Lay the film on the bed of the scanner.

Open a graphics program (Adobe, Paint Shop, whatever's available). Usually under FILE, find IMPORT and select (usually) TWAIN device.

That ought to start the scanner.

You should be given a raw image. From there you make the adjustments to the settings. You can try using Color Photo or Black and White Photo or whatever's available. Try adjusting the brightness and contrast. Twiddle things around until it looks good, then save it as a jpg.

At Kinkos, you have to then email it to yourself.

I had the best results with mine by clipping it to the window on a bright day and having hubby stand about 4 feet behind it with a white sheet then taking a photo with the digicam.

Some of the best images I've seen were produced by taking one layer of a white trash bag, taping it to a window on a bright day, and taping the xray over it, then taking a picture of it.

It's difficult to decide what looks good and what doesn't on an xray or mri scan.

Look at the pics on http://darkerblue.kienbock.com/xrays.html to see what looks clear and what doesn't. It will help you get a feel for what they ought to look like.

On xray, you're looking for a white bone in the center of the lower row of the wrist. On MRI, you're looking for a black hole. Try to get that area as clear as possible.

When you finally do get a good image (it may take a few tries), save it as a jpg and either send it directly to darkerblue@aol.com, post it in the photos section of the group page, or attach it to a post.

If you attach it to a post, make the message clear that it is a legitimate attachment as opposed to just sending it with no explanation. We've been very lucky here that we don't have a lot of viruses sent, but some lists do. It's always best to let folks know what they may be downloading.