Digitize developed rolls of film.
While most of us have switched to digital cameras in the past decade for both professional and casual use, some people also have archives -- or boxes -- of old photographs and film negatives from analog film cameras. A flatbed scanner is usually sufficient for digitizing developed prints; however, scanning film negatives in a way that they are usable to create prints requires a specialized device called a film scanner. Film scanners allow you to digitize film or slide film in resolutions comparable to developed photos. A good film scanner is extremely pricey. For small libraries, it may be a good idea to rent a scanner rather than buy.
Instructions
1. Choose a film scanner compatible with your computer's hardware and software. Some film scanners connect to computers via a USB or FireWire port, and come with software that only works with a PC or with a Mac.
2. Install required drivers and software. These are usually on an included CD or as a download from the manufacturer's website. The software may not be included; some film scanners include programs which allow you to correct and crop negatives.
3. Connect the film scanner to your computer using the included USB or Firewire cord.
4. Clean the negatives with film cleaner, following the manufacturer's directions. This removes dust, dirt and oil from your fingers from the negative's surface, which can affect the clarity of the scan.
5. Feed the negatives into the correct adapter or slot. Film scanners may have sliding attachments or specific grooves which fit different film sizes and types.
6. Start the scanner software, if appropriate. Correct color or clarity and crop as desired.
7. Begin the scan, and allow the scanner to completely scan the film negatives. High quality scanners will pass over the negatives a few times to capture fine detail.
8. Save the image file created by the scanner from the negatives to your computer's hard drive or desktop, when prompted to do so or before closing the program. Most film scanners allow you to save these digitized images as a TIFF or JPEG file, which can then be opened in photo editing software, such as Photoshop or Picasa.
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