Newton rings

[sergiob]

I am scanning 8x10 on a friends Epson 750V scanner and I get newton rings.

Is there anyway I can avoid these?

I would prefer NOT to wet mount, but if it is the only way around is it safe to dip your negatives in some silck oily greasy stuff?

How do you clean these?

[Drew Wiley]

Anti-newton sprays or offset powder (finely sifted corn starch), anti-Newton glass
(try Focal Point), or, as you already noted, fluid mounting.

[jim kitchen]

Dear Sergio,

You will get many answers to this question, and there are good resources within this forum, where we spoke to this issue previously...

My answer is simple. Take the time to wet mount your images using the proper solutions, learn how to wet mount them by practicing, and then clean your negatives properly with a good film cleaner. I have yet to find a better answer to scanning my 8X10 negatives on the 750. It takes time to master this process, so be prepared to change your temperament periodically. Lastly, you must find the optimum focus height above your scanner's glass bed to be effective, which could be anywhere between the glass bed's surface to a three millimetre height above the scanner's glass bed surface.

Just my two pennies...

jim k

[Peter De Smidt]

Are you scanning with the emulsion down? Usually, the emulsion side is less glossy, and hence less prone to Newton's rings.

You can also try mounting under an AN (or Anti-glare picture framing glass) which is held above the scanner bed by four feet. I use tape for feet, but there are a lot of options. You mount the negative on the bottom of the glass. An issue is that the negative might sag down and touch the glass. As a result, it's really important to tape the negative under some tension. I've done this successfully with 4x5. I'm not sure it'll work with 8x10.

[Eric Woodbury]

Newton rings will not form below a diffuse surface in contact with your image, regardless of their contact. As an example, in a diffusion enlarger with coldlight, if the diffusion glass, the white plexi, is in contact with the negative, no Newton rings form.

Newton rings are formed by differential path length and a somewhat coherent light source. If the coherence is destroyed, so goes the Newton rings.

I'm not sure how this would work with scanning, as I do so little. I might try a frosted acetate above the neg (i.e below the scanner glass). Just the texture, in this case, would probably destroy the rings. If not, then changing or adding the scanner glass for a diffuse material would do it, but this will reduce the overall scanner lamp intensity. For most scanners and normal density negs, this won't be a limiting factor, but a lot of ifs in there.

It is my understanding from those that do scanning, that a wet with oil negative scans much better than a dry neg is all cases. Of course, YMMV.

[domaz]

Get the negatives off the scanner glass somehow. The only time I got rings with an Epson is when I just layed a 5x7 negative right on the glass. Are you using any kind of negative holder?

[timparkin]

I would prefer NOT to wet mount, but if it is the only way around is it safe to dip your negatives in some silck oily greasy stuff?

Wet mounting is typically not done with mineral oil anymore. Most people use a variation on Kami fluid which is an alcohol like substance that evaporates very quickly.

This evaporation takes place in about 5 - 10 seconds after removing the fim from the scanner. it dies leave a slight 'water mark' but this only shows under reflection. The water mark is very easily removed with a film cleaner but because it doesn't show up, I just leave it (the less times a negative is cleaned the better).

You should probably be cleaning the film before scanning anyway as it will remove dust and also the cleaner acts as an antistatic agent, stopping more dust from being attracted to the film.

Basically, don't be afraid of wet mounting, it's not like it used to be...

Tim

[Walter Calahan]

I flip my 8x10 so it is emulsion side up, and then place an anti-Newton Ring glass plate over top the film to keep it flat. 99% I get no Newton Rings, and when I do they are very small and easily fixed in Photoshop.

[Lenny Eiger]

Liquid, whether you like Kami or Lumina, is pure magic....

Lenny


EigerStudios

[Gem Singer]

Lenny,

Only if you drink it.