Batch Scanning

 

Batch scanning is used for special projects that involve large numbers of slides in similar mounts. These are often gift slides or personal slides in cardboard mounts. Instead of scanning, correcting and cleaning slides one at a time, batches of slides are scanned en masse and corrected in Photoshop later. Additionally, the slides may or may not be assigned Accession numbers before scanning.

 

Preparing the equipment

Preparing the slides

Scanning in NikonScan

Troubleshooting

Clean up

 

 

 

A.   Preparing the equipment

1.    Retrieve the SF-210 slide feeder from the shelf in the VRC scanning lab

2.    Log into Audrey using the vrc-student password

3.    Turn off the Nikon slide scanner if it is on

4.    Remove the single-slide adaptor by pulling it forward out of the machine

5.    Turn the slide scanner on its side, power button and power indicator light down

6.    Insert the slide feeder into the scanner, making sure it is fully inserted and locked

7.    Turn on the Nikon slide scanner

 

B.   Preparing the slides

1.    Batches of slides in similar mounts can be scanned together. If there are different mounts in the same batch, separate them and scan then in different batches

2.    Clean each slide using canned air (cardboard mounts) or a lens cloth or brush (glass mounted)

3.    Count the number of slides there are in the batch to be scanned and make sure they are all oriented the same way

4.    Lift up the magazine cover of the slide feeder

5.    Pull back on the push plate in the feed magazine and insert a stack of slides with the white binder/label/front side of the slides facing left and the long edge along the bottom

6.    Open the NikonView Attachment Utility

7.    Click OK to the warning message that appears regarding the fact that the Utility cannot be used when NikonScan is running.  Turn off NikonScan if it is on and restart the Utility

8.    Click the double-front arrow (fast forward) several times to partially load the first slide. Make sure only one slide starts to feed into the scanner

9.    If more than one slide starts to feed, or if the slide gets caught while feeding, use the wheel on the base of the feeder at the back of the magazine to adjust the feed plate. Repeat step 8 as necessary

10. Push the slide back in place at the front of the row of slides and exit the Utility

 

C.   Scanning in NikonScan

1.    Open NikonScan

2.    Click the Settings button at the top of the Scan palette

3.    Choose the preset for the project you are working on. This will reset all settings to the right combination

4.    Go to the Scanner menu at the top and choose Slide feeder…

5.    A dialog box will open asking how many slides there are to be scanned. Enter the number of slides and click OK

6.    The Batch Scan Options box will open. Make sure the following are checked:

                                        a.    Create scan log

                                        b.    Auto focus

                                       c.    Save to Disc

                                       d.    No other options should be checked

7.    Click OK. The Batch Scan dialog box will open

8.    In the Prefix box, enter the number of the batch with an underscore following, i.e. “batch 1_” (for batches with no Accession numbers) OR enter the Accession number prefixes with an underscore following, i.e. “BROWN_VRC_” (for batches with previously assigned Accession numbers)

9.    Enter “1” in the Starting Index box (no Accession numbers) OR enter the first Accession number on the order sheet. Note that leading zeros will not appear in the file names, i.e. starting with BROWN_VRC_00001 will result in files starting with BROWN_VRC_1. The leading zeros will be added when the file is edited and saved

10. Make sure the File Location is set for the Macintoch HD > Scans > Nikon Slide Feeder scans folder

11. Make sure the File type is TIFF

12. Click OK. The scanner will start to scan the batch. It will take about 2 minutes per slide to scan the batch

 

D.   Troubleshooting

1.    Batching slides is not without its problems. Particularly when scanning slides in cardboard mounts, jams will occur. The following sequence will minimize confusion when a slide jams. Every time the feed sequence stops a new log file will appear in the Nikon Slide Feeder scans folder. These are usually no use at all, but you may want to check the file to see how it logged the error

2.    When a slide fails to load and the feeder mechanism stops unexpectedly, a message may or may not appear saying that there has been an error. Click Ok if the message appears to dismiss it

3.    Close NikonScan by going to the NikonScan menu > Quit NikonScan

4.    Turn off the scanner

5.    Remove the jammed slide and return it to the front of the stack waiting to be scanned. You may need to remove the feeder from the scanner and move the slide and the mechanism back to its starting position

6.    Restart the scanner. Wait for the self-check to finish

7.    Open the hard drive > Scans > Nikon Slide Feeder scans folder and note the number of the last completed scan

8.    Repeat steps C. 1-12. Enter the number of the slide in the first position into the Starting Index box to preserve the numeric sequence. Keep the magazine cover open

9.    Watch the first slide feed into the scanner, If it starts to jam again, you may use your fingers to help it get through

 

E.   Clean Up

1.    Remove the slides from the slide feeder adaptor

2.    Turn off the scanner

3.    Remove the slide feeder by pulling it straight out of the scanner

4.    Turn the scanner right-side up

5.    Re-insert the single slide adaptor into the scan

6.    Return the batch scanning adaptor to the shelf

 

 

Continue to Post-scanning Adjustments, Attaching Metadata, Derivatives and Uploading and Administration