So, it appears we've "acquired" a shop that has an extensive library of - negatives. Yup, and many of them are large, 30-40" and I don't expect there are prints I have scanned. is there anybody who even does negative scanning anymore to digital?

Scan as negative and flip to positive in Photoshop?

My concern isn't so much positive vs. negative but the size of the film.
All but the highest end scanners do not scan with a perfect ration on the X and Y axis.
This would make tiling extremely difficult.

LOL...I completely didn't notice the size mentioned. That is some big ass negatives. You need a really big scanner or do the PITA of scanning multiple pieces and stitch them back together. 

That's my dilemma, I don't even know who (if anybody) has scanners that large any longer. If I'd had more time, I might have been able to have the previous folks make at least contact prints on the frame, but there's no time now.

My other hope is that maybe they have prints on hand & I can send those out to be scanned, maybe somebody with like those large architectural/blueprint scanners that handle larger flat sheets. Most of this work is line art at least, so that's one less thing to worry about as far as quality goes.

Unfortunately we are not a commercial shop; we can only do work for CalTrans and its related entities, but we do have a large format scanner. I don't know if it can do transparencies or negatives, tho, but we use it to archive plans and documents that are 24x36. It can scan up to 42" wide. It's a ColorTrac LF Sci if you wanted to look into it for your shop.

The extensive part is the problem!
are these color negatives?

Quote from: Slappy on July 31, 2024, 01:28:52 AMSo, it appears we've "acquired" a shop that has an extensive library of - negatives. Yup, and many of them are large, 30-40" and I don't expect there are prints I have scanned. is there anybody who even does negative scanning anymore to digital?

when I worked at Williamson, we had a ton of 30x40 (literally 20 years worth) films that we generated that they wanted to "digitize" to preserve for future reprints. 
After a while they blew it off and told customers if they wanted reprints, they would need to supply digital files.

Not worth the effort, to scan the seps (usually as a bit map), open in photoshop, recombine back to cmyk, save out.

rinse repeat a bazillion times.

Yeah, negative-to-file scanners were all the rage for like 10 minutes.
The industry had a moment of panic as things transitioned, then shrugged and moved on.
The only solution in my mind is the film assets are worthless... but that may not be a popular stance to take for Slappy.

OH! Rescreen-scanning printed samples may be a sort-of solution, still painful but not as ridiculous?

Do you have an old large light table from your stripping days? Lay negative on light table and turn on the light. Take a picture from above with your phone as close as possible. Invert color in Photoshop. Close enough.

have to do a Tom Cruise Mission Impossible and hang from the ceiling to do that!  LOL

Quote from: David on July 31, 2024, 02:37:54 PMhave to do a Tom Cruise Mission Impossible and hang from the ceiling to do that!  LOL

Or turn the table up on its end on the floor? Just make sure the glass is secured.

Grow a beard, change your name and steal a boat?

Quote from: Tracy on July 31, 2024, 09:50:59 AMThe extensive part is the problem!
are these color negatives?

Nah, all B&W line work from what I've seen.