Why do my 35mm film scans come out pixelated?

You have just recently purchased SilverFast and your 35mm film scans come out pixelated? While this is still a common issue, especially if you're new to scanning and just dipping your toes into 35mm filmscans, there's an easy way to solve it in SilverFast.

Scan Dimensions:

When scanning 35mm filmstrips you want to make sure to choose a setting under "Format" in the "Scan Dimensions" widget of SilverFast, which looks like this (may vary silghtly depending on your SilverFast version):

When choosing a setting under "Format", like 4 x 6 inches for example, you will ensure SilverFast uses a higher input resolution to achieve a 300ppi output resolution in your desired output size. The scan dimensions widget will adjust the output resolution automatically with it's built-in resolution processor. In this example it calculated a 1600ppi input resolution for a 4x6 inches output size at 300ppi.

If there's no Format setting selected in the Scan Dimensions widget, SilverFast will assume you want to scan your 35mm slide at 100% and scan your 35mm with 300ppi as input  and output resolution.

Tip:

Check your scanframe in the preview area after choosing a setting under Format, since it will reflect the aspect ratio of the Format chosen ans a slight adjustment of your crop may be necessary.