High end flat bed scanner

[Kirk Gittings]

What constitutes a high end flat bed scanner and how big do the scan areas get? I have an important 11x14 print that I need the very best scan I can get from it. The negative has been lost and for future book projects I want to archive a good file of this last print. I would rather not stitch two scans together. Does anyone have any lab recommendations for this.

[Jim Noel]

If this image is that valuable to you, why not take it to a local service bureau and have them make a top level scan. They will have a scanner of a quality, and price, that you probably don't want to purchase.

[Kirk Gittings]

Thanks for the responce. I don't want to purchase it. I want to know what I am talking about when I talk to a tech. I live in Albuquerque New Mexico and "service bureaus" are very few and far between. The only one here has to do a stitch which I am not interested in. That is why I am asking for recomendations. If someone knows something about high end flatbed scanners that will handle 11x14 and has a lab that can do this I would appreciate hearing about it.

[David Luttmann]

Kirk, Calypso does scans of prints using their Betterlight. Give them a try.

[Scott Schroeder]

Kirk,
Holland Photo here in Austin,Tx has a Creo Eversmart Supreme (a $50,000 scanner)that should work for you. I am currently having them scan a 4X10 neg for me so I can let you know what I think later this week. The price is very reasonable as well.

Here is a link:

http://www.hollandphoto.com/Eversmart.aspx

[Dan V]

"A&I offers a range of state-of-the-art scanning services. Our drum scanner is a Digital PhotoLab/Howtek 8000, which is capable of scanning both transmissive and reflective materials up to 11.5” x 12” at 8000dpi (true optical resolution, without interpolation) in 24-bit color. Our flatbed scanner is a Scitex Eversmart Supreme, which scans originals up to 11.5” x 16.5”"

http://www.aandi.com/faqscan.html

[Ted Harris]

Kirk, see my long email. The Creo aboce is a good choice. The Howtek is top line but I am not sure how you would do a drum scan of a print without damaging same. The Betterlight solution might also not be too bad but I think a striaght scan eliminating a step is a better bet.

[sanking]

I may be wrong about this but since the resolution and Dmax of the print are the limiting factors in scanning reflective copy it would seem to me that any of the better quality A3 tabloid scanners, such as the Microtek 9800XL that scans at 1600dpi or the Epson 20000XL, at 2400dpi, are capable of capturing as much detail and Dmax as you have in a 11X14" print.

If this is not so I would be interested in understanding why it is not.

[bglick]

For a print, most any decent scanner will suffice..... Large high end flat beds,

Creo - IQ's and Eversmarts
Screen - Cezanne
Heidleberg - Lino

as Mentioned, microtek and Epson also make large flat bed

Drums,

Howtek 7500 (only)
ICG
Screen 8060
possibly I missed a few....