Digital BW, The Print

Frank

I am using the Mac version but I guess the same would apply for the Windoze version as well.  The first thing to point out is that I nearly always have to tweak the sliders to get the right amount of dust removal.  There doesn;t seem to be any good default setting.  I use the image at 100% - 200% and then remove all the imperfections.  What you will find is that you will also lose detail and some highlights by using this filter.  To overcome this, I create a duplicate layer.  Then, with just the bottom layer visible, I apply the dust & scratches filter to the extent that I need to.  Then, I make the top layer visible and using the eraser tool, I work on the areas where I want to remove the dust & scratches, and avoid the areas where the highlights or detail would be lost.  When finished I flatten the layers.

All in all this is a tool that works but it can take a long time to get the best end result possible.  Long, but certainly less time than doing the whole process manually.  However, it is not the same as having dICE in the scanner software, which is definitely the best approach for dust and scratch removal.  The upside with the dust & scratches utility is that, by avoiding using dICE, you do not get any softening of the image at scan time.

Simon

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: frankg_photo <fh.gross@...> 
  To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com 
  Sent: Sunday, January 12, 2003 11:16 PM
  Subject: [Digital BW] Polaroid's Dust & Scratches


  I cant quite get the hang of using Polaroid's Dust & Scratches 
  program (free). Anyone using it that can offer a few tips, pointers 
  or a tutorial ?

  http://www.polaroid.com/products/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%
  3Eprd_id=390847&FOLDER%3C%
  3Efolder_id=12631&bmLocale=en_US&PRDREG=POL&SOURCE=catalog

  thanks
  Frank




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Simon, you wrote:

> All in all this is a tool that works but it can take a long time to get
the best end result possible.  Long, but certainly less time than doing the
whole process manually.  However, it is not the same as having dICE in the
scanner software, which is definitely the best approach for dust and scratch
removal.  The upside with the dust & scratches utility is that, by avoiding
using dICE, you do not get any softening of the image at scan time.<


The consensus is that ICE should give a softening of the image. The strange
thing is that with the Nikon 8000 and NikonScan's latest version when I scan
at 4000 ppi, which will resolve grain of 160 ASA colour negative and almost
that of a 100 ASA reversal film (Agfa RSX 100, the older type), the grain
gets sharper, more pronounced. Both in a glassless 35 mm carrier and with
the wet mount glass carrier that I made.
Probably because ICE is compensating the usuall softening a bit too much. It
must be a software issue so it should be visible with the other Nikon
scanners when the latest NikonScan version is used.

Ernst

Thank you Simon. Working on a separate layer sounds like a good way 
to go. Also, using the standalone version appears to give you much 
more control than the plug-in filter. However, I always have my files 
in PS's .psd format and the filter only works on .tif files - so it 
means I have to save a copy as a tif , do the dust removal, then save 
it as a .psd to overwrite the original - a bit of a clunky way to 
work. But I may be missing someething.
Frank

<simon@s...> wrote:
> Frank
> 
> I am using the Mac version but I guess the same would apply for the 
Windoze version as well.  The first thing to point out is that I 
nearly always have to tweak the sliders to get the right amount of 
dust removal.  There doesn;t seem to be any good default setting.  I 
use the image at 100% - 200% and then remove all the imperfections.  
What you will find is that you will also lose detail and some 
highlights by using this filter.  To overcome this, I create a 
duplicate layer.  Then, with just the bottom layer visible, I apply 
the dust & scratches filter to the extent that I need to.  Then, I 
make the top layer visible and using the eraser tool, I work on the 
areas where I want to remove the dust & scratches, and avoid the 
areas where the highlights or detail would be lost.  When finished I 
flatten the layers.
> 
> All in all this is a tool that works but it can take a long time to 
get the best end result possible.  Long, but certainly less time than 
doing the whole process manually.  However, it is not the same as 
having dICE in the scanner software, which is definitely the best 
approach for dust and scratch removal.  The upside with the dust & 
scratches utility is that, by avoiding using dICE, you do not get any 
softening of the image at scan time.
> 
> Simon
>   ----- Original Message ----- 
>   From: frankg_photo <fh.gross@s...> 
>   To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com 
>   Sent: Sunday, January 12, 2003 11:16 PM
>   Subject: [Digital BW] Polaroid's Dust & Scratches
> 
> 
>   I cant quite get the hang of using Polaroid's Dust & Scratches 
>   program (free). Anyone using it that can offer a few tips, 
pointers 

>   or a tutorial ?
> 
>   http://www.polaroid.com/products/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%
>   3Eprd_id=390847&FOLDER%3C%
>   3Efolder_id=12631&bmLocale=en_US&PRDREG=POL&SOURCE=catalog
> 
>   thanks
>   Frank
> 
> 
> 
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Frank

Are you using the Mac or Windows version.  In the standalone Mac version, all it seems to allow is a menu option to detect and remove dust and scratches.  Seems like much less control than in the plug-in version.

Simon

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: frankg_photo <fh.gross@...> 
  To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com 
  Sent: Monday, January 13, 2003 12:50 PM
  Subject: Re: [Digital BW] Polaroid's Dust & Scratches


  Thank you Simon. Working on a separate layer sounds like a good way 
  to go. Also, using the standalone version appears to give you much 
  more control than the plug-in filter. However, I always have my files 
  in PS's .psd format and the filter only works on .tif files - so it 
  means I have to save a copy as a tif , do the dust removal, then save 
  it as a .psd to overwrite the original - a bit of a clunky way to 
  work. But I may be missing someething.
  Frank

  <simon@s...> wrote:
  > Frank
  > 
  > I am using the Mac version but I guess the same would apply for the 
  Windoze version as well.  The first thing to point out is that I 
  nearly always have to tweak the sliders to get the right amount of 
  dust removal.  There doesn;t seem to be any good default setting.  I 
  use the image at 100% - 200% and then remove all the imperfections.  
  What you will find is that you will also lose detail and some 
  highlights by using this filter.  To overcome this, I create a 
  duplicate layer.  Then, with just the bottom layer visible, I apply 
  the dust & scratches filter to the extent that I need to.  Then, I 
  make the top layer visible and using the eraser tool, I work on the 
  areas where I want to remove the dust & scratches, and avoid the 
  areas where the highlights or detail would be lost.  When finished I 
  flatten the layers.
  > 
  > All in all this is a tool that works but it can take a long time to 
  get the best end result possible.  Long, but certainly less time than 
  doing the whole process manually.  However, it is not the same as 
  having dICE in the scanner software, which is definitely the best 
  approach for dust and scratch removal.  The upside with the dust & 
  scratches utility is that, by avoiding using dICE, you do not get any 
  softening of the image at scan time.
  > 
  > Simon
  >   ----- Original Message ----- 
  >   From: frankg_photo <fh.gross@s...> 
  >   To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com 
  >   Sent: Sunday, January 12, 2003 11:16 PM
  >   Subject: [Digital BW] Polaroid's Dust & Scratches
  > 
  > 
  >   I cant quite get the hang of using Polaroid's Dust & Scratches 
  >   program (free). Anyone using it that can offer a few tips, 
  pointers 
  >   or a tutorial ?



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Windoze.
Seems like they've reversed the feature list:-)
Many more options in the standalone vs plug-in

> Frank
> 
> Are you using the Mac or Windows version.  In the standalone Mac 
version, all it seems to allow is a menu option to detect and remove 
dust and scratches.  Seems like much less control than in the plug-in 
version.
> 
> Simon
>   ----- Original Message ----- 
>   From: frankg_photo <fh.gross@s...> 
>   To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com 
>   Sent: Monday, January 13, 2003 12:50 PM
>   Subject: Re: [Digital BW] Polaroid's Dust & Scratches
> 
> 
>   Thank you Simon. Working on a separate layer sounds like a good 
way 
>   to go. Also, using the standalone version appears to give you 
much 
>   more control than the plug-in filter. However, I always have my 
files 
>   in PS's .psd format and the filter only works on .tif files - so 
it 
>   means I have to save a copy as a tif , do the dust removal, then 
save 
>   it as a .psd to overwrite the original - a bit of a clunky way to 
>   work. But I may be missing someething.
>   Frank
> 
>   <simon@s...> wrote:
>   > Frank
>   > 
>   > I am using the Mac version but I guess the same would apply for 
the 
>   Windoze version as well.  The first thing to point out is that I 
>   nearly always have to tweak the sliders to get the right amount 
of 
>   dust removal.  There doesn;t seem to be any good default 
setting.  I 
>   use the image at 100% - 200% and then remove all the 
imperfections.  
>   What you will find is that you will also lose detail and some 
>   highlights by using this filter.  To overcome this, I create a 
>   duplicate layer.  Then, with just the bottom layer visible, I 
apply 
>   the dust & scratches filter to the extent that I need to.  Then, 
I 
>   make the top layer visible and using the eraser tool, I work on 
the 
>   areas where I want to remove the dust & scratches, and avoid the 
>   areas where the highlights or detail would be lost.  When 
finished I 
>   flatten the layers.
>   > 
>   > All in all this is a tool that works but it can take a long 
time to 
>   get the best end result possible.  Long, but certainly less time 
than 
>   doing the whole process manually.  However, it is not the same as 
>   having dICE in the scanner software, which is definitely the best 
>   approach for dust and scratch removal.  The upside with the dust 
& 
>   scratches utility is that, by avoiding using dICE, you do not get 
any 
>   softening of the image at scan time.
>   > 
>   > Simon
>   >   ----- Original Message ----- 
>   >   From: frankg_photo <fh.gross@s...> 
>   >   To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com 
>   >   Sent: Sunday, January 12, 2003 11:16 PM
>   >   Subject: [Digital BW] Polaroid's Dust & Scratches
>   > 
>   > 
>   >   I cant quite get the hang of using Polaroid's Dust & 
Scratches 

>   >   program (free). Anyone using it that can offer a few tips, 
>   pointers 
>   >   or a tutorial ?
> 
> 
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]