, and with a lot less "noise". A small minority of the apuggers are a bit "overzealous."

[zachary]

Originally Posted by Big Dog

APUG was founded to not discuss digital. And, when someone asks about scanning, they are almost always directed to apug's parallel sister site: dpug. DPUG.ORG

You would have gotten your query answered there, and with a lot less "noise". A small minority of the apuggers are a bit "overzealous."

Yeah, that's where they sent me. Which is fine, I just didnt know the rules. I like that there is still a place where digital is not king.

[venchka]

Lack of PhotoFlo is not helping your scanning process at all. A good soak in distilled water & a wetting agent will reduce spots on your negatives to almost ZERO.

[zachary]

Originally Posted by venchka

Lack of PhotoFlo is not helping your scanning process at all. A good soak in distilled water & a wetting agent will reduce spots on your negatives to almost ZERO.

Huh, I didnt know that. Ill pick up some Photoflo from freestyle with my next film order.

[venchka]

No worries. We'll learn you everything you need to know. Well, almost everything.

[zachary]

My next challenge to to become proficient in shooting without a meter. Im confident...but nervous.

[wclavey]

Originally Posted by venchka

Lack of PhotoFlo is not helping your scanning process at all. A good soak in distilled water & a wetting agent will reduce spots on your negatives to almost ZERO.

That's certainly my experience, too... our water here in West Houston/East Katy is so hard that water drops that dry on the film are really crusty. Until you get some photoflo, put a drop or 2 of liquid dish detergent in a quart of water. After your final rinse, dunk the reel into this solution and then dunk it quickly in distilled water (in/out - - no more). Take the film off the reel quickly and hang it quickly - - while sloppy wet. The combination of the surfactants in the dish soap and the distilled water should make it drain quickly and leave no spots.