Scanner operators on the Scanity use custom-named FilmStock presets called NNews and PNews (plus WedgeTest for calibration). These are NOT traditional LUTs or tone curves — they are exposure compensation presets that adjust the scanner's light levels.
The +XX suffix in preset names (e.g., NNews+35, PNews+20) directly controls the PrinterLightsMax green channel value:
The Scanity uses two distinct light profiles, each with different PrinterLightsMax values. 99.7% of Hearst newsreel scans use 4K resolution (4300×3324 output) with the Standard profile.
| Profile | Red PLMax | Green Relationship | Blue PLMax | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | ~29 | Decreases with +XX | ~79 | Most 4K scans |
| High-Light | ~90 | Decreases with +XX | ~94.5 | Dense elements, some 2K |
Note: Both profiles can appear at 4K resolution. The High-Light profile provides more illumination for particularly dense film elements.
| FilmStock | Green PLMax | Red PLMax | Blue PLMax |
|---|---|---|---|
| NNews+05 | 62 | 29 | 79 |
| NNews+14 | 55 | 29 | 79.5 |
| NNews+25 | 47 | 29 | 79 |
| NNews+35 | 37 | 29 | 79 |
The Green channel decreases as the offset increases, but the relationship is not perfectly linear. The approximate formula is 72 - XX for offsets above +10, and 67 - XX for lower offsets.
| FilmStock | Green PLMax | Red PLMax | Blue PLMax |
|---|---|---|---|
| NNews+14 | 77.5 | 90 | 94.5 |
| NNews+25 | 69 | 90 | 94.5 |
| PNews+20 | 70.5 | 90 | 94.5 |
The High-Light profile uses approximately 91.5 - XX for the green channel.
PrinterLightsMax (abbreviated PLMax in tables) sets the maximum allowable light intensity for each RGB channel during scanning:
This is a hardware-level exposure compensation — the green channel is the primary adjustment, allowing more light through for dense or faded film negatives. Higher +XX values decrease the green maximum, effectively increasing exposure.
All scans in our database confirm:
| Setting | Value | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
Characteristic | LIN | Linear (no tone curve) |
ColorSpaceLog | 1:1 | Bypass (no log encoding) |
ColorSpaceMatrix | 1:1 | Bypass (no color matrix) |
ColorSpaceDelog | 1:1 | Bypass (no delog decoding) |
Operators are NOT grading during scanning. They are capturing linear data with only exposure adjustment.
The +XX offset indicates exposure compensation level. Higher numbers = more light for denser film elements.
The +XX offset follows the traditional printer light scale used in film laboratories (Hazeltine/Bell & Howell timing systems), where approximately 12 points = 1 F-stop.
| Offset Change | Approximate F-stops |
|---|---|
| +3 | 1/4 stop |
| +6 | 1/2 stop |
| +12 | 1 stop |
| +24 | 2 stops |
| +36 | 3 stops |
| Comparison | Offset Difference | F-stop Difference |
|---|---|---|
| NNews+20 → NNews+32 | +12 | ~1 stop more light |
| NNews+12 → NNews+36 | +24 | ~2 stops more light |
| NNews+05 → NNews+48 | +43 | ~3.5 stops more light |
| Preset Type | Offset Range | Total F-stop Range |
|---|---|---|
| NNews | +01 to +48 | ~4 stops |
| PNews | +02 to +50 | ~4 stops |
This ~4 stop range is appropriate for archival newsreel footage, which varies significantly in density due to age, storage conditions, and original exposure. The most common setting (NNews+30) represents roughly 2.5 stops from the minimum offset.
The operators are essentially performing digital printer timing — the same exposure compensation technique that film timers have used for decades in optical printing.
From 8,970 XML transfer records in our database:
No factory presets (5207 Vision3, 5222 Double-X, etc.) are being used. Operators have standardized on these custom exposure-based presets for archival newsreel scanning.
| Preset | Count |
|---|---|
| NNews+30 | 519 |
| NNews+17 | 396 |
| NNews+27 | 373 |
| NNews+35 | 363 |
| NNews+20 | 341 |
| NNews+40 | 328 |
| NNews+25 | 324 |
The FilmStock name is a free-form text field in the Scanity interface. The actual calibration is stored in the PrinterLightsMax values within each scan's XML transfer file.
Factory presets exist in /home/spirit/ScanityData4/MetadataDir/Mobs/FilmStock/ on the Scanity (10.4.13.164), but NNews/PNews are operator conventions, not stored preset files.
/tmp/ScanityTransfers/ on the Scanity workstationMM.DD.YYYY_HH:MM:SS_ScanityTransfer.xmlSCANITY_XML_FILES-- Key fields in SCANITY_XML_FILES
film_stock -- e.g., "NNews+35"
printer_lights_red -- Always 25.0 (current setting)
printer_lights_green -- Always 25.0 (current setting)
printer_lights_blue -- Always 25.0 (current setting)
scanner_settings_raw -- Full CDATA including PrinterLightsMax
characteristic -- Always "LIN" (Linear)Note: printer_lights_* stores the current PrinterLights setting (usually 25), while PrinterLightsMax (in scanner_settings_raw) stores the maximum allowed value that varies with +XX.
Since all scans are:
Characteristic = LIN)Post-processing workflows should:
-- Get all FilmStock usage
SELECT film_stock, COUNT(*) as count
FROM SCANITY_XML_FILES
WHERE capture_time >= '2024-06-01'
GROUP BY film_stock
ORDER BY count DESC;
-- Extract PrinterLightsMax from JSON raw_settings
SELECT
film_stock,
JSON_UNQUOTE(JSON_EXTRACT(scanner_settings_raw, '$.raw_settings.PrinterLightsMax')) as pl_max
FROM SCANITY_XML_FILES
WHERE JSON_VALID(scanner_settings_raw)
AND film_stock LIKE 'NNews+%';
Document created: January 2026
Based on investigation of Scanity scanner at 10.4.13.164 and database analysis of 8,970 transfer XML records (May 2025 – January 2026)