Find out what DPI to use if you have 35mm, 70mm, 120, 240, medium and large format negative film...

In this article you’re going to learn...

• Where you can pick your resolution and DPI when scanning negatives
• What DPI you need to turn your negatives into 4×6 digital images — or bigger
• What DPI is best for so you can watch your negatives at excellent quality on your HDTV

If you pick the wrong resolution, you’re going to waste time scanning low resolution digital images. The scans might look good on your monitor, but if you put them on your HDTV or print them at 4x6, they might look pretty bad.

So here’s how to setup your scanner for negative film...

1. Where To Change The DPI Setting On Your Scanner

When you fire up your scanner software, look for “Resolution” or “DPI”. Here’s what mine looks like...

For now don't worry about the other stuff. We'll get to that later. For now, pick 300 DPI, and let's see what happens.

2. What You Get With A 300 DPI Negative Scan

At 300 DPI, you only get a 1.30" x 0.85" digital image. This means if you try to re-print this scans at 4x6, your print is going to look stretched.

So, let's bump it up to 1500 DPI, and see what happens.

3. What You Get With A 1500 DPI Negative Scan

Nice. That's better. At 1500 DPI you get a 4x6 digital image. You'll have no problem re-printing this scan at 4x6. And in fact, at this resolution you can view your scans at HDTV quality.

But maybe 4x6 is a bit too small. Since most scanners can go up to 4000 DPI, let's see what happens...

4. What You Get With A 4000 DPI Slide Scan

Perfect! At 4000 DPI you can go as big as 24x36. Not bad.

5. But Wait, What If You Have Negatives That Are NOT 35mm?

Good question. Here's a quick cheat sheet:

135 Negative Film (35mm Negative)

Approx. size in inches: 1.3" x 0.85"
Max resolution you can scan: 4000 DPI
Mega pixels when scanned at 4000 DPI: 18
Pixel dimension when scanned at 4000 DPI: 5200 x 3400

126 Negative Film

Approx. size in inches: 1.1" x 1.1"
Max resolution you can scan: 4000 DPI
Mega pixels when scanned at 4000 DPI: 18
Pixel dimension when scanned at 4000 DPI: 4400 x 4400

110 Negative Film

Approx. size in inches: 0.5" x 0.7"
Max resolution you can scan: 4000 DPI
Mega pixels when scanned at 4000 DPI: 5
Pixel dimension when scanned at 4000 DPI: 2000 x 2800

Disc Film

Approx. size in inches: 0.43" x 0.31"
Max resolution you can scan: 4000 DPI
Mega pixels when scanned at 4000 DPI: 2
Pixel dimension when scanned at 4000 DPI: 1720 x 1240

Medium Format Negative Film

Size and DPI vary.

But a 900 DPI will give you a 24x36 digital image.

Large Format Negative Film

Size and DPI vary.

But a 900 DPI will give you a 24x36 digital image.

Your Next Step...

1. Decide if you need scans bigger than 4x6. If so, you'll be safe using 1500 DPI.
2. If you want scans as big as poster size (24x36) use 4000 DPI. They'll take longer, but you'll get better quality.
3. Get help with your negative scanning project by telling me your challenges...