About
Scanning Equipment
At Old Town Editions, we use highly specialized equipment to digitize artwork and scan film, slides, and transparencies. The high-quality, high-resolution digital files we produce are perfect for reproducing artwork as fine art prints, as they capture every fine detail in your artwork. Every brushstroke and pencil line will be captured in incredible detail and reproduced to perfection. Our equipment is capable of producing very large files, allowing you to create prints larger than your original artwork.
Better Light Scanning Back
For fine art reproduction, there is no better choice for hi-resolution scanning and image capturing. More and more of the world’s highest quality fine art reproduction and museum archiving is being accomplished with Better Light scanning backs. Better Light scanning backs are made for 4×5 view cameras and copy stands and provide digital capture quality far superior to digital cameras.
Better Light’s pure RGB pixel data captures billions of accurate colors with outstanding detail and clarity. Superior resolution, coupled with the lack of film grain and accuracy of focus, exposure, and tone control, make Better Light’s first-generation digital files closer to perfection. Many other features of the scanning back and Better Light’s ViewFinder™ software aid in the efficient and precise reproduction of all types of flat works of art, as well as three-dimensional pieces from vases to sculptures.
Large Files
Average file size 250-300 MB.
Protect Your Artwork
Artwork is safely hung on the wall, rather than face down on a scanner. Nothing will touch the surface of your art.
Digitize Large Artwork
We’re not limlited by the size of a scanning bed, and can digitize artwork 8′-9′ in length.
Superior control— The Better Light Scanning Back, paired with our two 900-Watt North Light copy lights and polarization filters, we have complete control of all variables. This allows us to shoot through glass, eliminate glare, capture the shadows of textured artwork, and let metallic paint shine.
Huge Digital Files for Fine Detail and Life-Size Reproduction— The more detail that is recorded from the original, the better that detail will be maintained in any size reproduction. The Better Light system will capture every nuance in your artwork. It records subtle shifts in tone and color, and picks up all the texture, down to the smallest brushstroke.
Superior Color and Exposure Accuracy with no film grain— A large preview image is used to make adjustments for precise exposure, color balance, and contrast before the final image capture. Each customized exposure is based on the subject matter and lighting conditions. There is no guesswork as with film, and no grain, dust, or processing flaws.
Heidelberg Topaz
All negatives and transparencies are scanned on the Heidelberg Topaz. The Topaz is one of the highest quality flatbed scanners on the market. It has a 5080 dpi true optical resolution, a 4.0 d-max, and can easily accommodate materials up to 12″ x 18″ in size. The quality of its film scans rival that of any drum scanner. Unlike the drum scanner, the Topaz does not require that your film be oil mounted. This saves your film from being exposed to the chemical cleaning solution used to remove the oil from the film.
We use the Topaz scanner exclusively for film, slides, and transparencies. We do not use it to digitize artwork, as our digital capture system is far superior for digitizing artwork, and allows for precise control over lighting which is not possible on a flatbed scanner.
