It's important to setup your slide scanner properly, because...

• You might scan your slides backwards, and the images will be inside out
• Your scanner may not recognize that you're scanning slides
• When you learn these quick tips, you'll speed up your scanning time

1. How To Load Your Slides Onto The Scanner

If you don't want to scan the wrong side of a slide, here's what to do. Take out a slide, and bring it to a light source (window, desk lamp). Now, look at both sides of the slide.

You'll notice that a slide will have two different sides.

One side will be dull and bumpy. The other side will be smooth and glossy.

The bumpy / dull side is called the "Matte Emulsion". Emulsion is the "ink" that was used to "print" your image onto the slide film. That's why it's bumpy and dull.

The smooth / glossy side is the "Reflective" side. THIS is the side you want to scan.

So, once you found the glossy side, make sure it's facing DOWN towards the scanner's window. And the bumpy / dull side is facing UP toward you.

At first it'll be tricky to spot what side is what. But after 10 - 20 scans, you'll start noticing each side. So do this right now... grab a slide, and flip it around by a light source.

See if you can spot the dull side vs. the glossy side. The glossy side will face down toward the scanner's window.

2. Make Sure Your Scanner Knows That You Are Scanning Slides

Load up your slides onto the scanner, and fire up your scanner's software.

You'll get a screen something like this...

First, your scanner is going to ask if you're scanning Film or Print. Film is your slides, negatives -- anything that you can see through. Print includes photos, magazines, newspapers -- anything that is solid.

Here's a quick cheat-sheet:

It's important to pick the right "format". Otherwise you'll get errors from your scanner.