I know, it’s an irrational thought.  But that’s the BIGGEST reason why I scanned my parents slides, negatives, and photos.  I was afraid all those images would get ruined, or even destroyed in a fire.

Let me tell you how I learned how to succeed with scanning slides, negatives, and photos…

About 7 years ago I was scanning my parent’s originals, and got very frustrated with the quality of scans I was getting from my scanner.  It was the most expensive scanner out there, and it promised to “bring back colours to their original luster”.  But no what I tried, no matter how much I played with the setting, I was still getting bad scans.

Then I tried to contact a scanning company.  At the time there were only 2 scanning companies,  and they all used EXACTLY the same scanner I hae: Nikon 5000 film scanners, with Digital ICE 4.   I wasn’t going to pay for the same results I was getting at home.

Well, after a lot of hard work, trial and error, I finally figured it out — and kind of by accident.  One day I forgot to press all the scan enhancement features (Digital ICE, ROC, DEE, etc.).  What I had was one ugly natural scan.  Then it hit me! Why not use Photoshop to fix the scan!?  Photoshop doesn’t have Dust Removal and Color Fix, but it’s worth a shot.

I finally figured out what the common problems are with a scan (dust, colour cast, RBG values not level, exposure mid-tones too low or high, etc). And got far better results than if I would have used Digital ICE.

Now I have a system.  I scan and edit each slide, negative, or photo individually in Photoshop.  And I can get ANY scan to look brand new.

I guess my system works.  I’ve been scanning since 2005.  I now have 4 employees, in three locations.  I’ve helped scan for all types of people — from an 84 year old gentleman with 1 slide to a diamond mine up North with 35,000 photos, slides, and negatives.

I Know Offer Free Trial Scans

It’s easy to talk about my business and how I get perfect scans.  But there’s a lot of claims on the internet talking about “quality”.  Who cares.  I want to prove it.

That’s why I want to scan 30 of your slides, negatives, and photos as a FREE trial.

I know you’ll love your scans.

To start your trial scans, email me at info@scancanada.ca and ask me about “Free Trial Scan”.

Your friend,

Konrad Michniewicz

When you save your slide, negative, and photo scans as JPEG digital images, make sure the “compression” level is not too high. In this article you’ll learn how to properly setup your scanner so that your scans are saved at the highest quality JPEG’s possible.

Next time you scan your slides, negative, and photo, watch for something called JPEG “compression” level.  Don’t worry, all this will make sense soon.

For now, just know that your scanner’s default “compression” level is probably set too high.  This means your scans will lose some pixel quality.  I will show you where to adjust the JPEG compression levels.

But first, you need to know two things about JPEG image files.  Once you know this stuff, then you’ll be able to control the quality of your JPEG files.

1.  JPEGs Files Are Compressed

Professional photographers and graphic designers like to use TIFF image files.  TIFFs are huge.  Sometimes they are 500 MB in file size.  They’re great because TIFF’s have a lot of digital data.  And the more data they have, the more a person can manipulate and edit that digital image.

But, for you and I, TIFFs are over-kill.  Most of this digital data is redundant, and doesn’t add to the overall quality of your image.

So, somebody figured out a way to remove all this useless data that didn’t affect the quality using a compression method.  Your TIFF file is sized down from 500 MB to 5 MB — but without losing any picture quality.

So what you end up with is a high-quality digital image, but at a file size that won’t clog up your computer space or take forever to upload.

2.  You Can Control This Compression

When you save your slides, negative, and photos as JPEG’s, your scanner will give you the option to change the compression level.

Except the problem is, maybe like my scanner, your scanner’s default compression level is too high.  The more compressed your JPEG, the less detail you’ll see.  It doesn’t matter if you scanned your slide at 4000 DPI.  If you save that slide scan at a high compression level, it will take a way some detail.

3. Where Can You Change Your JPEG Compression Level When Scanning

Now that you know that you have the option to change the JPEG compression level, you’ll need to read your scanner’s manual to find this option.  With my scanner, the option to change the compression level of the JPEG comes up when I’m about to save my scan.  There’s an “JPEG Option” box I click to adjust the compression level. Once I have this set, I don’t have to touch it anymore.

My scanner’s default compression level is 6 out of 10.  That’s too high.  It gives me a small file size. But who cares.  I want quality pixels.  So I changed my compression level to 1 out of 10.  This will ensure that all my scans will be the highest JPEG quality possible — with the lowest compression level possible.

Need Help With Your Slide, Negative, Photo Scanning Project?

Hello, my name is Konrad.

If you’re stuck with your home scanning project, check out my free scanning guide:

HowToScan.ca: Free Slide, Negative, Photo Scanning Tips

Thanks for visiting!

Konrad M.

ScanCanada.ca: Slide, Negative, Photo Scanning Services — Guaranteed 100%

Learn How Your Own Scans Will Be Edited Into Hight Quality Images

In this article, I’ll show you what it takes to turn a 57 year slide and make it look brand new.  This is exactly the editing process I’ll go through with your own slides, negatives, and photos.

Let’s begin…

1.  Getting A “Natural” Scan Means I Won’t Lose Detail

My scanner’s use 6 line, CCD optical lenses that can get a 16-bit pixel.  Basically, what this means is that the pixels are going to be as sharp, as defined, with as much contrast as possible.  I don’t apply any scanner editing processing such as Digital ICE, Dust Removal, etc.  Remember, I want as much detail as possible — this means all dust and scratches too.

Anyway, here’s the natural scan I’m working with:

My goal is to achieve the highest quality scan — something like this:

Follow along, and I’ll show you how I achieve quality scans using Photo Shop.

2. Color Balance Tool To Correct Cast

Whenever I scan a slide, negative, or photo there will always a be a colour casted over the image.  That’s because my scanner also scans the glossy surface of a scan.  Using the Color Balance tool, I adjust the RGB values according to what colour is casted over the scan.  In this slide scan, there’s a yellow cast to it.  Here’s a before and after…

3. Noise Filter To Fix Film Grain

Because I get a natural scan, I’m going to get a lot of noise.  But that’s good.  Noise means detail, and sharper pixels.  But I do need to remove some grain — especially if your slide, negative or photo was shot using a high iso speed.

Using the Noise Reduction filter, I can remove grain WITHOUT messing with the detail.  Here’s a before and after…

4. Heal Brush, Clone Stamp — Tool To Remove Dust And Scratches

Noise reduction gets rid of grain.  But to get rid of the larger dust and scratches, I need to do this “manually”.  Photoshop has a lot of great tools like Heal Brush tool to clean up artifacts like dust and scratches.  This takes a while.  But it’s the only way to maintain detail. Here’s a before and after…

5. Fix Faded Colours Using Hue/Saturation And Exposure Levels

The last step is to brighten faded colours, and to even out the mid-tones.  Here’s the before and after…

Final Image: Slide Scan Edited Using Photo Shop

Here’s a before and after…

Put Us To The Test With A Free Scan Test-Run

At ScanCanada.ca, my team and I dedicated to our craft, and are more than happy to show off our work.

But don’t take my word for it. Put us to the test. Send 30 of your slides, negatives, and photos for a scanning test-run.

If you’re happy with the quality and service, then send the rest of your scanning project.

If not, you can keep your scans, and your originals are returned in the same order and condition they left your home. A scan test-run is a free service from ScanCanada.ca.

To start your scanning test-run contact me at info@scancanada.ca, or visit:

Slide, Negative, Photo Scanning Services Guaranteed 100%

My name is Konrad, and I’ll be happy to help you with your slide, negative, photo scanning project.

Thanks for dropping by!

Konrad M.

The Purpose Of A Free Scan Test-Run Is So That You’re 100% Satisfied
Before You Hire A Scanning Company

How it works is, send us 30 of your favourite slides, negatives, and photos, and put us to the test.

If you’re happy with your scan test-run, then send the rest of your scanning project.

If not, you can keep your scans and your originals are returned in the same order and condition they left your home.

It’s easy to talk about “quality”.  But all your scans are professionally edited  in Photo Shop, and we want to prove our quality first before you hire us.

Feel free to contact me at 647-726-2265, or info@scancanada.ca to get started with your test-run scans.

In the mean time, check out some of our work…

Slide, Negative, Photo Scanning Gallery: ScanCanada.ca

Thanks!

Konrad M.

ScanCanada.ca: Professional Slide Negative Scanning Services

Our Slide, Negative, Photo Scanning Equipment And Software

1.  Best Scanner For 35mm Slide And Negative Scans

I found that for 35mm slides, the Nikon Super CoolScan 5000 ED film scanner  does a great job.  But one problem.  They don’t make them anymore. Nikon advertised them to the home scanning crowd, but I guess only scanning companies bought them.  If you do find one on Amazon, watch out.  I paid about $1200 for mine, but they’re going for $3000 due to the fact that they’re great scanners and there no longer made.

2.  Best Scanner For 120, 220 Slide And Negative Scans

For other slide or negative formats (120. 220, etc.) the Nikon Coolscan 9000 film scanner works great.  But again, one problem — they don’t make them anymore. I paid $3200 for mine.  So watch out if they’re selling them for double that on the net.

3.  Best Scanner For Photo Scanning

For all photo scanning, I use the Epson Expression 10000XP.  It’s about $3000, and you can purchase them at any photography store.  Or check out… Epson 10000xl Photo Scanner, Vistek.ca

4. Scanning Software To Edit Slide, Negative, Photo Scans

All our scanning is edited personally in Photoshop.  I avoid using Digital ICE and other scanning features that came with the scanner.  I have nothing against Digital ICE.  I just get better results when I edit scans in Photoshop and not use the software that came with the scanner.

If You’re Looking To Buy A Scanner Here’s What I Recommend

To be honest, you don’t need a high-end scanner if you’re scanning your family’s slides, negatives, or photos.  In fact, a simple $200 – $500 photo scanner like the Epson V500 is good enough to scan photos, negatives, and slides.  But be careful — don’t rely on the scanning features such as dust removal, etc.  You’ll need to get a natural scan, and edit your scan in software designed to fix images (i.e. GIMP, Lightroom, Photoshop).

You Don’t Need An Expensive Scanner To Get Quality Slide, Negative, Photo Scans — Here’s How

If you have a photo, slide, or negative scanning project, I invite you to visit…

Slide, Negative, Photo Scanning Tips: Professional Advice From ScanCanada.ca

In the scanning guide you’ll learn how to:

• How To Use An Inexpensive Scanner To Get Quality Scans
• Best Software To Use When Editing Slide, Negative, Photo Scans
• Step-By-Step Tutorial On How To USE The Software
• How Resolution Works So You Have More Control Over Your Scans

And bunch more tips. Check it out…

It’s exactly how I edit my client’s scans, and I’m more than happy to share my scanning “secrets”.

Thanks!

Konrad M.

ScanCanada.ca: All Slide, Negative, Photo Scanning Guaranteed 100%

Are You Making An Of These Negative Scanning Mistakes?

In this article, you’ll learn why you’re not getting the quality negative scan you expected — and what to do about it.

1. Using Your Scanner To Fix Your Negative Scans

Here’s the thing,  you don’t need an expensive scanner to get quality negative scans.  All scanners do the same thing — they all can give you a 4000 DPI + negative scan.  It doesn’t matter if you have a $300 scanner or a $3000. They all can give you high resolution scans.

But what you’re paying for is the extra features.  You know, “Dust Removal”, “Color Fix” — and other “scan enhancement” features.

Listen, I’ve been editing images since 2001.  I would LOVE to find a program where I press a few buttons and every dust and scratch is gone, the colour is perfect, and the exposure is fixed.

But it doesn’t work that way.  Don’t get me wrong though.  Features like Dust Removal, Color Fix, etc. are great if you’re a novice.  But to really get to that next level of quality scans, you need to use software designed to fix images.

So avoid using your scanner’s enhancement features — turn them off!  Instead, open your scan in software designed to fix images.

2.  Thinking Scan Resolution Means Quality Digital Images

Did you know that after about 1500 DPI, you’re no longer scanning the detail of your negative?  You see, your negative has a limit. The negative was “printed” using an emulsion matte.  And this emulsion has a limit of about 1500 dots per inch.  Just like your photos which has a limit of 300 dots per inch. You’re limited to the physical specs of your negative.

So, anything higher than 1500 DPI you’re not going in “deeper” and uncovering more detail.  Say you scanned your negative at 4000 DPI.  All you did was take a 1500 DPI image and made it BIGGER without losing detail. You didn’t add more image detail.  What your scanner did was make sure that your 4000 DPI scan looks EXACTLY the same as your 1500 DPI scan, but only bigger.

When would you want 1500 DPI?  If you just want to re-print your negatives at 4″ x 6″ or watch your scans on your 1080p HDTV, you’ll be safe with 1500 DPI.  At 4000 DPI, you can print your image at 18″ x 24″ at excellent quality.

Personally I scan my negatives at 4000 DPI — it’s always better to have too many pixels than too little.  But I just want you to know that resolution has very little to do with quality.  Yes, if you scanned less than 1500 DPI you’ll get a lower quality scan.  But at 1500 DPI you’ll be safe.  And the more you know how resolution works, the more control you have with what you do with your scans.

3.  Not Getting Help With Your Negative Scanning Project

If you follow your scanner’s manual, and use Dust Removal, Color Fix, etc. you’ll get OK negative scans.

But if you’re serious about having high quality negative scans, and would like to learn a new skill, I invite you to visit my free scanning guide:

How To Scan Negatives Like A Pro: Free Scanning Tips And Advice

In the scanning guide you’ll learn:

• How To Use Resolution To Control What You Do With Your Scans
• How To Fix Dust, Faded Color, Exposure Using GIMP / Photo Shop / Light Room
• How To Remove Film Grain Using GIMP / Photo Shop / Light Room
• How To Properly Load And Clean Your Negatives

This is exactly how I scan and edit my clients’ negatives.  And I’m more than happy to share my scanning “secrets”.

Good luck with your negative scanning project!

Konrad M.

ScanCanada.ca

Digital ICE can’t give you consistent quality scans like you can in Photoshop.

Here’s a quick video of how I scan my client’s slides, negatives, and photos in Photoshop:

About ScanCanada.ca

We’re a small team of graphic designers, dedicated to slide, negative, photo scanning services. Located in three locations: Toronto, Calgary, and London.

Before you a scanning company, be sure you’re 100% comfortable with somebody else handle your only copy. At ScanCanada.ca, you’re invited to scan a small batch before you decide to commit all your scans.  This is a free service from ScanCanada.ca, and you’re under no obligation.

Please visit, ScanCanada.ca for more info.

When Should You Save Your Slide, Negative, or Photos as TIFF or JPEG

If you’re a commercial artist, magazine, museum, then NEVER scan your slides, negatives, or photos as JPEGs.  Saving your scans as TIFFs will give you file size of around 100 MB. At best, you’ll get around 12 MB from a JPEG scan.

Does 100 MBs mean you have a better quality digital scan?

No.  Don’t confuse file size with the quality of your scan.  The only reason you’d want a 100 MB digital photo is because you have more data to work with.  So if you’re doing any commercial editing, it’s better to have as much digital data as you can.

Also, at 100 MB, you can print your scans at billboard size.

Saving Your Scans As JPEGs Is Safe

JPEG images are great if you have a home scanning project.  And just because you have a JPEG and not a TIFF, does NOT mean the quality of your scans will be worse.

Basically, a JPEG is a compressed version of a TIFF (technically a RAW file).  Instead of a 100 MB file, you can have the same looking image, but at 12 MB or less.  The math involved in the compression “knows” what data it can get rid of and what data it can keep– and you end up with the same looking image, but at a smaller file size.

How To Make Sure Your JPEG Compression Is NOT Too High

There’s one small catch.  Most scanner’s default compression level is a bit too high for my liking.  Sure, at a higher compression level you get a smaller file size.  But at the cost of quality.

Here’s how to change the compression level when you’re saving your cans as JPEGs.

I’ll be using a simple Epson home scanner.  Your scanner might be a bit different.  But you still can follow along because this stuff is bascailly the same, no matter what scanner you have.s

Anyway, here’s a screen shot of my scanner’s settings:

1. Look for something called “File Saving Options”.  My Epson scanner has an icon for this option.

2. Another window will open up.  This is where I choose if I want to scan JPEG, TIFF, etc.

3. Once I choose JPEG, there’s another option just for JPEG format.  Again, your scanner might be different.  And you might have to fiddle and look around to find these options on your scanner– but they’re there.

4. Now I have the JPEG options window open.  This is where I choose what compression level I want my scans saved as.  If I have 0 compression, that means I have the highest quality JPEG I can get. But these means I’m going to get a bigger file size.  At 100 compression, you basically won’t see any detail form your image.  But you will have a very small file size.

So the balance is high quality vs. a reasonable file size.  My Epson’s default is around 10 compression.  Which is way too high for me.  My sweet spot is around 3 or 4.  This gives me a 5 MB digital image.  At 0 compression, I get a 12 MB file.   But sometimes 12 MB is too clunky– say for email or uploading.

Do You Have A DIY Home Scanning Project?

Hi, Konrad here. I’m the owner of ScanCanada.ca and been scanning since 2005.  I’ve scanned over 500, 000 slides, negatives, and photos.  If you have a home scanning project, and you’re not getting the results you expected, then you’re welcome to check out my How To Scan guide.  I’ll show you exactly how I scan my customers slides, film, and pictures.  And I try to be as non-technical as I can.  Check it out here…

How To Scan Slides, Negatives, Photos: http//HowToScan.ca

Or if you like a small team of professionals to convert your slides, negatives, photo into digital, please visit:

Scanning Services: http://ScanCanada.ca

Thanks!

It’s easy to talk about quality.  Here’s a quick video of a comparison between normal scans vs. slide scans edited by ScanCanada.ca:

Slide Scanning: Compare Normal Scan Vs. Edited Scan By ScanCanada.ca

I want to share a simple story with you.

Tess, a customer from Toronto, found some old slides that belonged to her Father.  Here’s a quick video of her story:

Slide, Film, Negative Scanning: Slide Show of 60 Year Old Slide Scans