Halp! Epson 3200 Print Scan Too Bright? Lock Exposure Needed?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Alan Smithee
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Alan Smithee

I'm scanning a print made on injet paper which has a faint embossed or
colored tinted logo of the manufacturer on the back of the paper. When I
look at the output on the monitor I can make out the logo. Yoiks. I think
the scanner sensor light is so bright it's bouncing off the back of the
white backing and creating a shadow effect in the print. Is there a way to
turn down the brightness on a print? I know I can do this with a negative
using VueScan's "Lock Exposure" feature. There doesn't seem to be function
like this available for prints however. Halp!
 
I'm scanning a print made on injet paper which has a faint embossed or
colored tinted logo of the manufacturer on the back of the paper. When I
look at the output on the monitor I can make out the logo. Yoiks. I think
the scanner sensor light is so bright it's bouncing off the back of the
white backing and creating a shadow effect in the print. Is there a way to
turn down the brightness on a print? I know I can do this with a negative
using VueScan's "Lock Exposure" feature. There doesn't seem to be function
like this available for prints however. Halp!
Click to expand...
Put a sheet of black paper behind the print?

DaveT
 
DaveT said:
Put a sheet of black paper behind the print?

DaveT
Click to expand...

The problem is that this paper has a certain amount of translucency. If I
put a black card behind it I will start picking up black. Too much light is
the problem, but maybe that throws the scanner out of whack if you start
monkeying with that setting sensor speed setting.
 
You originally posted:
"... I think the scanner sensor light is so bright it's bouncing off the
back of the white backing and creating a shadow effect in the print. ..."

That is correct. The light transmitted through the paper is being
*reflected* back through the "inkjet paper" by the white covering on the
scanner's lid.

The way to fix that is ...

Put a BLACK surface over the print ... just like "Dave T" posted ... so the
light is no longer being reflected **back** through the paper.

Paper, cardboard, or even a piece of velvet works fine. I've used this
"trick" many times ... to the point of being able to pick up the writing
from only *one* side of the Tissue Paper used for Airmail during "WWII."

You then posted:
"... If I put a black card behind it I will start picking up black. ..."

Yes, exactly, and that's exactly what you want. Think for a second ... what
is "BLACK?"

Black is an absence of light (white), and it's *exactly* what you want.

Then you posted:
"... Too much light is the problem ..."

No ... *Reflected* light is your problem. Try it (the black paper mentioned
above) ... you will be surprised.
 
The problem is that this paper has a certain amount of translucency. If I
put a black card behind it I will start picking up black. Too much light is
the problem, but maybe that throws the scanner out of whack if you start
monkeying with that setting sensor speed setting.
Click to expand...

You may need to change the threshhold settings for your scan to get
your average lighting back, but the black behind the print prevents
light being bounced back through the paper toward the scan head. I
have used this technique many times when photocopying two-sided
material and printing on the back side was ghosting through.

DaveT
 
Why do they always/mostly use a white background behind flatbed scanners?
Seems counter intuitive if its only effect is to cause reflective problems.
 
HeHeHeHeHe ...

A *long* time ago, in a different century, one manufacturer (Agfa) used a
black background in their flat bed scanners.

But, then ... these were very expensive "Studio" scanners ... usually only
sold to photographers and Mac-O-Holics, for **lots** of money.
 
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