scanning older, sharp, clear, b&w photos: any suggestions for setting when scanning older, sharp, clear, b&w photos. no sepia, etc using Vuescan software.... just old family b&w prints...

DIRTY HARRY Loc: Hartland, Michigan

any suggestions for setting when scanning older, sharp, clear, b&w photos. no sepia, etc using Vuescan software.... just old family b&w prints

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

When I did mine I enlarged 2-3 x while scanning to get as much detail as I could.
Scans slower, but now I can make decent 8x10s from a wallet or 3R size.

Also, depending on how your scanner works, group all same size pictures together.
On my scanner I can just scan another of the same size instead of doing a pre-scan to let the scanner know the size of the photo. It cut my scanning time in half.

Rathyatra Loc: Southport, United Kingdom

Longshadow wrote:

When I did mine I enlarged 2-3 x while scanning to get as much detail as I could.
Scans slower, but now I can make decent 8x10s from a wallet or 3R size.

Also, depending on how your scanner works, group all same size pictures together.
On my scanner I can just scan another of the same size instead of doing a pre-scan to let the scanner know the size of the photo. It cut my scanning time in half.

That is interesting - how do you enlarge size of picture on scanner - I also use VueScan since my Canon software no longer works from Mojave onwards,

RLSprouse Loc: Encinitas CA (near Sandy Eggo)

Rathyatra wrote:

That is interesting - how do you enlarge size of picture on scanner

I'm interested in hearing this also. I've been using my D850 on a Nikon PF-4 copy stand, but it is a bit of a pain to set it up each time I want to use it. This would be so much simpler.

StanMac Loc: Tennessee

I have arranged several photos on the scanning bed and scanned the entire group to produce one, high resolution file. I then extract individual images from the group in Elements to produce a finished image of a single photo. My perception is that I spend less time scanning the group than I would scanning each individual image. Works for me anyway.

Stan

CanonTom Loc: Birmingham

StanMac wrote:

I have arranged several photos on the scanning bed and scanned the entire group to produce one, high resolution file. I then extract individual images from the group in Elements to produce a finished image of a single photo. My perception is that I spend less time scanning the group than I would scanning each individual image. Works for me anyway.

Stan

CanonTom Loc: Birmingham

Following

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Rathyatra wrote:

That is interesting - how do you enlarge size of picture on scanner - I also use VueScan since my Canon software no longer works from Mojave onwards,

Look for something like "output size". In the scanner driver I use it is initially "100%" (actual size).
If you have the option to open the driver, there are many options to set, as opposed to just doing a "default scan" with canned settings.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

StanMac wrote:

I have arranged several photos on the scanning bed and scanned the entire group to produce one, high resolution file. I then extract individual images from the group in Elements to produce a finished image of a single photo. My perception is that I spend less time scanning the group than I would scanning each individual image. Works for me anyway.

Stan

Didn't you trade scanning time for cut-n-paste time?

StanMac Loc: Tennessee

Longshadow wrote:

Didn't you trade scanning time for cut-n-paste time?

It doesn't seem to take that long to cut and paste, or crop the image wanted out of the grouping. When you have images all of the same size Elements has a divide scanned photos feature to help. For our 50th High School Class reunion, I was tasked with assembling a slide show of photographs from past reunions. Almost all the images were standard photo sizes so I just ganged them up on the scanner platen and opened the resulting file in Elements and parsed out the individual images. Like I said, it works for me, and seems to make the process easier.

Stan

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

StanMac wrote:

It doesn't seem to take that long to cut and paste... (show quote)

That must be the key, all the same size and an intelligent snipping.
Many of my old ones are all various sizes.

StanMac Loc: Tennessee

StanMac wrote:

It doesn't seem to take that long to cut and paste... (show quote)

Maybe I should do a time and motion study to test my method . . . Hmmmmm

Stan

the hiker Loc: San Diego

DIRTY HARRY wrote:

any suggestions for setting when scanning older, sharp, clear, b&w photos. no sepia, etc using Vuescan software.... just old family b&w prints

This was talked about awhile ago and this is the setting that was recommended at that time; negs 3000 dpi ;prints 600 dpi ;slides 2000 dpi. it also said to clean prints with a microfiber cloth first. negs and slides with a blower brush wear lint free gloves and keep the scanning glass clean. this was posted to ugly headgehog on aug 20 2019. main photo dis.