Scanning Black & White negatives.

[Carruthers]

I have a negative which I'd like to convert into a positive, so to speak, but I have no idea how to do it.

I have an Epson WF-3530 MFD and doing a few searches it seems it is possible with some Epson devices using the supplied software. Needless to say, the required facility appears to be absent from my installation.

Being a cheapskate, I have no wish to dole out £'s for software I probably won't use again. If any Dwellar has any advice on how to proceed I would be very grateful to receive it.

For info, the negative is of some historical interest and I intend to base a Cellar topic on the image.

Thanks one and all,

Carruthers.

[footfootfoot]

What kind of computer do you have? Does your scanner have the capability to scan transparencies and negatives? (This is a hardware component not a software component)
If it does then you just open the scanner software and follow the prompts.

[Carruthers]

It's a home built PC running Windows 7. There's no additional hardware on the scanner. I was hoping to be able to utilise the existing glass bed and somehow produce a positive image from there.
Am I expecting too much?

C.

[nowhereman]

If the scanner doesn't have a transparency adapter (for transmitting light through the film as opposed to just the top cover), you're probably out of luck. You might try photographing the negative on a light box and inverting it to a positive in Photoshop or one of the other imaging programs.

[glatt]

Looking up the scanner specifications, it looks like it doesn't do slides or negatives.

I digitized hundreds of negatives a couple years ago, and what I did was basically take a picture of each negative with my digital camera. Do you have a digital camera with a decent macro lens? If so, you can tape the negative to a clean window and take a picture of it with your camera on a tripod with the negative lit up from behind by a uniformly hazy gray sky. And then get the outstanding and free open source software "Gimp" to convert it to a positive image and manipulate the brightness and contrast as needed.

But if I were you, I would do none of that. I would take the negative to Waitrose or some appropriate store that has a self serve photo department, and use their negative scanner to get a print. You may even be able to get an electronic copy there instead of scanning the print yourself when you get home. Around here, I'd take it to CVS, which is a drugstore, and get it done for like 50 cents. If you are doing just one print, it's definitely the way to go.

[Carruthers]

OK, thanks everyone. I'm grateful to you all for taking the time and trouble to respond.

I think that I will see what I can find in the way of self service photo facilities in the area (thanks, Glatt) and take it from there.
I was hoping for a cheap and cheerful 'in house' (in every sense of the phrase) method.

Thanks again.

Carruthers

[footfootfoot]

Ahhh, so it's that kind of photo. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge. Say no more...


(Auto correct changed ahhh to hajj. Too much Islam in the news lately)

[Sundae]

Originally Posted by glatt

I would take the negative to Waitrose or some appropriate store that has a self serve photo department

Cheers for the name check
We don't offer any photo services, but Carr will know which places do locally.

And yes, it is a photo of me, Diz and nothing else.
Venus and Fur.

[Carruthers]

Originally Posted by footfootfoot

Ahhh, so it's that kind of photo. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge. Say no more...

I knew that speculation would arise unbidden.....

Actually, it's a negative from a Luftwaffe photo reconnaissance mission dating from 1939.

Pull up a sandbag and I'll tell you more.

I've always had a passing interest in local history especially if there is a family conection of any sort. Well over twenty years ago I became aware of the US National Archive holding vast stocks of intelligence documents retrieved from Berlin at the end of WW2. There's an RAF station a couple of miles away from here where my grandfather served at the end of WW1 and into the 1920s and it occurred to me that the Archive might hold something of relevance. I sent off an enquiry and they were able to provide copies of the Luftwaffe Target Dossier for the station. The dossier included an aerial reconnaissance image which they copied and provided me with a large print which is too big for the scanner. They also provided the negative, details above.

Now, while I was out with the dog about half an hour ago, I suddenly recalled that I had copied the entire dossier to Picasa some years ago (2001). This includes the image in question. I can't recall how I managed to record it, but there it is. Bearing in mind that it is a copy of a copy it's in reasonable shape.

Anyway, I'll cobble together a topic to include all the documents and some modern day views if I can. I don't know whether I shall finish it today, but watch this space.

ETA Crossed with Sundae's post.

Further edit

Apologies are due to those who offered advice when the required files were already on my PC.
My only defence is that it was back in 2001 when they were processed and I don't recall having looked at them since.
The memory is patently not what it was, I'm afraid.
So my thanks go to footfootfoot, nowhereman and glatt.

[richlevy]

Irfanview, which is free, has a negative option.