Scanning 35MM Negatives
Scanning 35mm negatives combines the world of technology with the old school darkroom techniques addressed in traditional photography. By scanning your negatives, you can still control the developing process, allowing you to keep the ability to push or pull your film to compensate for over- or underexposure, and still adjust the end result in a photo imaging software, such as Photoshop. Negative scanners are one option for scanning your negatives. There was a time when they were big, bulky and expensive, but technological advances have made them slightly more affordable. Another option is scanning negatives through a regular scanner.
- Difficulty:
- Moderate
Instructions
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Using a Negative Scanner
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1
Use a negative scanner if you would like to blow up a negative into a large print. They make a scan of a specific negative, ensuring that detail isn't lost.
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2
Place your negative in the negative holder of the scanner with the emulsion side up.
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3
Focus the scanner on your selected negative, and set it to scan.
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4
Bring the negative scan into Photoshop, or any other photo imaging software.
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5
Edit your negative scan by adjusting the colors, if a color negative, or the brightness and contrast, if a black and white one.
Using a Normal Scanner
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1
Consider a normal scanner. This does the job, though it may not keep as much detail as a negative scanner. It also works best with black and white negatives.
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2
Scan your negative, making sure the scanner settings are at a high resolution.
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3
Take your scan into Photoshop.
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4
Invert your photograph by going to Image > Adjustments > Invert, or holding down Cmd + I on a Mac, in Photoshop. This makes the negative look more like a photograph.
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5
Adjust your negative scan from there, fixing any flaws and adjusting the brightness and contrast.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Depending on the type of scanner you own, using a normal scanner for negatives will likely not produce the best results. Some specialty photo stores offer negative scanning, so check around.
Color negative scanners are often found at places where photo development is available, such as Wal-Mart or Walgreens.
