Digital BW, The Print

>I am using a polaroid sprintscan 120. I have found that while in
>preview or scan mode the image looks fine (decent contrast and tone),
>yet when I open the tiff file it is often very light (looks over
>exposed) and requires considerable adjustment with the curves.  I am
>using the polacolor software (same happens with vuescan) both as a
>stand alone and as a plug-in with photoshop. I have the checkbox set
>to raw scan when saving the file.  Any ideas on what I may be doing
>wrong?  thanks in advance, David
>
>
>
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From: "davidmyersimages" <dmyers@...>
To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, August 27, 2002 5:19 AM
Subject: [Digital BW] scanner question -- polaroid 120


> I am using a polaroid sprintscan 120. I have found that while in
> preview or scan mode the image looks fine (decent contrast and tone),
> yet when I open the tiff file it is often very light (looks over
> exposed) and requires considerable adjustment with the curves.  I am
> using the polacolor software (same happens with vuescan) both as a
> stand alone and as a plug-in with photoshop. I have the checkbox set
> to raw scan when saving the file.  Any ideas on what I may be doing
> wrong?  thanks in advance, David
>

David,

You are not doing anything wrong. When you select to save the scan as a "raw
scan" that means you are taking the unaltered data directly from the scanner
and dumping it in a 16-bit file (I assume you are doing a 16-bit scan.)
Since the scanner is a 14-bit scanner the data is not spread evenly over the
16-bit space and is typically pushed towards the light end of the positive
scale. All the scan data is there and you can manipulate it in Photoshop in
16-bit mode without damaging it. Sometimes the data is crowded too close to
one end of the scale making manipulation difficult. If that is the case then
do a simple levels adjustment in the scanning software to set your black and
white points. This will make the scan easier to work with once you have it
in PS.

Martin Wesley