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Author Topic: Scanning film to print  (Read 4512 times)

EinstStein

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Scanning film to print
« on: September 07, 2017, 10:09:44 pm »

Do you have the problem that printing a digitized film never matches the enlarger prints? I just cannot get the sweet tonal the traditional print have.

The most obvious is in the darker area.  For example, I have a B&W (Kodak verichrome) print of Lily, the leaves look vividly dark and oily, The flowers are purely and white, but the scanned digital print looks very dry. Yes, I know, theoretically, you can always match any film by adjusting the tonal curve. But practically I have never get there, even my community college photography instructor. The lesson I learned: if it is B&W film, go traditional all the way. and if it is B&W, go for film.

Color film may be another story. I didn't try much.

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Bart_van_der_Wolf

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Re: Scanning film to print
« Reply #1 on: September 08, 2017, 08:52:59 am »

Do you have the problem that printing a digitized film never matches the enlarger prints? I just cannot get the sweet tonal the traditional print have.

The most obvious is in the darker area.  For example, I have a B&W (Kodak verichrome) print of Lily, the leaves look vividly dark and oily, The flowers are purely and white, but the scanned digital print looks very dry. Yes, I know, theoretically, you can always match any film by adjusting the tonal curve. But practically I have never get there, even my community college photography instructor. The lesson I learned: if it is B&W film, go traditional all the way. and if it is B&W, go for film.

Color film may be another story. I didn't try much.

Hi,

From what I've seen, TrueGrain is the best application for reproducing the traditional wet process look. That's not only due to using real grain structure at various brightness levels but also due to accurate tone-curves and color sensitivity. And it's all adjustable, especially when working from a color original.

If that part of the conversion is done well, then the print should look pretty close, with the right kind of media (maybe with e.g. a Lambda/Epsilon C-print).

Cheers,
Bart
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David Sutton

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Re: Scanning film to print
« Reply #2 on: September 08, 2017, 10:18:18 pm »

Hi.
Firstly, the scanning process often gives the file a digital look by opening up the shadows and altering the tonal range in the highlights. I'd start with how the film is scanned.
Secondly, you don't mention what inkset you are using, but if it is pigment ink then you are comparing apples with oranges. There are a couple of solutions:
-Give up the comparison and look to what pigment ink does best
-Experiment with papers that reproduce the surface of a darkroom print
-As Bart suggests, try Lambda printer.
I find I can get close to the tonal response of film with a curve in Photoshop and adding noise. In my case the curve is to match Fuji Neopan 100 and Fuji Reala. The curves are designed to work with my scanner settings.
For paper I've used mainly Moab Somerset Museum Rag for a project matching the surface of prints from the Antarctic photographers around 1920. Your needs will be probably different.
David
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EinstStein

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Re: Scanning film to print
« Reply #3 on: September 09, 2017, 01:17:51 am »

In fact I have no intention to mimic any film. I agree your suggestion, just let it be what it be.
Just treat it like another film. Just like no point to mimic one film type on another.

However, to me, digital can not express what my favorite film does.




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Doug Peterson

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Re: Scanning film to print
« Reply #4 on: October 21, 2017, 10:56:10 am »

You might look into using a modern film scanner; the technology in legacy film scanners hasn't been cutting edge for 20 years.

Here's one such suggestion (albeit for high end uses): https://dtdch.com/film/

EinstStein

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Re: Scanning film to print
« Reply #5 on: October 27, 2017, 10:59:32 pm »

You might look into using a modern film scanner; the technology in legacy film scanners hasn't been cutting edge for 20 years.

Here's one such suggestion (albeit for high end uses): https://dtdch.com/film/

It looks to me jst a clumsy mechanical system with special copy stand to work with special lens and digitalback. I believe it is far less convenient than, say, Flextight scanner.
I also cannot see how it would make better image rendering.

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