Digital BW, The Print

Hi,

I recently purchased an Epson 1660 flatbed with transparency adaptor 
for scanning 35mm neg's and slides, as well as reflective stuff.

On the whole I'm quite pleased with the 3.2 Dmax, 48-bit (/16-bit 
grey) output, even though the 1600 dpi is 'a bit' on the low side for 
35mm originals. The scanning software is much easier to use, for 
example, than an old Sprintscan 35 dedicated slide scanner, and the 
results are generally much better, except in terms of absolute 
resolution (the polaroid does 2000 dpi).

One problem though is that mounted transparencies are badly out of 
focus -- unlike negatives. This is odd, because the negative holder 
lifts the film slightly off the platen, though perhaps less-so than a 
slide mount.

I'm going to investigate unmounting transparencies and taping them to 
a sheet of glass then laying that, emulsion side down, onto the 
platen, even though this introduces two more dust-gathering surfaces, 
and problems of alignment into the equation.

Just wondering if anyone else has tried this or another workaround 
for this model, and with what result?

Thanks!