Digital BW, The Print

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., "David J. Bookbinder" 
<david_bookbinder@s...> wrote:
> Just discovered that a couple of hundred rolls of 35mm black and 
white
> negatives I've been carting around for about 25 years (and had been 
planning
> to start working with again, digitially) have become separated from 
their
> contact sheets, perhaps permanently. I'm wondering if it's possible 
to scan
> these in, a roll at a time, to make electronic contact sheets, using 
an
> ordinary flatbed scanner.

This procedure is not for everyone! Scanning 200 sheets would be about 
9 days of work! Consider a low dpi old film scanner first, maybe 
running Vuescan batch mode. I found that it's actually less time for 
me the 
following procedure. Your film scanner/software may be faster.

This is a way if you don't have them in transparent Vue-pages.....it 
also is a cheap but Cadillac exposure method, and takes about 20 
minutes per roll, unless you buy double the quantity and load/unload 
the strips while scanning...you must also have them in strips of 6 
frames.

Get six (twelve) negative holders for the old obsolete Polaroid 
Sprintscan 35 (not the 4000)filmscanner. This is $30 for 6, they still 
have them. 
My negs are kept in separate light Impressions sleeves, so I don't 
have any Vue-pages to arrange anything, loading into the carriers is 
not too big a task then. The frame numbers won't print through, so 
write down the first frame number so you can add text in pshop later. 
These holders do two things: they block ALL clear areas of film like 
between frames so unevenly exposed frames is not a problem- no light 
bleed. They also hold the negs slightly above the glass- no Newton 
Ring effect. 

I designed and had machined a piece of black plastic 1/4 inch thick 
($95). It is about 81/2 x 11, fits on my flatbed. There are three long 
slots cut away in it which accept three of the Polaroid holders at a 
time. The slots are positioned such that I can scan in three strips at 
a time, then FLIP it over, insert three more and position corner of 
plastic into same edge of flatbed.....when I do this I get two scans 
of three each which when the extra white space is deleted from one 
file, perfectly overlap the second file pulled in as a layer under it 
in pshop. IOW, the plastic sheet aligns ALTERNATING neg strips by just 
flipping it over (being symmetrical), into two files in pshop which I 
then combine.

Sounds complicated but it works out easier than it sounds. You can 
make a black alignment plate out of Gator-fome or maybe even white 
foam-core for example. You will 
save all the $$. My plastic plate allows me to remove neg holders by 
just flexing it though and doesn't flake like gator-fome. On the first 
scan I do strip # 1,3, and 5. On 
the 2nd 2, 4, and 6. I think I still have dimensions of how to cut out 
"plate" if you need them. You cant just put six holders down on the 
glass next to each other- too wide. The plate, scan twice method will 
slightly overlap positions of each strip holder, but not run into 
frame edges.

You need a flatbed scanner with a transparancy adapter that covers the 
full 81/2 x 11. Because I use a black plate and opaque film holders, 
no excess light gets past the clear areas of film to spoil the 
exposure- even the space between frames is blocked out. A Umax tech 
actually told me transparancy adapter light between 35 mm frames 
popping through can cause uneven exposure of edge of frame.

I use an ancient Umax Vista S-12 with the optional transparancy 
adapter. About 7 years ago it went for maybe $1400, now, if they're 
available in someone's garage, I doubt they cost much at all. Your 
biggest expense will be finding a full length transparancy adatpter 
type flatbed. Epson sells really good flatbeds at good prices, but in 
order to get their full length transparancy adapter in some kind of 
scanner, you have to pay $$. I suggest find a used one. For proof 
sheets you don't need 48 bit or 1600 dpi. I use 300 dpi 24 bit myself.

The longest part of the procedure is labeling the combined file in 
pshop with a few frame #'s and roll #, data, etc. Next would be film 
loading, unloading, etc. It's not for everyone, and is a pain. But it 
gets uniform consistant exposure with no Newton rings. Another benifit 
is when you go to print the file, you will get a minimum of black ink 
put down, since almost all excess light has been blocked- most of the 
file around 36 images is white.
Jim H.