Making a digital copy of my negatives

[macandal]

I have an Epson 3200 scanner and I use the Epson software with it, nothing special. I shoot film, 4x5 almost exclusively, though I have a few 35mm negatives too. Mostly B&W, though, I also have a few color negatives.

I want to start scanning my negatives primarily, to have a digital copy of them, a backup should anything happen to them (they become damaged or they're lost). Also, I want to have a digital copy of the negatives because I want to make platinum/palladium prints, and to have them ready to submit for contests, shows, etc. These days you'll need a digital copy to do that.

So, I guess my question is, how do I scan? If I am to keep a copy of my negatives from which I could work on should my actual negatives get damaged or lost, how do I need to scan it? What are its settings? What does the negative need done before it's scanned? Or, does it need anything before it's scanned?

I'm sorry if I'm not being clear. I'm doing my best trying to explain what I want to do. The easiest way to put it, I want to make a digital copy of my negatives, how do I do that?

Thanks.

[cowanw]

You mention that you make Platinum/palladium prints. I have found that my negatives are not the end result of my process and that I (and only I) cannot replicate the image I make in print through a computer process, to my satisfaction. Therefor what I want to archive or make digital copies of are my prints. I photograph them with a digital camera in a copy setup and get better results than scanning with my older scanner.

[Martin Dake]

This site may help you get started..

http://www.kennethleegallery.com/html/scanning/index.php

I found the information from Kenneth Lee to be helpful when I started with an Epson scanner.