Is your flatbed scanner a model that includes a transparency adapter for slides or negatives? Unless you’ve got something like that, the chances of getting a scan of a slide or negative are pretty much zip. Now, if you do have an adapter, give us more information about your scanner and the scanner software and maybe someone can help with the correct settings.
As Beth has indicated, you should have a 35mm adapter if your scanner is capable of handling slides. And these adapters are very scanner-specific. I tried using an adapter that looked just like the one that came with my scanner, except it was designed to work with a different model, and I got the same results you have been experiencing.
The light source for scanning everything except a slide or film is from within the scanner box…light source for slide or film must come from the top, like the lid/cover. And in the scanner setting there would be a place to set the source to something like "transparency".
My Scanner did come with an adapter. Since I am now at work I don’t have the information in front of me I Think it is a Microtec scan maker 2450 With the Scan Maker 5 hardware. That sounds right anyway.
ctb
Actually, my slide adapter isn’t that sophisticated. It is just a triangular device that the slide is inserted into the bottom, and it is placed on the scanner bed. It has a reflective surface on the inside that reflects light from the scanner back through the slide. Some of the more sophisticated scanners of today have plug-in lighted adapters that will handle slides up to 4×5 inches or even bigger.
Jim, that is so funny you should mention what your slide adaptor consists of because I was just thinking about this a short while ago…what if one were to put a small flat mirror over a slide on a regular flatbed ?
ctb, my guess is that you need to look in the scanning software – ScanMaker – and find the transparency setting. Unless someone shows up who is familiar with that software, the manual for the scanner is probably the best bet for the answer to this question.
Jodi – somewhere on the web (I don’t have a bookmark on this computer) there are some instructions for creating a "box" that reflects light and allows scanning of slides and/or negatives on a plain old flatbed. I think it’s made out of that foamboard stuff you can buy at Office Depot, Staples, etc. I’ve never tried it, but the trick is to get adequate light reflections from all four sides and above the transparency. It was an interesting idea, but I never got around to creating it, because I just went ahead and bought a dedicated slide scanner. I’ll try to find it later on when I boot up the other computer.
I have read various homegrown methods for creating a transparency scanning gizmo, though I think the results couldn’t match the real mccoy.
I agree, Nancy. I suppose if you weren’t too concerned about the quality of the scan one of those methods would be OK, but it’s nothing I’d want to do with "good" stuff!
Never have thought about trying to use a mirror. I suppose in might work, but I think the transparency adapters are designed to match the brightness of the scanner. And you wouldn’t have that control just using a mirror. However, I suppose you could make adjustments in Elements if the result of the scan wasn’t too far out of line.
