Just catching up here, but tbh you should stop using scanner software and try Negative Lab Pro instead. It makes converting the orange mask super easy:

• Shoot in RAW
• Use NLP

Listen. Youre trying to do precision work with a junk tool. Stop fighting the scanner software. It aint gonna work.

• Get yourself a Epson Perfection V600 Photo Scanner if you want real results.
• Scan everything as a 48-bit TIFF.
• Dont touch the auto-settings.
• Use Negative Lab Pro Plugin for Lightroom to handle the conversion. Keep it simple. Youre just wasting time trying to polish a turd with that Craigslist machine.

Like someone mentioned, hardware matters. I’m no expert, but I just spent all last week researching this. Are you using SilverFast Ai Studio 8 or just the basic bundled software?

Listen, stop messing with that cheap scanner. Youre gonna drive yourself CRAZY trying to fix that orange mask on a machine that wasnt built for film. Look, the problem is your hardware. Flatbeds are fine for documents, not for getting the color science right on Kodak Portra 400 ISO 35mm Color Negative Film. You want it to look good? You gotta stop relying on the auto-scan settings that come with those cheap drivers. They just guess the exposure and fail hard. Here is what you need to do to get it right:

• Stop using the default software. Go find some dedicated scanning software that lets you control the raw input files. It makes a world of difference when you can pull the levels manually.
• Learn to invert the negatives properly. Most people just hit invert and call it a day, but you gotta balance the RGB channels. If the shadows look muddy, youre not setting your black point right.
• Get yourself a dedicated film scanner from a reputable brand like Plustek or even a high-end Epson if you want to keep using a flatbed. Just get any scanner from those brands that has a proper film holder. You cant go wrong with pro gear. Honestly, fix your workflow or youll just keep wasting your time. You wouldnt use a crescent wrench on a fuel injector, so dont use a cheap office scanner for film. Get the right tool, keep it clean, and dont overthink the settings. Just get it done.

Same boat, watching this

Good to know!

So funny you ask this — last summer I spent a whole weekend fighting the same orange cast on some Portra 400. I think the key is scanning as a 48-bit raw file rather than a standard JPEG. I am not 100% sure, but someone told me that keeping the data flat helps you invert the orange mask much better in post-processing. Just get those raw files and adjust your levels manually.

Regarding what #9 said about using the Epson Perfection V600 Photo Scanner, I totally agree — it’s the bare minimum for decent scans unless you want to pull your hair out.

Like someone mentioned, I am having this exact same nightmare. I have spent the last three months trying to get my Portra 400 to look right on my scanner, and the muddy color shifts are driving me insane. Are you using a dedicated film holder or just laying the strips directly on the glass? I have been struggling with this for weeks and still have no consistent results.

Saw this earlier but just now responding—@Reply #3, glad I'm not the only one. When I first tried digitizing, I spent hours fighting the orange mask until I realized I was just using the wrong color space. Speaking of colors, did you guys see the sunset over the Sound yesterday? The way it hit the water was just unreal, like a painting. Anyway, sorry, totally went off track there. Just stick to raw files.

Saw this and had to chime in. You are struggling because flatbed scanners struggle to interpret the orange base mask of color negative film automatically. Do not use the default software settings. Instead, use SilverFast Ai Studio 8 to scan as a linear positive (48-bit HDR RAW file). This bypasses the scanner's auto-correction and captures all the data.

• Scan as a positive, even though it is a negative.
• Turn off all auto-color, auto-exposure, and digital ICE functions.
• Import the flat TIFF file into Negative Lab Pro within Lightroom. Negative Lab Pro is the industry standard for mapping the orange mask to actual colors. By keeping the file raw, you give the software the maximum dynamic range to calculate the conversion correctly. If you try to fix the orange cast in the scanner software, you are just throwing away data before you even start editing.

Finally someone says it. Ive been thinking this for a while but wasnt sure.