Using the Nikon Coolscan III Film (Slide) Scanner

    The Nikon Coolscan III Film Scanner is our new scanner for scanning slides. Its instruction booklet and various accessories (including a special attachment which can be used to scan film strips) is in a box on a table behind the computer.
     
     

    Steps in Scanning Slides:

    1. Please read: Always turn on the slide scanner before turning on the computer. If you are already on the computer and the slide scanner is shut off, always shut down the computer, turn on the scanner, and then restart in the computer. Please follow this procedure or you will risk damaging the scanner.
    2. Open up the graphics application, Adobe Photoshop. Click on the Launcher on Applications, and then click on the icon for Adobe Photoshop.
    3. Once in Adobe Photoshop, choose File and Import. Select "Nikon Scan 2" to open the new slide scanner.
    4. You will see a screen with various buttons on the left hand side, and on the right, a grid where the image will appear.
    5. Use the Dust Blaster can of condensed air to blow any dust off the slide. This is important, since dust can get trapped in the scanner and can compromise the quality of the scanned image.
    6. Insert the slide face up in the opening in the front of the scanner.
    7. Press the green Preview button in the lower left hand corner. The scanner will display a preview scan in the grid. This may take 20 seconds to one minute, so be patient.
    8. By clicking on the arrows in the second row in the upper left hand corner of the scan window, you can rotate the image on the grid, or flip it horizontally or vertically.
    9. You will see the cropping lines or "marching ants" on the previewed image. To crop the image, use your cursor to manipulate the "marching ants" so that they fit around the edges of the image.
    10. It is usually wise to scan the slide at the same resolution and size which you will be using on the Web or in PowerPoint. Both the Web and PowerPoint dictate that you use images with a resolution of 72 dpi (dots-per-inch). To adjust the resolution and size of the image, click on the upper side tab (the Area Tab) in the column of tabs located in the middle of the scan window [by moving your cursor over any of the buttons on the scan window, you will find a description of the button's function in the lower border of the scan screen]. By clicking on the Area Tab, you will open up a dialog box. The upper part shows the Input of the scan: the actual information feeding into the scanner. The lower part shows the Output of the scan: what information you tell the scanner to process. You want to determine the scanning size for the Output. Find the resolution box and enter 72 pixels/inch for resolution. Then put the cursor in the Width or Height box (whichever is the longer dimension for this particular image) and enter a number for the size that you want. The images in our Classics database which are posted on Caprina are scanned in three sizes: fullsize (approx. 768 X 512 pixels), thumbnail (approx. 192 X 128 pixels) , and high-resolution (approx. 1536 X 1024 pixels). For fullsize images, enter 768. For thumbnail images, enter 192. For high-resolution images (optimal for printing out on paper) enter 1536. Then click in the other dimension box, and the scanner will automatically adjust the width to be proportional to the height, or vice versa.

      11. If you plan to use the image as an illustration a webpage or in PowerPoint, a good size to use is a width or height of 400 pixels.
      When you are through selecting your size, click on the Area Tab to close.
    11. You may notice that the preview scan is somewhat dark. You can adjust the levels (the distribution of tones in the pixels) of the scan by selecting the Color/Levels Tab (the one below the Area Tab). By pointing the cursor on the dot and manipulating the levels curve, you can adjust the appearance of the scanned image. This may also be done in Photoshop after the image is scanned.
    12. The third tab is the Color Balance Tab which can be used to adjust the color balance. You can move the buttons along the sliding scales to manipulate the brightness, contrast, and colors (red, blue, and green) of the image.
    13. The fourth tab allows you to make special adjustments, such as cleaning the image (this function is currently selected to function automatically). The scanner automatically adjusts to cover any dust or scratches on the slide (however, it is a good idea to use the condensed air to clean the slide before you scan).
    14. When you are ready to scan the image, press the green Scan button in the lower left hand corner. The scanner should take 20-30 seconds or less to scan the image.
    15. You will hear the scanner completing the scan. Once it is finished, close the scan window by clicking on the box in the upper left hand corner.
    16. You may now manipulate the image in Adobe Photoshop. Remember to save the image as both a Photoshop document (with a .psd extension) and as a Jpeg file (.jpg) on the Desktop or on a Zip disk.
    17. If you want to scan the same slide at a different size, go to File, Import, and Nikon Scan 2 to open up the scanner window, and enter the new dimension in the width or height box. You do not need to do another preview scan; just press the Scan button.
    18. When you are through scanning the slide, press the manual button on the scanner to the lower right of the slide slot to eject the slide.
    19. To scan another slide, start again from step 3.
    20. When you shut down the computer for the evening, shut down the scanner after you shut down the computer.