Microtek scanner
May 11, 2015 10:39:50 #
I have a Microtek ArtixScan M1 scanner. Can anyone tell me if I place the 120 film negatives face down (emulsion side down) or face up (plastic side down)? Once I scan the negative how do I turn it into a positive image so I can make a print?
May 11, 2015 11:21:07 #
marsbreslow wrote:
I have a Microtek ArtixScan M1 scanner. Can anyone tell me if I place the 120 film negatives face down (emulsion side down) or face up (plastic side down)? Once I scan the negative how do I turn it into a positive image so I can make a print?
Do you have the manual? That should tell you about face up or face down, as will a quick experiment. If you don't have the manual a Google search frequently locates a downloadable version.
Most image processing software has a function to display a negative version of an image. A negative of a negative is a positive.
Good luck
May 11, 2015 11:24:12 #
If you are not sure which side should be down, try and see which is correct. It's easier to set in the scanner software that you want to scan a negative because inverting a negative to positive is quite difficult to do it right in Photoshop. The negative has the orange mask as well as very low contrast. The scanner software automatically compensate for this. I have a hard time doing that in photoshop like when I tried to copy the negative with a camera.
May 11, 2015 13:16:34 #
BebuLamar wrote:
If you are not sure which side should be down, try and see which is correct. It's easier to set in the scanner software that you want to scan a negative because inverting a negative to positive is quite difficult to do it right in Photoshop. The negative has the orange mask as well as very low contrast. The scanner software automatically compensate for this. I have a hard time doing that in photoshop like when I tried to copy the negative with a camera.
Good points, although if it is 120 film do we know whether it is color or B&W? Do we know whether this specific scanner's software compensates appropriately?
We may need more information here....
May 11, 2015 19:41:29 #
I have the manual and it does not address on which side, up or down to place the negative. There are adapters that hold 35mm, 120 and 4x5 negatives and positives that slide into an open slot inside the scanner. Prints and documents are places face down on the glass when you open the lid buts positives & negatives are placed in an adapter and slid into a draw. There is no mention in the manual on inverting negatives into a positive image in order to make a print in conjunction with photoshop and your printer.
May 11, 2015 19:54:08 #
marsbreslow wrote:
I have the manual and it does not address on which... (show quote)
OK, my Canon scanner does have info on how to use the film holder. It doesn't matter in the sense that it will not damage anything. If you scan them and they are the wrong way round, turn them over, do it again, and keep doing it that way.
I think photoshop can do the negative to positive conversion for you, look for the invert function in the image / adjustments drop down menus...
Hope that helps...
May 11, 2015 22:39:54 #
The invert feature in PhotoShop does not turn the negative into a positive and the Microtek scanner does not do it correctly. There must be some feature in the scanner that inverts the negative correctly so if someone has a similar model I hope they contact me. I cannot reach Microtek for customer service because they're in Taiwan and their contact did not reply to my email.
May 12, 2015 00:49:27 #
marsbreslow wrote:
The invert feature in PhotoShop does not turn the negative into a positive and the Microtek scanner does not do it correctly. There must be some feature in the scanner that inverts the negative correctly so if someone has a similar model I hope they contact me. I cannot reach Microtek for customer service because they're in Taiwan and their contact did not reply to my email.
OK, good luck.
May 12, 2015 08:50:52 #
marsbreslow wrote:
I have a Microtek ArtixScan M1 scanner. Can anyone tell me if I place the 120 film negatives face down (emulsion side down) or face up (plastic side down)? Once I scan the negative how do I turn it into a positive image so I can make a print?
I do not have this particular scanner but the advice that has been given as to emulsion side up or down is easy to solve. Scan something with writing. If it is backwards the flip the negative and that is the correct way. Then repeat that for all the other negatives.
It is best to let the scanner make a positive from your negative wether it is color or B&W as it should be optimised to do this. I have some 100+ year old negatives from the Mexican Revolution that are really bad, (I guess my Grandfather did not wait to get shot too many times) density wise, and the scanner does wonders drawing out a good image from them. Then work with your PS or other software to finish the image to your liking.
May 12, 2015 10:13:34 #
I figured out which side to place the negatives and positives which was easy because one knows by how the subjects were placed but the mystery remains on how to turn a negative into a positive with the Microtek. Its very easy using a positive. When you hold the mouse down it does turns the neg into a positive but as soon as you release the mouse its turns back to a negative. The manual does not give any instructions on how to make a positive from a negative.
May 12, 2015 10:23:55 #
marsbreslow wrote:
I figured out which side to place the negatives and positives which was easy because one knows by how the subjects were placed but the mystery remains on how to turn a negative into a positive with the Microtek. Its very easy using a positive. When you hold the mouse down it does turns the neg into a positive but as soon as you release the mouse its turns back to a negative. The manual does not give any instructions on how to make a positive from a negative.
Perhaps Google?
May 12, 2015 13:41:38 #
marsbreslow wrote:
I have a Microtek ArtixScan M1 scanner. Can anyone tell me if I place the 120 film negatives face down (emulsion side down) or face up (plastic side down)? Once I scan the negative how do I turn it into a positive image so I can make a print?
If you import the resulting scanned negative images into Lightroom, you can create a preset which converts them into positives. The preset simply reverses the tone curve, so it slopes down instead of up, from left to right.
May 12, 2015 15:32:50 #
DWU2 wrote:
If you import the resulting scanned negative images into Lightroom, you can create a preset which converts them into positives. The preset simply reverses the tone curve, so it slopes down instead of up, from left to right.
Yep. This is a fairly old but good quality scanner. It came with software that may have addressed some of those issues, but I suspect the OP may be needing a little more help making things work in terms of the negative to positive conversion.
It could be a simple not doing the right thing situation, but could also be one where those specific approaches work but are considered not adequate.
That distinction is not clear to me....
May 12, 2015 15:54:54 #
It turned out to be a simple solution and now I can convert a negative to a positive by changing the custom settings field to one of the photo dimensions on the menu and changing the color field from black & white to grayscale for b&w negatives. Thank you all for your suggestions but it takes one to have a similar Microtek scanner to trouble shoot the problem.
May 12, 2015 16:05:36 #
marsbreslow wrote:
....but it takes one to have a similar Microtek scanner to trouble shoot the problem.
Well yes, and on this thread I don't think we do, but I think we were on the right track generally speaking from what I can tell.
Glad it is working for you now....
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