Do you digitise photos or film? |
Oscans can digitally scan prints, negatives or slides. Oscans refers to any form of photographic image as a "photo", no matter what medium it is on.
If it is printed, we call those "prints". Film is either negatives or positives (slides).
If it is in the computer, then we call them "files".
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Why do the scans from negatives look different on my screen as compared to the prints I got from the lab? |
The reasons are:
- We are scanning from the originals, and interpreting them in exactly the same way as any lab does every time you have them printed. However, this means that every interpretation can be different. Ever had the same negative printed the same way on two different occasions? Also, you have to ask, "How close is any interpretation to the original scene"?
- Your monitor may have different calibration to ours. Also, prints are viewed via reflected light, but your monitor gives you direct projected light.
- We like to think that our efforts are superior to that of others, but YOU are now in charge of the colour and tonal corrections. Welcome to the world of digital imaging! Ultimately, it may be reasonable to say that there is no one "true & correct" print from most real-world images.
- You will have to calibrate your monitor to the end result. How different do prints that you produce (from your digital images) look as compared to your monitor?
- We are prepared to work with you in order to get consistent results. This may mean that we make test scans specially produced your workflow systems.
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How come the scans have so much dust? Why do my scans have scratches showing? They were perfect when they were last printed. |
- Dust is attracted to film as soon as it comes out of processor. Fine scratches onto the film just by being handled. You may not have seen the dust before because some printing systems diffuse the light before it hits the paper, blurring the small scratches and dust spots.
- Every time a negative is taken out of its sleeve it can and probably will deteriorate slightly. Even leaving them quite still in a dark, dry and cool location does not guarantee that they will stay in perfect condition. Very fine dust can penetrate just about anywhere that is not completely airtight, and mould and fungus loves any place that is out of the light. It is possible that old stains such as fingerprints create damage that may take years to become apparent. Every time you pull out the negatives, they will slide across the holder sleeve's surface and rub against the dirt and grime. Oscans treats every photo (prints, negatives and slides) as irreplaceable priceless originals but we cannot be held responsible for damage. If you have any concerns in this regard, please call us prior to giving us your photos.
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How can I remove the dust from the negatives and slides? |
- You must be very careful! NEVER EVER blow on them with your lips! Exhaled air is wet and will very likely cause long-term damage. You may consider low-pressure clean air cans or a blower brush from a photo supplier. There are good micro-fibre cleaning cloths, but these mean that you will be touching the film surface. You can even possibly re-wash each item in very clean water. We have experimented successfully with washing mould spots from positive strips with a mild Swipe solution (NOT "Spray and Wipe"!), but extreme care is required.
- There are electronic cleaning systems such as Digital ICE®.
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What is Digital ICE? |
It is proprietary technology owned by Kodak that can electronically remove nearly all surface defects from film, including dust, scratches and mould. Each image is scanned twice, and the surface is analysed to determine the imperfections. It is then electronically processed to eliminate the flaws. In some exteme cases, the image can soften slightly, but this tends to be apparent only at the highest magnification. Because this process can take three times longer per image than standard, Oscans has to charge accordingly. |
Should I get my scans supplied as TIFF or JPEG? |
If you intend to do work to alter the images, then ideally you should scan and then save every time as TIFF.
The uncompressed images saved as TIFF files are 10-30 times larger than the compressed JPEG files. A single wedding coverage could take up over 40 gigabytes.
Oscans is quite happy to produce TIFF files at no extra price, but you will need to supply us with a FireWire or USB drive. If you want these images returned on DVD or CDROM, there will be an extra charge. (We normally do not charge for the DVD or CDROM).
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Why do I sometimes get a black edge to the scans? |
We try to get as close to the edge of the image as possible in order to get as much information off the film. Sometimes the scanner automatically re-adjusts itself and we then give you the extra bits for free, otherwise you will need to place a special order. (We assume that you will have the skills and software that can crop images.) |
How can I get the whole frame scanned? Can Oscans go past the edge of the image? |
We understand the need to capture the whole image, especially when using very wide-angle lenses. We are continually refining our scanning process to capture as much of the image as possible.
If you inform us that you have a requirement to capture the left and right edge of a 135 image, then let us know, as we may be able to help you. 120 film users need to speak with us first.
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So why do you claim your scans are the best? I can go to other companies and get more pixels and, not to mention full colour correction. |
Actually, we do not claim to be the best!
We are perfectionists, so we realise that there is a danger with perfection - you can never attain it. We are strongly focused on providing a service that is good enough for most people in most circumstances nearly all the time. As such we provide a reasonable service at a very reasonable price.
If you need ultimate quality, you are welcome to go elsewhere and use "Pre-press" scanning services; these are typically done for $75.00-120.00 per image.
Oscans provides services that are hard to match at any price. These include fast turnaround for very large quantities, as well as Digital ICE dirt and scratch removal, even from Kodachrome.
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I have read that Kodachrome cannot be treated with Digital ICE! |
Yes, Kodachrome can be ICE'd with our systems. You are welcome to send us a few to test at no charge for scanning. |
I don't know if I want Oscans highest quality, can I do some sort of preview? |
Yes, we support index resolution scans from slides. We will even give you a credit against the next high resolution scans. This special service only applies to our high volume customers. |
Can you process film? |
We only do scanning. |
Do you do printing? |
We only do scanning, but you are welcome to take the results and print them via services such as Momento. |
All this sounds very impressive, but I am very reluctant to let my photos go to anyone. What assurances do you offer? |
We understand this concern, as we would feel the same.
Oscans staff treats all forms of client photography with at least the same sort of quality and care that we give ours. Film strips are handled with clean white gloves. All film is kept covered and in its holder until the time it enters our scanners. We minimise any contact with (or exposure of) the film surface.
If you have concerns, you are invited to visit our premises. Some prints are too important to let out of your premises, so for an extra charge, we can scan prints at your place.
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I already have access to a scanner, why should I use Oscans? |
Not to be rude, but why haven't you done it? It can take a very great deal of dedicated time over several years. Can your family afford to wait?
Oscans has invested over $100,000 into equipment and is focussed on doing one thing: providing a professional scanning service for photographers. It's like fixing your own car or doing your own home renovations - or processing your own film - or giving it to a motivated specialist.
At the time of writing these words, 100.0% of all our clients have a scanner or access to one.
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What is the maximum resolution that you can scan? |
We prefer to simply say how many pixels you can get.
Prints: |
up to 9600 x 13200, depending on the size of the original |
Mounted Slides: |
3800 x 5800 |
Unmounted Slides: |
3900 x 5950 |
135 Negatives: |
3900 x 5950 |
120 film (6 x 6): |
5900 x 5900 |
120 film (6 x 9): |
5900 x 7400 |
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I have to make an A4 print; how big does my scan have to be? |
A very high quality print requires 300 dots per inch on the paper. That means that you need about 2400 x 3300 pixels. Many people find that 200 dpi is enough, which is 1600 x 2200 pixels.
Oscans recommends 2200 x 3300 as our standard. All film cameras are capable of at least this resolution.
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