Hi Terry,

I realize this will be the most off-the-wall suggestion, but if all else
fails:

AND

Assuming that that you are dealing with a roll that is ONLY good for a few
last passes thru a scanner and will never be played again:

It has occurred to me that one could lightly spray paint the roll paper, with
flat black lacquer. Ideally you would have something like a 4 X 8 sheet of
plywood with a chuck on one end and a take up spool on the other. An average "4
minute roll" could be sprayed in four sections.

Flat black lacquer is basically highly volatile driers and lamp black, dries
almost the instant it hits the paper, and will not distort or make it sticky.
It may add a bit of body and strength to brittle paper, too.

I realize this would take more time per roll, compared to finding an
electronic fix, and may only be practical for special cases.
Although, once you have the initial set-up ready to go, I should think it
wouldn't take more than 10 or 15 minutes to treat a roll.

Just for entertainment, if you have a can of spray lacquer and some old
junker roll paper destined for the recycle bin, you could spray a short length
and
see how it looks; see if it strengthens the paper, see how a section runs
thru, and is read by the scanner, etc.

Hi Craig - is this completely nuts, or do you think this approach might have
some merit?

Tom Lear
San Francisco, Ca.