Digital BW, The Print

For what it's worth, here's a technique I use with a plethora of 
color 35mm negs I have with a Nikon 4000 ED. Scan at 4000 dpi 16 bit 
color at 100% with digital ice enabled at full tilt which on a full 
frame 35mm neg nets about 88 mgb.  This will not set any new indoor 
records for speedy scanning.

Then, I tried a a different BW conversion technique (to me) with good 
results. Open the tif from the scanner and save as a psd. Add a 
hue/saturation adjustment layer and set the blending mode to color. 
Duplicate the adjustment layer.  Click on the top adjustment layer 
and move the saturation slider all the way to the left to desaturate. 
Then adjust the hue on the original (this was the way the article 
said to do it), but I like adjusting the individual rgb levels 
channels until I get what I want and sometimes mess with the original 
r,g or b curves as well.  Then do whatever spotting is left that 
digital ice did not get plus any other tweaks that are required to 
achieve what I want.

Then save a copy. Then go to image size and set the resolution to 360 
without resampling which yields something in the neighborhood of 
12-13" inches on the tall side. Then, if I want a larger print, 
resample bicubic sharper to the size I want and save a copy. Then if 
there is a noise issue, apply a light Neat Image treatment and save a 
copy. Then sharpen as necessary and save a copy. Then save as grayscale.

It's a tedious process, but you can go back to any stage and start 
over if you don't get what you want. I have gotten 16" inch prints 
from 35mm negs this way with excellent results. I rely on a friend 
whose printer is much better than mine to do the prints.

My machine is P4/3.6, 2 gb ram with a dedicated 15,000  rpm scuzzy 
scratch disk.

That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.
Joe


At 11:10 AM 12/23/2005, you wrote:
>Gareth-
>
>I use essentially the approach you suggest on a 5000, with a few
>differences.
>
>I scan a grayscale positive; I use the analogue gain to more-or-less
>center the data in the histogram (especially important with dense
>negatives); I adjust the histogram sliders in but only loosely; and I
>always scan 8X to reduce noise (the scanner-induced noise is random,
>so the multiscanning averages out everything that is not consistent
>in all eight scans, which is the noise); then I spend two hours
>spotting the image in PS!  Also, use 16 bit, which I think you didn't
>mention.
>
>What you get is a light, flat image that includes all the data from
>the negative.
>
>Walt
>
>
>
>
>--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "garethjolly"
><garethjolly@b...> wrote:
> >
> > Glad everyone is having fun with the Farm Security Administration -
> > have to say I was blown with the quality of the print of the Migrant
> > Mother I was able to get.
> >
> > I think I'm getting on top of my B&W print workflow.
> >
> > I'm now starting to look at the scanner end of things.
> >
> > I have a Nikon 4000ED with roll film adapter - and I have both Nikon
> > Scan and Vuescan.
> >
> > There seem to be 2 problems with the Nikon / Nikon scan.  The first
>is
> > that Nikon scan insists truncating the histogram - starting from 30
>in
> > the shadows - on negative scans.  The second is focus can be a
>little
> > out - due to a combination of limited depth of field, slight
>curvature
> > of the negative in the glassless holder and possibly autofocus
> > problems on some images. (I flippantly remarked on my old LS20
> > producing sharper scans than my 4000 and someone pointed this out)
> >
> > I'm also a little unsure of the analogue gain function - there seems
> > to be some suggestion it doesn't affect the lamp brightness in B&W,
> > simply operating on the post processed image.
> >
> > The type of workflow I was thinking of is this:
> >
> > - use Nikonscan rather than Vuescan
> > - scan B&W negatives as a 16 bit colour positive;
> > - preview the negative
> > - make slight adjustments to analogue gain if the negative appears
> > over or underexposed (i.e significant clipping or bunching up of
>values)
> > - use manual focus to focus at the centre of the image
> > - use GEM to reduce grain (taking up Paul's suggestion)
> > - use multiscan as and when required (especially archival images and
> > images with problems with shadow definition)
> > - possibly, use multiple scans with different GEM and analogue gain
> > settings
> > - convert to B&W in Photoshop - using the colour combiner.
> >
> > I've also ordered an Anti-Newton ring glass carrier insert for my
>film
> > strip holder.
> >
> > Can anyone help me here?  Is there anything I should be doing
> > differently?  This is largely guesswork based on reading a few
>things.
> >
> > And does anyone think I should be using Vuescan instead?  The big
> > advantage to Nikonscan seems to be GEM.  And I might need to
>calibrate
> > the Coolscan to get the best out of Vuescan - meaning I need at IT8
> > target!  Don't suppose anyone has an ICC for Coolscan 4000ED?
> >
> > Not quite sure how I combine the multiple images.  I have Photoshop
> > CS2.  Paul mentioned the cloning tool...  Paul, do you have open
> > multiple images and clone between them?  Or am I just totally
>missing
> > the point.
> >
> > Thanks
> > Gareth
> >
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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