Hi.

When I scan slides on the scanner, I have sometimes ugly banding. At the beginning I thought these were my slides who were too old (20-25 years of age) but somebody told me recently it was the scanner.

I see it only in dark parts or after adjusting the gamma on too dark photos. I don't always know how to remove it. Sometimes, it can be easy: using a depth of field and the clone tool like in this one where there is a main subject that can be easily focussed, using a directional blur like in this one where I applied it on the background terreplein where it could look natural.

Now I have a photo I would like to post but the banding has a huge surface, there is no main subject I can focus on as this is an overview with a lot of small details. I cannot post the image today, I have already reached my daily quota.

I can do the job in Photoshop 5, PSP 9 or Painter 8. If there is also something to do with the scanner (HP Scanjet with a slide module), I would like to hear it.

Any hints?

Miche

Message edited on: 02/16/2005 06:12

Miche, I've no directly comparable results with banding by a scanner (I've a Canon FS4000US), while scanning old slides (~ 1955-1965) I get the problem of spots by fungi as the slides are framed between glasses... I usually try to repair with PSP 7 or 8 without any automatic option of the scanner - which it officially has but which did not work to my expectations in this case...

PSP9 manual sugests:
Use 'Moire Pattern Removal'
Reduce image in the preview window to see bands clearly.
If it is only bands leave fine detail setting at 1 and start with band setting on 1
Use the lowest possible value changing it one number at a time until bands fade.
Click OK

Afterwards you may be able to sharpen etc.

Have you tried this ?

Message edited on: 02/16/2005 11:48

This is not moir This is stripes. Very strong stripes. Using the 'Stripes Removal' (or any name it has in English) gives a contrasting texture at its best.

I used the 'Moire Pattern removal' anyway and this becomes too blurry.

Miche

Message edited on: 02/16/2005 12:03

I uploaded the image there.

If you want to take a look...

Miche

hello Miche, i had a similar problem and solved it by adjusting my monitor calibration setting the gamma value to 2.2 when scanning. this solved most of my scanning issues but the occasional one did get through and i woud go through the process again. i hope this helps :)

Attached Link: http://www.peimag.com/pdf/pei01/pei0601/burkholderpei0601.pdf

My first guess was that your scanner was faulty and maybe needed a new one, but now I think that the scanning settings you are using may be at fault.

You did not say what type of scanner or make or model you are using....

If you do a google search you will find numerous links about "scanner banding"..... Edited for clarification....

Message edited on: 02/16/2005 14:25

firestorm,

Your solution doesn't work for me. When I do an 'adjust levels' in Photoshop or 'Manual Histogram' (whatever name in English) command in PSP, as the photo needs tonal calibration, it becomes visible.

Michelle A.

This is not my issue as I scan in millions of colors and not in 8 or 16 bits. However, I will make a search on 'scanner banding' as you suggested it.

As my information on the scanner seems incomplete, it is a HP ScanJet 3970. This is a flatbed with a slide module. I share your idea it might be faulty. The mirror in the module has some texture that looks like the banding. I tried to clean it with lens cleaner and a photographer cloth to no avail. However, I bought it last summer. For the moment I would prefer waiting before buying a new one.

Miche

Message edited on: 02/16/2005 15:52

hi Miche sorry that didn't work. just to add, i did not use psp or photoshop but made the correction in the scanning software once i had previewed the image before scanning.

firestorm, As you didn't tell if you were using psp or photoshop, I also tried it from the scanner software. To no avail. Miche

no problem, ciao

Hmmm, no fun those bands! I've seen them on only few occassions scanning with my Canoscan 9900F. For the time being I could advise you to scan a slide a few times in different positions (e.g. one normal, one 90 degrees turned or just a bit shifted) and to combine them in your Photo-editing software. Those bands appear IMHO as a hardware-problem. I've used scanners like Vista-scanners some 8 years ago or so, with a slide-module and those bands seem to me very familiar. I'm afraid this kind of scanners is great for reflective materials, but for transparant they seem simply not apt. Perhaps you can find something on the website of HP, and ask there what you can do against it. It must be really frustrating having good slides and getting these banded results!

jcv2, It worked. I scanned by turning them in different positions like you suggested, 90 degrees each time as this is the only available possibility, and I got a good render at 90 & 270 degrees, this one being the best. I didn't even need to combine them in my photo-editing software. A so simple idea! Thanks a lot! Miche

Great!!! I'm glad to hear it! It's a joy when that thing finally does what it's intended for! :)