Hello all, I see that a newer version of PSP is coming out. Has anyone tried the Beta version 8? If so, how do you like it? Is it much different from the Anniversary edition? This list has been so quiet lately. Must be Spring Fever. Thanks, Martha

Thanks!, Vic. My Microtec E3 is starting to show its age and low resolution (300dpi), so I guess I'll spring for a new HP. Carl Sachs Victor Adams wrote: > > Carl, > > I don't have a negative adapter for my scanner, so I turn my light box upside down on top of the negative on the scanner. I admit that there are disadvantages to this method: > > 1) The negative must lay perfectly flat, but with glass plate this should not be a problem. > > 2) The light box light seems to be a little too blue, so I usually have to color rectify, but I always check the color anyway, and I'm guessing your glass plate negatives are black and white. Still you might need to suck any stray color out of the scan that the light box might have introduced. > > In conclusion I would recommend to anyone to get a negative adapter if they can afford it, but for glass plate negatives you might try this. > > Vic Adams > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Carl Sachs" <[email protected]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Monday, April 07, 2003 5:00 PM > Subject: [SP] HP-3570 > > > [3] Should it be possible to scan old 8" x 10" and 5" x 7" > > glass plate negatives using a 12" x 12" light box as the > > transmission source, instead of the included film strip and > > slide light source?

Carl, I don't have a negative adapter for my scanner, so I turn my light box upside down on top of the negative on the scanner. I admit that there are disadvantages to this method: 1) The negative must lay perfectly flat, but with glass plate this should not be a problem. 2) The light box light seems to be a little too blue, so I usually have to color rectify, but I always check the color anyway, and I'm guessing your glass plate negatives are black and white. Still you might need to suck any stray color out of the scan that the light box might have introduced. In conclusion I would recommend to anyone to get a negative adapter if they can afford it, but for glass plate negatives you might try this. Vic Adams ----- Original Message ----- From: "Carl Sachs" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, April 07, 2003 5:00 PM Subject: [SP] HP-3570 > [3] Should it be possible to scan old 8" x 10" and 5" x 7" > glass plate negatives using a 12" x 12" light box as the > transmission source, instead of the included film strip and > slide light source?

Not familiar with HP-3570. I prefer the scanning software supplied with Microtek scanners. (Purchased HP slide and snapshot scanners, too.) In 1996 Microtek E3 had a full size transparent media adaptor (TMA) that cost about the same amount as the scanner itself and is bigger than inexpensive modern flatbeds. Dual boot (ME & XP) computer ready to use but I haven't yet connected the E3 to that computer. Main scanner now is a Microtek 5700 but it doesn't have a large area for transparencies. 35mm or smaller cropped area requires a better quality scan than Microtek E3. The TMA light is used for slide or negative scan and the flatbed light is used for normal paper or pictures. I've often used a black paper backing for thin paper items like newspapers. -- Elizabeth ----- Original Message ----- From: "Carl Sachs" > [1] Exactly how does the scan take place when scanning 35mm > negs or slides? > [2] Is the light source used for "normal" flat copy scanning > turned off when scanning film or slides? > [3] Should it be possible to scan old 8" x 10" and 5" x 7" > glass plate negatives using a 12" x 12" light box as the > transmission source, instead of the included film strip and > slide light source? > > Once scanned, it is my intention to make positives by using > the "negative" option for converting the scan. > I realize there are more expensive ($1200+) scanners that > will do the job, but this cost is out of the question for > the small historical society who wishes to make a catalog of > their holdings.

--=======7DB64FBD======= Content-Type: text/plain; x-avg-checked=avg-ok-22EE4C5F; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Thanks to Evelyn, Bob, Ron and Percy. Next trip to a major shopping centre I'll check out what is in the photo=20 shops as I now have more idea what I'm looking for. Cathy At 09:44 7/04/2003 -0500, you wrote: > > Any advice on cleaning slides? My father took lots of slides but neve= r > > thought about dust. Scanning them shows the dust up really well. How = can I > > remove it without damaging the surface of the slide? > > > Cathy, --=======7DB64FBD=======--

I have a couple of questions which none of three "sales reps(?)" could answer. Perhaps someone monitoring this list can offer their help and/or opinion(s) as to how well my idea might work. My questions: [1] Exactly how does the scan take place when scanning 35mm negs or slides? [2] Is the light source used for "normal" flat copy scanning turned off when scanning film or slides? [3] Should it be possible to scan old 8" x 10" and 5" x 7" glass plate negatives using a 12" x 12" light box as the transmission source, instead of the included film strip and slide light source? Once scanned, it is my intention to make positives by using the "negative" option for converting the scan. I realize there are more expensive ($1200+) scanners that will do the job, but this cost is out of the question for the small historical society who wishes to make a catalog of their holdings. Thanks! for any help or suggestions. Carl Sachs PS - An aside . . . While checking out the current crop of popular scanners, I noticed that nearly all are supplied with a bright white backing pad for flat copy scanning. Good grief! . . . doesn't this cause all kinds of bleed through? My current Microtek E3 came equipped with a black pad, but I still have to insert a black sheet between pages sometimes to prevent bleeding from adjacent pages. Comments?

Q-tip is a brand name for a cotton ball on a stick. I guess some sections of the country might call them a cotton bud. Apparently it does not leave bits when it is wet with the alcohol. Why not try it with a slide you do not care about and see what happens. My brother lived in the Marshall Islands and mildew was quite a problem over there. It seems to have worked for him. Evelyn ----- Original Message ----- From: "Cathy Pinner" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, April 06, 2003 10:02 PM Subject: Re: [SP] cleaning slides > --=======16CB29C6======= > Content-Type: text/plain; x-avg-checked=avg-ok-EE413D0; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed > Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit > > Thanks Evelyn, > > but what's a Q-tip? My guess is a cotton bud - but wouldn't that possibly > leave bits? > > Cathy > > At 21:52 6/04/2003 -0400, you wrote: > > >My brother, who was quite a good amateur photographer, told me to use some > >rubbing alcohol on a Q-tip and gently touch the slide with it to remove > >mildew. I suppose the same would work for the dust. Or how about one of > >those cans of air? > >Evelyn > >----- Original Message ----- > >From: "Cathy Pinner" <[email protected]> > >To: <[email protected]> > >Sent: Sunday, April 06, 2003 7:09 PM > >Subject: [SP] cleaning slides > > > Hi everyone, > > > > > > Any advice on cleaning slides? My father took lots of slides but never > > > thought about dust. Scanning them shows the dust up really well. How can I > > > remove it without damaging the surface of the slide? > > > > > > Cheers, > > > Cathy > > --=======16CB29C6=======-- >

--=======16CB29C6======= Content-Type: text/plain; x-avg-checked=avg-ok-EE413D0; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Thanks Evelyn, but what's a Q-tip? My guess is a cotton bud - but wouldn't that possibly leave bits? Cathy At 21:52 6/04/2003 -0400, you wrote: >My brother, who was quite a good amateur photographer, told me to use some >rubbing alcohol on a Q-tip and gently touch the slide with it to remove >mildew. I suppose the same would work for the dust. Or how about one of >those cans of air? >Evelyn >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Cathy Pinner" <[email protected]> >To: <[email protected]> >Sent: Sunday, April 06, 2003 7:09 PM >Subject: [SP] cleaning slides > > Hi everyone, > > > > Any advice on cleaning slides? My father took lots of slides but never > > thought about dust. Scanning them shows the dust up really well. How can I > > remove it without damaging the surface of the slide? > > > > Cheers, > > Cathy --=======16CB29C6=======--

> Any advice on cleaning slides? My father took lots of slides but never > thought about dust. Scanning them shows the dust up really well. How can I > remove it without damaging the surface of the slide? Cathy, I thought I might as well dive in here, even though I risk a response of horror from those who follow the expert opinions. (GDR). I have to qualify, though. If any slide is invaluable, please do not risk harsh treatment. I don't want to be pilloried for giving advice that led to the damage of a family heirloom! I must say that I do treat slides like that with the utmost care & do not risk doing anything that has even the potential for damage. To give background, I've got several thousand slides that are 30-40 years old, many of which are in terrible condition. Dirt, mildew, scratches, fingerprints, you name it. Fading & colour shift are also problems, although the Kodachromes (the bulk of the collection) have held up very well. To be blunt, the gentle techniques reccomended by the experts have done very little to clean up the worst slides. After scanning about 100 or so of the earliest slides, with miserable results, I noticed that there was also an even film of some sort that covered the emulsion side & slightly darkened the image, reducing contrast. It's hard to describe. The film only became obvious after vigourous brushing with a stiffer than normal brush - you could see obvious streaks where the film had been removed by some of the bristles, especially in areas of clear sky or in white highlights. I then tried a number of approaches, using slides that had little redeeming value. One thing I ruled out fairly early on was rubbing alcohol. It does help on some mildew cases, but not all. Moreover, if used in extreme, it can "melt" the emulsion & totally ruin a slide. It is very easy to pass the "cleaned as good as possible" point & go on to a badly damaged slide. Not worth risking, for me. The final procedure? I first blast the slide with a compressed gas duster. It is powerful enough to remove any loose dust - little squeeze bulbs come nowhere close. Hold the can upright & do not shake; otherwise the propellant will spurt out. I have not noticed any damage from the propellant, & have looked at the earlier trials to see if any has shown up after over a year - none is obvious. Then I use a lens cleaning paper or similar to rub the slide & I rub with a LOT of pressure, using several strokes. This removes the aforementioned film from the emulsion, as well as any dust or specks that are not embedded in the emulsion. The rubbing will cause some scratches, although I am amazed at how few & how minor they are. I find that these scratches are much easier to fix than what was there before. Then I blast the slide again, immediately before scanning. (For what it is worth, I'm using an HP S20 slide scanner.) Finally, I edit each image in a graphics program, & I have tried several. I generally spend 5-30 minutes per image, perhaps more in special cases. Photoshop 7 has made the job easier & produces much better results for me, especially using the healing brush tool & the patch tool. The job is very time consuming, though! I have cleaned up about 1,500 slides so far & am more than please with the results, only a handful of slides were beyond recovery. I should note that the original optical quality was about as good as you can get, in that a Nikon F was the usual camera, so the slides are worth saving for both image quality & image content. I only wish there were more pictures of people than of mountains (a lot of mountains have ended up in the circular file)! That about summarises my experience. My final advice boils down to: try everything you can think of, on images that are not important. Good Luck! Percy Thomas

--=======62B3605A======= Content-Type: text/plain; x-avg-checked=avg-ok-EE413D0; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Hi everyone, Any advice on cleaning slides? My father took lots of slides but never thought about dust. Scanning them shows the dust up really well. How can I remove it without damaging the surface of the slide? Cheers, Cathy --=======62B3605A=======--

At 07:09 PM 4/6/2003, you wrote: >Any advice on cleaning slides? My father took lots of slides but never >thought about dust. Scanning them shows the dust up really well. How can I >remove it without damaging the surface of the slide? Cathy, 1. Always hold them by the cardboard mounts. Fingerprints may etch the emulsion over time. If you are working with a lot of slides at a time, consider cotton gloves. 2. Use a soft brush. Photo supply shops sell them for a couple of dollars. Wipe it gently across the film. 3. Use a blower, like an ear syringe bulb. But do NOT use canned compressed air, as they contain ingredients that can damage the film. 4. For stubborn spots, you MIGHT try one of the foam-tipped swabs -- not the cotton-tipped, as they can leave lint. If you use the foam-tipped swabs, do no more than gently wipe them across the surface, otherwise you may scratch the film. 5. Kodak made a cleaning solution (solvent-based) that you may find in professional photo stores. It works well. Water may also work, but water softens the emulsion after a few minutes, and often leaves stains and spots after it's dried. (Kodak makes a product called "Photo-Flo" which is a wetting agent, designed to avoid water spots in rinsing film.) Also check your library, of a good size book store, for books on care and restoration of film. Doing a Google search produced some more information: http://aroundcny.com/technofile/texts/mckaylet052701.html http://www.hipshot.com/scantip3.html From Kodak: Cleaning film http://www.kodak.com/global/en/consumer/products/techInfo/cis145/cis145.shtml Avoiding dust with scanners: http://www.kodak.com/global/en/service/tib/tib7024.shtml Hope this helps, Bob Geldart [email protected] Maynard, MA

My brother, who was quite a good amateur photographer, told me to use some rubbing alcohol on a Q-tip and gently touch the slide with it to remove mildew. I suppose the same would work for the dust. Or how about one of those cans of air? Evelyn ----- Original Message ----- From: "Cathy Pinner" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, April 06, 2003 7:09 PM Subject: [SP] cleaning slides > --=======62B3605A======= > Content-Type: text/plain; x-avg-checked=avg-ok-EE413D0; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed > Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit > > Hi everyone, > > Any advice on cleaning slides? My father took lots of slides but never > thought about dust. Scanning them shows the dust up really well. How can I > remove it without damaging the surface of the slide? > > Cheers, > Cathy > > --=======62B3605A=======-- >

Hi I'm no expert but there's a very good product on the market for just this job. I risk introducing a commercial note because the question of not damaging valuable negatives, slides, photos, etc. is so important. I'd most certainly not use a cotton swab of any sort on my slides and would be reluctant to use alcohol because of it's inherent drying properties. There's a product out for this very task called PEC-PAD wiping pads, claimed to be lint free and 99.9999% pure and so soft that it's virtually impossible to damage one's slides. This is not an endorsement, simply informational. Readers will need to go from here but I do hope it helps. You can read about them at: http://www.picturepocket.com/pages/aboutco.htm I have NO personal interest in this California company. In point of fact, I live in Canada. Ron At 10:02 AM 4/7/03 +0800, you wrote: >Thanks Evelyn, > >but what's a Q-tip? My guess is a cotton bud - but wouldn't that possibly >leave bits? > >Cathy > >At 21:52 6/04/2003 -0400, you wrote: > > >My brother, who was quite a good amateur photographer, told me to use some > >rubbing alcohol on a Q-tip and gently touch the slide with it to remove > >mildew. I suppose the same would work for the dust. Or how about one of > >those cans of air? > >Evelyn > >----- Original Message ----- > >From: "Cathy Pinner" <[email protected]> > >To: <[email protected]> > >Sent: Sunday, April 06, 2003 7:09 PM > >Subject: [SP] cleaning slides > > > Hi everyone, > > > > > > Any advice on cleaning slides? My father took lots of slides but never > > > thought about dust. Scanning them shows the dust up really well. How > can I > > > remove it without damaging the surface of the slide? > > > > > > Cheers, > > > Cathy

Thanks for all of the helpful responses to my question about permissible file names on CD's. Here's a brief summary of what I've learned. You must use the Joliet format, not the ISO 9660 format, if you want to use long file names on a CD. The maximum length of a file name is 64 characters. Based on some experiments I did this morning, the 64-character file name is in addition to any path designation (folders and subfolders). In other words, if you save a file in a folder called "Images" you do not need to reduce the length of the file name by 6 characters to stay under the 64-character limit. However, it appears that the file extension DOES count in the 64-character limit but the period between file name and extension does NOT count. So you can have a 61-character file name followed by a period and a 3-character extension. By the way, I'm using Adaptec Easy CD Creator 4. I know there are certain characters that are not permissible in file names but I didn't explore that question because I use only letters, numbers, spaces and dashes. Hope this helps put the matter to rest. Dick Felts Penfield, NY ----- Original Message ----- From: "Richard Felts" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, February 09, 2003 11:58 AM Subject: [SP] Permissible File Names on CD's > I'm using Adaptec software to save genealogical files on CD-R's. For census images, the file names include alphanumeric characters and the dash symbol. To help locate files more easily, I use rather long file names that are very descriptive. > > Recently I filled my first CD and decided to "close" the CD. (The Adaptec software says the CD must be "closed" so it can be read on virtually any other CD reader on any computer.) During the closing process, error messages appeared saying my file names were not acceptable. There was no mention of a specific problem with the file names but the software offered alternative names that appeared to be shorter. It looks like several characters at the end of each file name were replaced with a tilde. > > I've scoured Adaptec information for any guidance about file names but haven't found a thing. Does anybody on the list know what the rules are for file names on CD's? > > Thanks in advance. > > Dick Felts > Penfield, NY >

--=======7AAF5973======= Content-Type: text/plain; x-avg-checked=avg-ok-642D19B2; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Hi Richard, I also use Adaptec software. There is a 64 character limit on filenames=20 (and this seems to include the extension). I'm not sure of illegal=20 characters - I think it is a slightly larger list than in Windows. I use a little program called 1-4a rename which lets me know which=20 filenames are more than 64 characters. It's a versatile free rename progr= am=20 but takes a bit of getting used to. see http://www.1-4a.com/ You don't need to close the CD to use on other computers but you do need = to=20 close the session. I do this all the time, use on other computers, come=20 back and add another session etc. It sounds like you may have started with Direct CD rather than burning a=20 Data CD. Once you close a CD made with DirectCD it's closed forever I believe. I'v= e=20 only used DirectCD to try it out. I burn CDs for backup or for transfer to other computers. To me a backup=20 isn't much use if it can only be read on my drive or with a particular=20 piece of software - so I make Data CDs and use the <Close Session and Lea= ve=20 CD open> option. Hope this helps, Cathy At 11:58 9/02/03 -0500, you wrote: >I'm using Adaptec software to save genealogical files on CD-R's. For=20 >census images, the file names include alphanumeric characters and the da= sh=20 >symbol. To help locate files more easily, I use rather long file names=20 >that are very descriptive. > >Recently I filled my first CD and decided to "close" the CD. (The Adapt= ec=20 >software says the CD must be "closed" so it can be read on virtually any= =20 >other CD reader on any computer.) During the closing process, error=20 >messages appeared saying my file names were not acceptable. There was n= o=20 >mention of a specific problem with the file names but the software offer= ed=20 >alternative names that appeared to be shorter. It looks like several=20 >characters at the end of each file name were replaced with a tilde. > >I've scoured Adaptec information for any guidance about file names but=20 >haven't found a thing. Does anybody on the list know what the rules are= =20 >for file names on CD's? > >Thanks in advance. > >Dick Felts >Penfield, NY --=======7AAF5973=======--

I'm using Adaptec software to save genealogical files on CD-R's. For census images, the file names include alphanumeric characters and the dash symbol. To help locate files more easily, I use rather long file names that are very descriptive. Recently I filled my first CD and decided to "close" the CD. (The Adaptec software says the CD must be "closed" so it can be read on virtually any other CD reader on any computer.) During the closing process, error messages appeared saying my file names were not acceptable. There was no mention of a specific problem with the file names but the software offered alternative names that appeared to be shorter. It looks like several characters at the end of each file name were replaced with a tilde. I've scoured Adaptec information for any guidance about file names but haven't found a thing. Does anybody on the list know what the rules are for file names on CD's? Thanks in advance. Dick Felts Penfield, NY

PDF files are okay for an alternative to mailing paper. If a family member cares about helping with the family history or editing data to print an updated book they will need to use the same genealogy program, data files and pictures. PDF files usually default to very small print that is further reduced in size by a page-turning printer or fax. If you are saving reports with a mix of color pictures, check the cost of printing. Nearest copy service charges about ten times the amount of a BW copy if a file is printed in color. Grouping of color pages can be planned but a family book might have a color picture on nearly every page. My best research contact with a Mac didn't want to deal with PDF files so I printed 30 pages of pictures for her showing our combined 90 photos and source documents. Elizabeth ----- Original Message ----- From: "Maxine Schell" > I made CDs of my family data for other family members. I don't use Adaptec, > but to make them readable on any computer, including Mac, > I saved them to PDF. Adobe PDF Writer can be downloaded free, and appears > in your printer list. I "saved to file" to PDF printer, then copied to CD.

Dick, According to the Roxio Easy CD Creator 5 Platinum Manual (page 7-16), when you close a CD to either "read on any computer" or to "UDF v 1.5", the file names are limited to 64 characters & there are path & subfolder limits. Hope this helps, Percy Thomas Winnipeg, MB > I'm using Adaptec software to save genealogical files on CD-R's. For census images, the file names include alphanumeric characters and the dash symbol. To help locate files more easily, I use rather long file names that are very descriptive. > > Recently I filled my first CD and decided to "close" the CD. (The Adaptec software says the CD must be "closed" so it can be read on virtually any other CD reader on any computer.) During the closing process, error messages appeared saying my file names were not acceptable. There was no mention of a specific problem with the file names but the software offered alternative names that appeared to be shorter. It looks like several characters at the end of each file name were replaced with a tilde. > > I've scoured Adaptec information for any guidance about file names but haven't found a thing. Does anybody on the list know what the rules are for file names on CD's? > > Thanks in advance. > > Dick Felts > Penfield, NY >

I made CDs of my family data for other family members. I don't use Adaptec, but to make them readable on any computer, including Mac, I saved them to PDF. Adobe PDF Writer can be downloaded free, and appears in your printer list. I "saved to file" to PDF printer, then copied to CD. Maxine Schell, Russellville, AR ----- Original Message ----- From: "Richard Felts" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, February 09, 2003 10:58 AM Subject: [SP] Permissible File Names on CD's > I'm using Adaptec software to save genealogical files on CD-R's. For census images, the file names include alphanumeric characters and the dash symbol. To help locate files more easily, I use rather long file names that are very descriptive. > > Recently I filled my first CD and decided to "close" the CD. (The Adaptec software says the CD must be "closed" so it can be read on virtually any other CD reader on any computer.) During the closing process, error messages appeared saying my file names were not acceptable. There was no mention of a specific problem with the file names but the software offered alternative names that appeared to be shorter. It looks like several characters at the end of each file name were replaced with a tilde. > > I've scoured Adaptec information for any guidance about file names but haven't found a thing. Does anybody on the list know what the rules are for file names on CD's? > > Thanks in advance. > > Dick Felts > Penfield, NY > >

What version? Adaptec software has been released with the Roxio name in the last few years and Easy CD 5 has had some updates. There are a number of characters not allowed in file names. Adaptec's web site used to have a Glossary that included the list of allowed characters in file names. Names should be kept fairly short. I use a mix of - or _ or Capital letters rather than spaces. "Long File Names (30 chars max.): Select this option to specify the use of long file naming for your CD. This option applies to the ISO 9660 File System only." from Easy CD 5 Help file. Early versions of Adaptec's Easy CD Creator had a problem with "too many" small files -- like a researcher might save as plain text e-mails with helpful tips at the rate of several hundred per month. About 300 mb of small files was more likely to be successful than 600 mb of small files. DVD writer software may have similar issues with "too many" files. A mix of genealogy files and pictures was okay at 4.1 GB but only tried 2.4 GB on the DVD with a lot of saved e-mails and similar notes. Elizabeth ----- Original Message ----- From: "Richard Felts" > I'm using Adaptec software to save genealogical files on CD-R's. For census images, the file names include alphanumeric characters and the dash symbol. To help locate files more easily, I use rather long file names that are very descriptive. > > Recently I filled my first CD and decided to "close" the CD. (The Adaptec software says the CD must be "closed" so it can be read on virtually any other CD reader on any computer.) During the closing process, error messages appeared saying my file names were not acceptable. There was no mention of a specific problem with the file names but the software offered alternative names that appeared to be shorter. It looks like several characters at the end of each file name were replaced with a tilde.