How to Scan Negatives Onto a Computer
As plastic storage cards gradually overtake 35mm film as the primary photographic medium, old photo albums and negative sleeves are being stowed away in the attic or in lonely shoeboxes. Before you tuck away your old film, you can create a digital archive of it on your computer with help from a simple flatbed scanner. With a bit of prep work and a steady scanning pace, you'll soon have all your memories stored in one convenient location.
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Instructions
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Clean the film negatives of dust and debris by giving each strip a few blasts of compressed air. Aim the can at the film from about 6 inches away to remove most loose dust.
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Wipe both sides of the film with a clean microfiber cloth. Gently pinch the film between the cloth and pull the strip through softly.
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Turn on the scanner and open the lid. Ensure that it is connected to a power source, and to your computer via USB cable.
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Insert the strip of negatives into the film adapter and place it on the scanning glass. Most models have a lid which clicks into place over the negative strip to secure it during scanning. Close the lid.
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Press the "Scan" button on the machine. Select your desired scan settings from the prompt window that appears. You can choose image resolution (measured in dpi), file type (JPEG, TIFF or other) and save location (My Pictures, My Scans).
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Click "Scan" or "OK" at the bottom of the prompt window and wait for scanning to complete. View your images by visiting the save location you selected in the step above.
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Tips & Warnings
A scanning resolution of 72 dpi will provide suitable results for images to be used on the web. If you wish to make prints, select a resolution of 200 dpi or above.
Film adapters may vary on different flatbed scanners. Consult your owner's manual for more specific directions regarding use of the film adapter.
Never use water or other abrasive chemicals to clean your negatives -- they may become permanently damaged or distorted.
References
- Photo Credit 35mm negatives image by Christopher Nolan from Fotolia.com
