CSM1 said:
It is possible to scan transparencies on a reflective scanner (flatbed)
without a transparency adapter. Your mileage will vary!
The orange base color of negatives is very hard to deal with if you don't
have the right software.
I have scanned a positive 4 X 5 transparency on my flatbed scanner by
placing a white sheet on top of the transparency and scanning in the normal
reflective way. Requires an adjustment of the scan settings to get a descent
scan.
Probably will not give good results on a dark transparency.
You can also use the "Blue Peter" film scanner adapter method:
Get hold of an empty cornflakes box and some of mummy's aluminium foil
from the kitchen. Using a felt tip pen, and using one corner of the box
to make the right angle, carefully draw a right angle isosceles triangle
of the same size on each side of the box. Make the long side of the
triangle equal to the width of the scanner window. Then draw a line
from the corner of the triangle on one side of the box to the same
corner of the triangle on the other side. Now ask mummy to use her very
sharp scissors to cut along the lines that you have drawn. You should
get a right angle corner section just like this one I prepared earlier.
The next step is to line the inside of the corner with the aluminium
foil, being careful to make sure that the shiny side is showing. This
is best done using some double sided sticky back plastic to hold the
foil on the inside of the box. When its finished and all of the creases
are flattened out, it should look just like this one here, that I
prepared earlier.
Now, just place the box on your flatbed scanner so that the long side of
the triangle is across the scanner width. Put your film on one side of
the scanner. Light from the scanner's lamp on the side that has no film
will then be reflected twice on the inside of your cornflakes box to
backlight the film - just like in a real scanner film adapter.
You can decorate the outside of your scanner film adapter using creative
designs and even write your own design logo on it.
Next week, boys and girls, Peter with show us how to create world peace
and Judy will show us how to get rid of all the world's nasty diseases."
Any connection between this script and a well known BBC children's TV
programme from the 1960's is purely intentional - you just had to be
there! Nevertheless, it does work - after a fashion. ;-)