LaserSoft Imaging

Hello,

I have a Minolta 5400 scanner using silverfast ai. I've noticed that while my prescan dimensions are correct the actual scanned image (when using the job manager) is cropped. Typically by 5 % or more on the edges. I.e. I have a frame setting with the settings 0.9 x 1.4 original and output size of 11 x 17. 2.0 Q factor with a 150 screen setting. But when I use this frame setting in job manager the original is reduced from 11 x 17 to 9.9 x 15.5. I've adjusted the auto inset from 10 to 0 with no effect. I've also adjusted the orig frame and output size with the same outcome. Unintended cropping. Why is this happening? Simply put, I want a full frame image with no cropping. Help!

Stephen

1. just wondering; how are you setting the frame position/dimensions for the images in the Job Manager? unless you set them manually, one frame at a time, Job Manager will use the default position/dimension which may *not* be what you need.

2. by 'auto-inset', what do you mean? there's an inset option which controls how much of the image SF looks at when calculating the exposure/color/etc but this does not affect the actual scan area.

3. how did you adjust the 'orig frame' and 'output size'?

Sorry about the late reply. I've read your email several times and I honestly don't understand what you are asking? How can I manually adjust the frame setting for the image when I can not see the image in the edit mode of Job manager. Upon entering the edit mode for an image I get a blank page with a marquee. All I want is to have Silverfast scan the entire image w/o cropping the image. How is this possible? To date, I've spent 30 plus man hours trying to figure this out. If the negative is a 35mm image and the original size is 1.4 x 0.9.... If I've created a frame setting with 1163.6 % of scaling resulting in an output image of 16.4 x 10.9 then why would the job manager give me anything different? Why does the job manager augment my frame setting to an orig size of 1.3 x 0.8 and an output image of 9.6 x 15.2 and yet still display the named frame setting as if no parameters have been changed? The Minolta software for the 5400 scanner allows you to choose either a tight or loose crop............of a full frame 35mm negative...........by simply clicking an icon. And even with the tightest crop..........THE IMAGE IS STILL FULL FRAME!!!!! I don't know, Maybe I have SFLD aka Silver Fast Leaning Disorder. But for crying out loud I'm an Apple user and not a programmer for Bill Gates. There must be an easy way to achieve my goal. I'm at my wits end and I just simply need help. (and maybe a drink at this point.)

I think I know the source of your problem.

here is how you would probably work with the Job Manager:

1. you prescan a frame of film.
2. you then move and resize the scanning marquee in the Preview window. your changes are reflected in the Original dimension fields in the main window.
3. you make other changes to the settings including output resolution, scale, output dimensions, colour changes and Negafix film selection.
4. you then save the settings via the Settings popup menu. for this scenario, we'll call the new setting "Perfect Scan".
   
5. you open the Job Manager window.
6. you click the "Add from Overview" button to open the Overview window and choose several or all of the frames in your strip of film. you close the Overview window.
7. a dialog window pops up asking you to choose a Setting for the frames. you choose the Perfect Scan setting (and you'll probably deselect the Use Original Resolution checkbox too). you click OK to continue.
8. all of the frames you selected are added to the Job Manager queue.

now, here's the problem. remember how you carefully positioned and resized the scanning frame before you saved the Perfect Scan setting? well, that frame's position and size are not copied to the Job Manager. instead, every item in the Job Manager queue adopts a default frame position/size which unfortunately for us is usually unusable. in your case, the default frame position/size is approximately 5% smaller than the frames you are scanning.

to verify that this is your problem, do this:

1. prescan a frame of film.
2. position and resize the scanning marquee. remember the position and size. if necessary, take a screen shot of the Preview window.
3. save the setting. (the other colour, scale, etc settings don't matter for this test)
4. open the Job Manager.
5. click the "Add from Overview" button to open the Overview window.
6. choose just one frame and click OK to continue.
7. choose your new Setting and click OK to continue.
8. in the Job Manager window, click on the newly added frame and then click on the Edit button (ie, the one with a Pencil icon).

SF will prescan the frame and open it in the Preview window.

check the scanning marquee. is it the same as the one you specified earlier? probably not. this currently is a limitation of the Add to Job Manager process. when using the Job Manager with film scanners, every frame in the queue needs to be edited, prescanned and manually adjusted.

does this describe your problem correctly?

regards
Gregory