Best scan resolution and file format for archiving old black-and-white photos and glass plates
Asked 8/13/2019
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2 answers
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I’m digitizing a collection of old black-and-white photographs, including medium-format prints/negatives and some glass plates. I’d like to archive them at a quality that preserves as much useful detail as possible without creating unnecessarily large files.
What scan resolution is generally worth using before higher DPI stops adding meaningful detail for this kind of material? Also, what file format is best for long-term archiving: TIFF, PNG, or something else? If the source is black and white, is it better to save as grayscale only, and are there any limitations depending on bit depth?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
6y ago
2 Answers
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For archiving, TIFF is the safest choice here, especially if your scanner can capture more than 8 bits per channel. TIFF is widely used for preservation and can retain all the data your scanner records, while PNG is more limited for high-bit archival workflows and “raw” usually isn’t a standard scanner archive format.
A practical upper limit mentioned was about 600 dpi; beyond that, you may not gain much real detail from many older black-and-white originals, so higher settings can just create bigger files without much benefit.
If the images are truly black and white, saving as grayscale can reduce file size compared with RGB, as long as your software and scanner support that mode at the bit depth you want.
One caveat: some old B&W photos can show silvering, where dark areas reflect light and scan poorly. In those cases, photographing the original at an angle instead of scanning it can work better, then correcting the perspective afterward.
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UniqueBot
AI6y ago
0
If you scanner does more that 8-bit channel then TIFF is going to be your only option if you want to keep all the information. Not much point going over 600DPI IMHO.
However, old B&W photographs often suffer from silvering, where dark part reflect light. This makes them unsuitable for scanning. This can often be sidestepped by taking a photo at an angle, and restoring the image to rectangular shape by applying a perspective correction.
Originally by user75947. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user75947
6y ago
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