FlexColor
When Scanning on the Hasselblad you can scan to the 3F format. There are many benefits to this workflow. Your archival files will capture all of the information in a raw file. In addition, you will reduce the time you spend at the Hasselblad station because you can edit on any machine.
This format is archival and can be edited on a machine without a scanner by opening the FlexColor application. It's in the Applications folder in a folder named FlexColor
Next, go to the File menu and click Devices...
Select Virtual scanner and then click the Select button. Click Done to close the window.
To access your FFF files go to the Windows column and select Thumbnails
You can select another folder of files by clicking the pop up menu list at the top left of the window. To edit files double click on the thumbnail. You can edit the 3F files and save them as TIFF files to be opened in other programs.
Export from the FlexColor manual:
The 3f File Format
When using the Scan 3f function (for scanners) or capturing an image with a digital camera back, FlexColor stores the image in Hasselblad’s unique 3f (flexible file format).
The 3f file is an extended TIFF-file containing • Raw 16-bit image data
• A complete history of applied settings
• High quality preview image
• Meta-data (including IPTC tags) to support an image database.
In short, this means that when you have scanned or captured your image, you can crop, resize and color correct an unlimited number of times afterward. You can easily integrate to databases, have fast previews in
a number of applications and always be able to re-create the quality you need - all this from the same 3f file.
Image Archiving & Availability
Because a 3f file preserves all of the details captured by your scanner or camera, it is perfect for archiving. Then, for each new job, you will work with the 3f image in FlexColor and export it to create a new TIFF file in which your settings are applied - the only change made to the 3f file will be the addition of a new history record of the settings you used.
By making the 3f files available over your network, you will enable operators at any workstation to open an image in FlexColor and apply cropping, correction and conversion just as though they were working directly on the scanner or camera.
Editing 3f Files
FlexColor holds all tools required for making standard image correction of the 3f files.
If you need to apply pixel-editing to your image, FlexColor has a special plug-in for Photoshop. When installing FlexColor, this plug-in will
be installed in the appropriate plug-in folder if Photoshop is already installed. Please note that you will permanently alter your original scanning or capture data when you save using the plug-in. To use your 3f files in other image-editing and DTP applications, you must apply the required settings and then save them as TIFF files. TIFF is a standard format that is supported by the vast majority of imaging and DTP programs.