35mm Slide Digitization
The two scanners we use for scanning 35mm mounted slides are industrial workhorses: Hasselblad Flextight X5 and Kodak HR500 Universal. Both are fitted with batch feeders that allow us to offer high quality at a reasonable cost.
Our slide scanning process begins with removing surface dust from the film using filtered, deionized compressed air. For most slides, this removes 95% of the dust and other loose dirt on the surface. But with high resolution scanning, some dust can get into the scanned image, so each of our scanners offers a method for automatic reduction of dust. We also offer retouching services to eliminate all dirt, dust, scratches and other artifacts, as well as color correction and restoration.
Files can be delivered on hard drives, archival optical media (DVD-R), or uploaded to file transfer sites (FTP, Dropbox, Hightail, etc). Files are also backed up on our servers for a minimum of 30 days after delivery of final scans.
Files provided are uncompressed, RGB TIFF format. We also include one derivative JPEG file of 1,800 pixels on the long dimension. Sequential alphanumeric filenaming is included, and technical metadata is embedded in the file headers. Custom filenaming from supplied spreadsheets and database-generated tables is also available.
Hasselblad Flextight X5 Scanner: X5-2400 and X5-4800 Scans
Offers extremely high dynamic range and color accuracy from all types of slide film.
| Scan Type | Pixel Dimensions1 | Bits | File Size1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| X5-2400 | 2,200 x 3,300 | 16 | 42 MB |
| X5-4800 | 4,400 x 6,600 | 16 | 168 MB |
1. Pixel dimensions and file sizes approximate and vary with aspect ratio of film being scanned.
FlexTouch used to minimize dust and scratches from all film types.
Kodak HR500 Universal Scanner: HR-2400 and HR-4000 Scans
Can be set to provide file sizes from 1mb to 60mb, and although we describe two main offerings (2400 and 4000), we are happy to provide a quote for custom sizes on large orders.
| Scan Type | Pixel Dimensions1 | Bits | File Size1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR-2400 | 2,100 x 3,200 | 8 | 20 MB |
| HR-4000 | 3,700 X 5,600 | 8 | 60 MB |
1. Pixel dimensions and file sizes approximate and vary with aspect ratio of film being scanned.
Digital ICE dust reduction used for artifact-free results from E4 and E6 processed slide films (Ektachrome, Fujichrome, Agfachrome). Does not work with Kodachrome, or any glass mounted slide.
"We awarded Two Cat Digital a one-year contract to scan 50,000 slides at high resolution, including custom derivatives, filenaming, technical metadata and delivery on DVDs as well as hard drives. At the end of the year, they had scanned over 63,000 slides with only 9 scans having to be redone. We are very impressed with their service and have extended the contract for another year. They are great to work with and their quality is second to none."