Slide Scanning using Nikon Scan 4

Loading Slides · Scanning Slides · Manually Adjusting Slides · Batch Adjusting Slides

Loading Slides

This tutorial was written with the Super Coolscan 5000 slide scanner with SF-210 batch scanner addition in mind. Slight adjustments might have to be made to accomidate different scanners. Check your user manual for further instructions.

In order for the slide to be aligned properly when you scan it, the front side of the slide ought to face the scanner, and the back side of the slide ought to face the loading spring. If there is a side that says something like "This side to screen", that side of the slide faces to the right (the loading spring).

Notes about Jamming: If you are running a batch process of many different type slides, it is best to run similiar slides together and not to mix and match the slides. In addition, The SF-210 batch scanner has a tendency to jam when cardboard (as opposed to the more sturdy plastic) slides are fed into it. To alleviate these problems, it can be helpful to put a plastic card (the size of a credit card) on the loading side of the divider that seperates the holding bays (as shown below).

Card Divider   Card Divider

Using Nikon Scan 4

  • Ensure your scanner is plugged in and turned on and proceed to launch Nikon Scan 4.
  • To change the scanning settings, click on the button (or use the drop-down menu) labeled Tools and select Tool Palette 1.
  • Click the arrow next to the Crop heading on Tool Palette 1, and you can then change the Pixels Per Inch and Scale.
  • Click Scanner Extras and you can then alter the Scan Bit Depth and Scan Mode.
  • The quality of the scan should be based on how you intend to utilize the slide. However, it is typically best to scan large and then trim it down in Photoshop during post-production. Refer to the table below for recommended settings.

    Presentations Printing Max Quality
    • 1000 pixels/inch
    • Scale of 112%
    • Scan bit depth of 8
    • Fine Scan Mode (4x)
    • 2000 pixels/inch
    • Scale of 112%
    • Scan bit depth of 16
    • Super Fine Scan Mode (8x)
    • 2700 pixels/inch
    • Scale of 100%
    • Scan bit depth of 16
    • Super Fine Scan Mode (16x)
  • When you are ready, click the green button labeled Scan. On the options window, click OK. In the next window (Batch Scan) you have the option to name your files before scanning. Starting Index refers to the numbering. Make changes if you want (you can always re-name them later). You may also click Browse to change the save destination of the scanned files. Make sure file type is set to TIFF and click OK.

Manually Adjusting Slides with Photoshop CS3

Levels

This scanner will often misinterpret the levels of a scan. To correct this the levels must be adjusted. This can be done manually or automatically: Using the drop-down menu, go to Image > Adjust > Auto Levels (or Shift + Apple Key + L) to adjust the levels. You may also fine-tune the image manually by going to Image > Adjust > Levels. The scanner usually adds too much data to the right side of the level (especially if it is a photographic image), and should be moved to the left. Take the white triangle and move it towards the main concentration of the levels until you are satisfied with how the image appears.

Levels Window

Crop

Crop Tool The black border around the slide should be eliminated using the crop tool (highlighted on left). Select what you want to keep and press enter to crop.

Size

If you want the image smaller, use the drop-down menu to go to Image > Image size… and resize the image.

Saving

To save an image, use the drop-down menu to go to File > Save As… Name the file and pick the desired file format option. For a presentation, you want a fairly large image but you should use .jpeg compression, not .TIFF (scanned files default to .TIFF). Change the format to .jpeg. It will ask you for compression, choosing ‘10’ on the slider bar should work just fine. For printing, just save in .TIFF format in order to preserve full quality image.

Saving for Web Use

If you are saving for the web, use the drop-down menu to go to File > Save for Web. Save as .jpeg for pictures, but the quality is up to you. The higher the number, the higher the quality and larger file size. This is important to keep in mind for web use, because big images take longer to load.

Batch Adjusting Slides with Photoshop CS3

When working with a large number of slides it is often useful to perform the same adjustment operation on the whole batch. Photoshop makes this simple by allowing the user to record their actions and apply them to multiple images.
WARNING: Before applying actions to a batch of images, always make a backup of the files first. Batch changes cannot be undone.
Batch actions can only be performed on files in the same folder. So, if the pictures have been scanned to Photoshop, they need to be saved into the same folder, first.
To create a new action in Photoshop, use the drop-down menu to go to Window > Actions. This will bring up the actions palette. Click on the folder icon at the bottom of the palette to create a new action set. Call it “My Actions”. All custom actions can now be saved here.

Batch Actions To record a new action:
  1. Open the first file from the folder
  2. Click on page icon at the bottom of the actions palette to create a new action. Name the actions (For example, “Crop” if you want to crop all the images). Choose “My Actions” from the pop-up menu to save it there.
  3. Click on the Record button at the bottom of the actions palette
  4. Perform the desired adjustments on the image.
  5. Click on the Stop button.

To apply the action to a set of images:

  1. Use the drop-down menu to go to File > Automate > Batch…
  2. In the Play field, choose “My Actions” from the Set menu.
  3. Choose the desired action from Actions menu.
  4. Under Source pick Folder and designate the source folder.
  5. Under Destination:
    1. Save and Close will modify the images in the source folder
    2. Folder will let you pick another folder in which to save the adjusted images. It is the equivalent of a Save As… command, which will not modify the original images, but will save them as duplicates.
      This option also allows the user to modify the file name, which is useful when processing, and cataloging image files.
Other helpful tips:
When creating actions it is possible to combine many different tasks into one action. For example, it is possible to record an action that crops an image, adjusts the levels, adjusts the brightness and contrast, and changes the resolution. However, the more steps an action performs, the more likely that unwanted results or mistakes can occur. Therefore, it is more practical to assign only one adjustment to an action- for example, one action that just crops the image, another action that just changes the resolution and a third action that just changes the levels. This way it is possible to review all the images after each action has been performed and to see if the results are satisfactory. Actions can be combined later, when the routine is well worked-out.

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