A modular system of techniques and software has been developed for the calibration and correction of intensity linearity, uniformity of response, spatial distortion, and image plate decay. With calibration the Molecular DynamicsTMImaging Plate scanner system has been shown to give comparable results to the MarResearchTMscanner. The ESRF x‐ray image intensifier/charge‐coupled device detectors inherently cause large spatial and uniformity of response distortions, and successful data analysis depends on calibration and correction. Results of synchrotron radiation experiments are presented. ©1995 American Institute of Physics.