Anyone print large using a Flatbed scanner?

[rdenney]

If a sense of endless detail is central to the effect of the print, then there is a limit to how large an Epson scan can be enlarged. For me, that's about 4x or 5x, depending on subject material. But that is also for prints that can be inspected from the viewer's minimum distance, which is maybe 10 inches. If you can control how close the viewer can get, then you can print larger without losing that sense of endless detail.

Rick "noting that a sense of endless detail is only one of several attributes of large format" Denney

[Ben Syverson]

I printed a bunch of 8x10 portraits to 40x50" with an Epson 4990... They held up very well, but a 5X enlargement is about as far as I would go.

You need to apply just the right amount and radii of unsharp mask to remove the scanner's "haze" and bring out the fine details. Too much, and the grain is noticeable in the print. I think for 2400 I normally do a pass of 3 pixel radius USM, followed by 1.5.

[David Higgs]

I had to do a 40x50 from an V750. It was a black and white image (which somehow fairs better than C41 and esp E6). Normally past 24 inches I'd go for a drum scan, but that wasn't feasable in the time scale. The images was a long exposure of wind blown trees and water, so no endless detail. The print was great. I think whether you need a drum scan depends partly on the detail required, and how good you are at scanning/post processing. The V750 always needs a huge amount of work, sometimes days to get just so. A drum scan almost always comes back ready to go.
If you are in the UK, Tim Parkin at http://cheapdrumscanning.com/ does an excellent job, and does all my drum work.

David

[SpeedGraphicMan]

I have, with 6x6 Velvia slides shot with my Hasselblad 500c/m.

Printed at about 5' square!

[alexn]

A friend of mine recently put on a public exhibition of his work shot on 6x7 scanned on his V700 with betterscanning holders and ANR glass inserts. He printed his images 24x30" and they were spectacular. I have no doubt that you could do 40x50's from 4x5 sheet film. As has been said, a drum scan WILL yield a better print at these sizes, but thats not to say the flatbed print will be unacceptable.. It just won't have that supreme up close detail that a drum scanned image would.

[Kirk Gittings]

It just won't have that supreme up close detail that a drum scanned image would.

It will also have considerably less deep shadow detail and allot more shadow noise. I have made this comparison probably 100 times. In a money or time pinch I have used my 750 for prints up to 11x14 and occassionally 16x20, but I always end up kicking myself for it. I put so much work into a file. Why bother unless I start with a first class scan? At 16x20 there is a huge difference between an Epson scan and a first class drum scan or even a scan from a pro flat bed like a Creo IQ Smart.

[vinny]

It will also have considerably less deep shadow detail and allot more shadow noise. I have made this comparison probably 100 times. In a money or time pinch I have used my 750 for prints up to 11x14 and occassionally 16x20, but I always end up kicking myself for it. I put so much work into a file. Why bother unless I start with a first class scan? At 16x20 there is a huge difference between an Epson scan and a first class drum scan or even a scan from a pro flat bed like a Creo IQ Smart.

YUP.
every time I scan a piece of film (for quick viewing purposes) on my epson, I say "why the hell did I even pull it out of it's sleeve. now it's got dust on it and I'm gonna have to put in on my drum scanner if I like it anyway. Night and day, and if you don't know the difference, get your eyes checked.

[Gary Tarbert]

I would only go that big on canvas from a v700 /750, absolutely not for a high gloss application ie: fujiflex ,as Kirk and Vinny have said the difference is chalk and cheese . Cheers Gary