How to Get a Print When a Scanner Scans a Negative

Turn your negatives into prints with a TMA scanner.

Scanning negatives is not the same process as scanning a regular paper document. If you hold a developed negative up to the light, you will see a reverse image of what the photo will actually look like. Dark areas will look light and light areas will look dark. If you scan a negative on a regular flatbed scanner, it will not read it properly. This is because your scanner must be equipped with a transparent materials adapter (TMA), or negative scanner. To get a print from a negative, you must use one of these scanners.

Things You'll Need

• TMA flatbed scanner
• Lint-free cloth
• Glass cleaner
• Flash drive (optional)
• Photo printer (optional)

Instructions

1. Open the lid of the scanner. Spray a lint-free cloth lightly with glass cleaner made specifically for electronics. Do not soak the cloth.

2. Wipe the glass of the scanner with the dampened cloth until there are no streaks or dust. Remove the TMA cover if applicable.

3. Slide one negative strip into the negative holder face up. Or, place the negatives face down on the scanner glass in a negative template. Depending on the type of scanner, the placement of the negatives will vary.

4. Close the scanner lid and press the "Scan" or "Scan Film" button. The scanner software will automatically start and show you a preview of your negative.

5. Select "Negatives" from the "Scan Type" drop-down on the screen. Make sure the "Output" is set to "Color" if you are scanning color negatives.

6. Click on the "Scan" button. The software will save the image as a JPEG in a designated file on your computer.

7. Double-click the JPEG file to view your image. The scan will look like a print, not a negative. Save the file to a flash drive and bring it to a photo printer, or print the image yourself from a photo printer.

References

• HP: Scan 35 mm Photo Slides and Negatives