Larry Meiller finds out what good tech and computer gifts to consider for a variety of budgets. Plus, ideas for archiving audio, video, documents and more, and help for listeners’ computer questions.
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How To Convert Photo Slides, Negatives To Digital Formats
Converting old photos to a digital format using scanners has become a fairly common practice.
But for visual materials in other formats, such as slides and negatives, it might not be as clear what to do. Slides were quite popular a few decades ago, but aren’t as easy to share, especially with distant friends and family.
Paul Hedges, the emerging technologies archivist in the Wisconsin Historical Society’s Library & Archives division, said that there are machines that are made just to convert those slides to digital images. However, he said as someone with many types of materials beyond slides to digitize, that isn’t his preference. Instead, Hedges said he prefers to use a flatbed scanner in order to be able to scan photo prints and negatives as well as slides.
Not all models will have the capability to handle all of those formats, Hedges said, so he recommended to check the specifications on each machine. Those that are able to convert slides will have a light in the top cover, which illuminates the slide and allows for the scan to pick up all of the color and detail.
While digital conversion can be time-consuming, Hedges said that the model that he uses — the Epson Perfection scanner — allows him to scan four slides at a time and separate them into separate images, not one composite file.
Hedges’ advice is both practical and timely: After all, scanning photos, slides and even old negatives to share could make for great gifts this holiday season.
Episode Credits
- Larry Meiller Host
- Judith Siers-Poisson Producer
- Paul Hedges Guest
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