How can I improve this scan?

[sahnert]

I have been unable to get a good scan while using the scanner from my HP all-in-one. Is my scanner the problem or is it something with my technique?

Below is an example of my problem.

The black areas especially bother me because they are full of colored artifacts. It also seems that there are funny lines running through the whole picture. Is there any way to correct this with the equipment I have or do I need to get a new scanner?

Thanks for your help.

 

[thr33face]

something like 'noise ninja' might get rid of the lines. can't test it, as i don't have it.

 

[motulist]

Are you using HP's scan software or are you scanning through an image program like photoshop? Because HP's software, although functionally atrocious, is likely to produce better results.

Regarding the lines and other noise in the picture, you'll likely reduce those artifacts a lot by scanning at the highest optical DPI the scanner can do and then lowering the resolution through photoshop or any other good piece of image software.

 

[pdxflint]

I don't know anything about your scanner, but it seems to be lacking in the ability to handle the shadows effectively. I assume you're scanning a negative and not a print. It looks like a difficult photo to scan anyway, but a dedicated film scanner like the Nikon V or especially the 5000ED would give you the ability to adjust the dynamic range considerably and even do multiple scans to help extract detail from the shadows while reducing noise and artifacts. Also, the dedicated film scanners can do 14 bit scans and produce RAW files - although they can get pretty big.

It may be the best you can get with your all-in-one scanner...