

Use the ICC profile within your scanner software for future scans.Process the scan with the data file in special software to produce an ICC profile.The process by which you would use the calibration target is a simple one: You can see an example in figure 1 below.

Each target should also come with a data file containing information that describes each colour in the target. There are different types of scanner target, but all follow the same principles for use. This is where the colour calibration target comes in. Scanner Calibration TargetĪs every scanner (even the same make and model) will vary in how it reproduces colour from a scan, we need to start from a known set of colours. Your computer and scanner software then use this to ensure colours are accurate. When complete, the scanner calibration process produces an ICC file. If you find they don’t look right when viewed on your monitor, it’s most likely the monitor calibration is at fault. Importantly, you can reply on this image file as having the correct colours. When we calibrate our scanner correctly, we ensure that colours of the film translate accurately into the digitised photo. Whilst this article can sort out your scanner calibration, if you’re going to be printing your scanned photos you should also ensure you’re soft proofing your prints correctly. In the end, there are so many variables that it’s a wonder your prints look anything like the film you scanned in. Equipment can vary as can factors such as film and paper. Unfortunately, theory and real life don’t quite work the same. In an ideal world it would also appear on the screen and printer as the same colour. This colour would appear as a bright pure red to the scanner. By combining the three channels in varying proportions we can create many different colours.įor example, an RGB value of 255, 0, 0 is maximum red (255), no green (0) and no blue (0). These three colour channels represent the colours in the image. When a scanner captures colour information in an image it does so using three colour channels, red, green and blue. If you don’t already have VueScan you can download a demo version from the Hamrick website.īefore we start, it’s helpful to understand a little bit about colour management and why it is necessary. Whilst this alone makes it good value for money, it also includes some very useful colour management features. Not only does it produce excellent quality scans, it will also work with old scanners where drivers for the latest operating systems might no longer available. It’s something a specialist will charge you a lot of money for, but with a little knowledge and a few tools you can easily do this yourself.Īs you may already be aware, I rate the VueScan scanner software very highly.

This will improve the accuracy of your colour film scanning. In this tutorial I will explain how you can use VueScan to calibrate your scanner and produce a bespoke film ICC profile.
