How to make "positive" pictures from negative scan

[redone301]

Hello
I've got some old negative slides that I've scanned using a canon 4400

is there a way to get those pictures processed into real positive pictures using any image processing software ?

thanks

[dwig]

Yes, but when they are color negatives it can be difficult to get the color balanced properly.

In general, its far better to set your scanning software properly. There is usually a control, either a check box or a drop-down list, that allows you to choose between scanning a "slide" (mounted positive film) and a "negative" (unmounted). Sometimes there is also a "transparency" option (unmounted positive film). You may also have a "color" and "b&w" setting or that setting may be integrated into the slide/neg list of options with a "color neg" and "b&w neg" pair of options.

With B&W negs scanned as "slides", its usually very easy to convert the scanned negative image into a positive. In Photoshop the menu entry is called "Invert" and lives in the Image/Adjustments sub-menu in most recent versions. Any good image editor will has a similar function.

When dealing with color negatives, the orange mask the negatives have makes converting the image to more of a problem. The basic "invert" option will create a positive. You will then have to make significant color adjustments to get the image to look correct. Good scanning software will have both the invert and a library of reasonable color corrections built-in and will use them when you tell it you are scanning a color negative.

[redone301]

thanks, I've downloaded gimp and use the "invert" in colors menu and it did the trick

( I couldn't find the options in my scanner software, I'm using scangear that comes with the canon scanner )

no I have normal black and white pictures
I have another question , if you don't mind
in fact, I have many ...
is there a way to convert the black and white pictures into colors ones ?


dwig wrote:

Yes, but when they are color negatives it can be difficult to get the color balanced properly.

In general, its far better to set your scanning software properly. There is usually a control, either a check box or a drop-down list, that allows you to choose between scanning a "slide" (mounted positive film) and a "negative" (unmounted). Sometimes there is also a "transparency" option (unmounted positive film). You may also have a "color" and "b&w" setting or that setting may be integrated into the slide/neg list of options with a "color neg" and "b&w neg" pair of options.

With B&W negs scanned as "slides", its usually very easy to convert the scanned negative image into a positive. In Photoshop the menu entry is called "Invert" and lives in the Image/Adjustments sub-menu in most recent versions. Any good image editor will has a similar function.

When dealing with color negatives, the orange mask the negatives have makes converting the image to more of a problem. The basic "invert" option will create a positive. You will then have to make significant color adjustments to get the image to look correct. Good scanning software will have both the invert and a library of reasonable color corrections built-in and will use them when you tell it you are scanning a color negative.

[dwig]

redone301 wrote:

...
is there a way to convert the black and white pictures into colors ones ?

Strictly speaking, no; never has been and never will be.

What you can do is hand color the B&W images using a good editing program that supports layers and layer transparency.

The basic steps are to convert the image from "greyscale" to "RGB color" (it will still look B&W). They add a new layers, set a color for the "paint brush" tool (whatever it might be called in the particular program used), and paint the color on the new layer over the portion of the image you want to tint that color. You would then set that layer's transparency so that the B&W image on the bottom layer shows through. Some programs offer other layer blending methods that may produce desirable results. You just continue to pick colors and paint (e.g. paint the sky a blue, grass green, tree trunks greyish brown, ...). If you do it well, you can get results similar to the old hand-colored B&W prints from many decades ago

[VTphotog]

is there a way to convert the black and white pictures into colors ones ?

Take a look in the Extreme Makeover forum. There have been several threads regarding just this, and links for programs to download.

One way to get fairly natural looking color is to set your brush to 'hue and saturation' mode, and pick colors from another picture with similar colors to what you are painting. Using the airbrush tool in this mode can produce very nice results.

Try posting a sample in Extreme Makeover and see what you get.



brian

[redone301]

I had a look at the Xtreme makeover forum
there is no pinned thread about such issue ( convertin B/W photo into colorful one)

if you can provide with links , that would be great

thanks

[VTphotog]

There are at least two threads about Black and White to Color. They are a few pages back, or you can do a search in the search box at the top of the page.

brian