Resolution (DPI) Explained
XtremeScan offers three different scanning resolutions, 2000, 3000, and 4000dpi.
In order to make the best choice between them, we have to take a quick look at the composition of photographic film. Without going into too much detail, let's look at how it relates to resolution. Film is coated with an emulsion containing tiny light-sensitive silver halide crystals. The bigger the crystals, the higher the sensitivity to light. When these crystals get exposed to light, a chemical reaction renders an image on the film. The ISO speed of a roll of film is roughly related to the size of these silver halide crystals (also called the granularity). That's the reason why images taken with an ISO 400 film, will look more grainy then those taken with an ISO 100 film. The reason, the ISO 400 film is composed of bigger silver halide crystals than it's slower counterpart, the ISO 100 film.
In general, most film contains more than 3000 of these crystals per inch of film. One can also say, most film is capable of over 3000 dpi (dots per inch). That means, if I take 3000 samples over an inch of film, I would be able to convert most of the image information into digital format. With a lower resolution, taking 2000 samples per inch means the scanner may be seeing a combination of two or more grains at any given point. In this case, the colors have to be averaged before it is stored as information in the digital pixel. On the other hand, taking 4000 samples per inch ensures that very little (if any) of the original image information is lost.
Lets look at an example to illustrate the real value of the different resolution options.
The photo above was scanned three times, each with a higher dpi setting. Although 2000dpi is more than adequate for standard print sizes, the higher resolution will make a big difference when larger prints are required.
2000 dpi |
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3000 dpi |
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4000 dpi |
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Film Grain Removal
Both negative and slide film produces a natural grain effect, sometimes referred to as noise. XtremeScan use specialized software tools with advanced noise reduction algorithms to provide you the best possible grain removal, while keeping images sharp and clear, with smoother looking colors.
Since film grain is a result of the silver halide crystals used in photographic emulsion, the grain effect gets exaggerated as the film speed increases. This is caused by larger crystals in higher speed film and is especially visible on almost all 35mm film.
Film grain removal is a complex process which involves analyzing the film grain pattern pixel by pixel. There are various methods of accomplishing this. The first is a technology known as Digital GEM™ (Grain Equalization & Management), and is bundled with high-end film scanners. Another method involves grain removal software that can be used with photo editing software such as Adobe Photoshop.
Although all our scanners include the Digital GEM™ technology, we found that in many cases we can produce much better results with dedicated software tools specifically designed for the task of grain removal.
This image was captured on Kodak Gold 200 film. It resembles part of the original image that was scanned at 4000dpi.
Note the difference in skin tone after the image went through our film grain removal process.
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What is Image Enhancing?
This is an option that we recommended for all slides and negative film. It is the first of a number of optional adjustment tools to improve and correct imperfections in the original image. The scanning process automatically adjust the brightness and color saturation to produce an image with optimal contrast and color depth.
The images below shows the difference you can expect with this option.
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Infrared Scratch Removal
Our high-end professional scanners include Digital ICE technology that uses a separate infrared light source to remove surface defects like dust and scratches. No matter how clean your negatives are kept, dust will always be a problem. In fact, dust and scratches are so common that we include Digital ICE scratch removal absolutely free on all our scanning service.
Below is an example of a negative exposure that was handled once during the development process and then stored for a few years. It's hard to see the scratches in the resized image below, but take a closer look at the second image. This is the actual size. The last two images shows the magic that Digital ICE can accomplish.
Resized Image after Digital ICE was applied
The actual size of part of the image before Digital ICE was applied
The actual size of part of the image after Digital ICE was applied
Another example of part of a typical image before Digital ICE was applied
Notice the detail in this man's shirt after Digital ICE was applied
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Image Cropping
When an image is scanned, the unexposed edge of the film is also included to ensure maximum image coverage. The result is a prominent black frame around the image that has to be removed with an image editor by cropping the selected area. This can be a painstaking process if you have to repeat it for every image. XtremeScan developed a streamlined process to remove these unsightly frames. It is a free service that is included in our scanning process.
Below is an example of what your image looks like after it is scanned, and what you can expect once the frame is removed.
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Image Rotation
This is a small but convenient added service that we include at no extra cost. You should never receive your images side ways or upside down. We will ensure that all your portrait photos are correctly rotated for easy viewing.
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Files on DVD
All our scanning options (except the free trail offer), includes one Free DVD containing your new digital images. This DVD can be read by personal computers. It is always a good idea to copy your new digital images to at least one other media format like your hard disk. You can also order additional copies of this DVD. Please let us know if you prefer to receive your files on CD media instead of DVD.
We also offer a Video Slideshow DVD that can be watched like a regular DVD movie on your TV through a DVD player. This is a great way to share your new digital images with family and friends.
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JPEG and TIFF Images
We offer two different file formats (JPEG and TIFF) for storing scanned digital images. The JPEG file format is the most commonly used format and preferred by many. The TIFF file format are sometimes required by professional photographers and used with advanced image editing software. JPEG files are at least three to four times smaller that TIFF files and is the standard for transmitting on the Internet.
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16-bit Color Depth
Most digital images are stored in 8-bit color. This is actually the same as 24-bit color, 8-bits for each of the three color channels, red, green and blue (RGB). If we talk about 16-bit color, it really refers to a 48-bit color space since the image is made up of three color channels (red, green, blue), each with 16-bits of color data. The human vision is limited to about 10-bits per color channel. That leaves 16-bit color mainly for professional image editing to maintaining greater precision when applying sequences of image filtering algorithms. If you plan to do some serious image editing, be sure to select the 16-bit Color Depth option when placing your order.
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Multi-sample Scanning
With multi-sample scanning, a single exposure is re-scanned as many as 16 times to produce multiple image samples. All the samples are then compared and averaged to produce a rich, noise-free image. Multi-sample scanning removes virtually all electronic noise, producing more accurate image reproduction with smoother changes in color and tone. Color transparencies (slides) benefit most from this options, although negatives will also produce better results with 2-4 times sampling. Many professional photographers use multi-sampling when scanning their exposures.
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