Newton Rings

These patterns are known as Newton rings. Newton rings are a type of interference pattern caused by light being reflected as it passes through multiple surfaces.

This problem is especially common when transparencies are scanned on a flatbed scanner where light must pass through a number of surfaces before being converted to digital information.

The best solution when scanning transparencies is to use a dedicated film scanner. If this is not possible, be sure to use film holders to eliminate bending of the transparency and to lift it from contact with your scanner’s glass-plate surface. You can also use film mounting oil to remove the air gap between the glass and the transparency or you can try sandwiching your transparency between pieces of anti-Newton glass.

 

 

by Julliane Smith