Thinking of a scanner
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From: J. J. Lodder on 22 Feb 2010 07:26 Rowland McDonnell <real-address-in-sig(a)flur.bltigibbet.invalid> wrote: > J. J. Lodder <nospam(a)de-ster.demon.nl> wrote: > > > Rowland McDonnell <real-address-in-sig(a)flur.bltigibbet.invalid> wrote: > > > > > I've got a scanner, but what with it being old and USB 1.1 and, due to > > > mis-handling before it was donated to me, has a glass with dust on the > > > underside that interferes with image capture, a replacement would be > > > nice (~12 minutes for a full colour A4 scan - okay, so it's only machine > > > time, but really...) > > > > > > Assuming I don't want to go to the expense of buying Photoshop or > > > anything heavy duty like that, whatever I buy would do well to come with > > > some half-competent scanning software. > > > > > > I've STFW and it's bewildering - anyone got any suggestions on a scanner > > > with half-decent scanning software included, 4800 dpi (ish), and a USB 2 > > > and/or FW/FW800 interface? All to connect to an Intel Core2Duo Mac > > > running 10.6.2 (and above, as and when it arrives)? > > > > Any scanner will scan to Graphic Converter, > > Eh? No, none of the ones I've tried ever have. See below. > > > assuming you have that, > > which is more than half-competent, > > The scanning software which came with Epson's scanning software can do > colour restoration on faded old colour photos rather well. They all do. > Do you know a way to restore colour[1] with Graphic Converter? GC uses the toolbox that comes with the scanner. (with a more pleasant interface) > Graphic Converter cannot acquire a scan from my current scanner. > Nothing appears in the `Source' list when I try `File->Acquire' (normal > or open source). > > Nor does my scanner appear in the `Print and Fax' system prefs pane > (list on the left, so Mac Help directs). > > I have run the software installer that Epson supplies for the scanner in > question. I've read in the GraphicConverter manual of plug-ins that are > required, but I can't find any trace of anything which might be what the > manual talks about in that line. > > Any thoughts? No, sorry, no idea. All scanners I ever had just worked. Jan
From: Andy Hewitt on 22 Feb 2010 07:39 Rowland McDonnell <real-address-in-sig(a)flur.bltigibbet.invalid> wrote: > I've got a scanner, but what with it being old and USB 1.1 and, due to > mis-handling before it was donated to me, has a glass with dust on the > underside that interferes with image capture, a replacement would be > nice (~12 minutes for a full colour A4 scan - okay, so it's only machine > time, but really...) > > Assuming I don't want to go to the expense of buying Photoshop or > anything heavy duty like that, whatever I buy would do well to come with > some half-competent scanning software. > > I've STFW and it's bewildering - anyone got any suggestions on a scanner > with half-decent scanning software included, 4800 dpi (ish), and a USB 2 > and/or FW/FW800 interface? All to connect to an Intel Core2Duo Mac > running 10.6.2 (and above, as and when it arrives)? > > (and if looking for half-decent included scanning software is silly, > what sort of software would be worth considering getting. Domestic > scanning - magazine articles, old photographs (prints, negatives, and > slides), that sort of thing.) I've been more than happy with my old Epscon 4490. It's a little pricier than the basic scanners, but does two strips of negatives, and hardware digital cleaning (although that is *slow*, it does save post processing time), plus works fast enough on normal prints and documents (seconds mostly). The EpsonScan software is pretty good, IMHO. It does just work, and makes scanning multiple non-uniform images an absolute doddle. It handles sharpening, restoration and white balance etc. I also own a copy of VueScan, which is OK for single images, but gets messy with multiples. It does have a rather cool OCR feature though, which seems to do a *reasonable* job. I'd say that does all you need it to. I never bother with TWAIN myself, I just launch EpsonScan, and batch scan to a working folder, then open in whatever I'm using to post-process (sometimes I load them straight into Aperture, sometimes it's others for different processes). -- Andy Hewitt <http://web.me.com/andrewhewitt1/>
From: Martin S Taylor on 22 Feb 2010 07:40 Rowland McDonnell wrote > Image Capture doesn't do anything but low-res preview scanning here. > Yeah, that's right. Read on. > > I hit `scan'. I got a low-res slow preview come up of the entire image > area. > > There seems to be no means of actually scanning the image and saving the > scan as a file. > > Do you happen to know how to get it to do a scan? You know, select an > area to scan and then save a file of the scan at a selected resolution > and colour depth? Hmm. I get that when I hit 'Overview'. I then have to select an area (click and drag) and the 'Scan' button ungreys and allows me to do a decent quality scan. My father's scanner has similar problems to yours, and I don't know a way round it (other than VueScan - Ed Hamrick is very helpful, but VueScan does cost). Anyhow, my scanner is a Canon, and I've always been impressed with how well their hardware integrates with the Mac. I suspect your problems are because your scanner is old. I'd recommend buying a Canon scanner (or an all-in-one) from a mail order company and trying it out. If it doesn't work (or even if it does) you can always return it for a full refund under the Distance Selling Regulations. MST
From: Rowland McDonnell on 22 Feb 2010 07:48 J. J. Lodder <nospam(a)de-ster.demon.nl> wrote: > Rowland McDonnell <real-address-in-sig(a)flur.bltigibbet.invalid> wrote: > > > J. J. Lodder <nospam(a)de-ster.demon.nl> wrote: > > > > > Rowland McDonnell <real-address-in-sig(a)flur.bltigibbet.invalid> wrote: > > > > > > > I've got a scanner, but what with it being old and USB 1.1 and, due to > > > > mis-handling before it was donated to me, has a glass with dust on the > > > > underside that interferes with image capture, a replacement would be > > > > nice (~12 minutes for a full colour A4 scan - okay, so it's only machine > > > > time, but really...) > > > > > > > > Assuming I don't want to go to the expense of buying Photoshop or > > > > anything heavy duty like that, whatever I buy would do well to come with > > > > some half-competent scanning software. > > > > > > > > I've STFW and it's bewildering - anyone got any suggestions on a scanner > > > > with half-decent scanning software included, 4800 dpi (ish), and a USB 2 > > > > and/or FW/FW800 interface? All to connect to an Intel Core2Duo Mac > > > > running 10.6.2 (and above, as and when it arrives)? > > > > > > Any scanner will scan to Graphic Converter, > > > > Eh? No, none of the ones I've tried ever have. See below. > > > > > assuming you have that, > > > which is more than half-competent, > > > > The scanning software which came with Epson's scanning software can do > > colour restoration on faded old colour photos rather well. > > They all do. None of the other scanning software I've met does so. And since you claimed that any scanner will scan to Graphic Converter, and since I've got solid proof that you're wrong, I don't think I'll be trusting your claim here either. > > Do you know a way to restore colour[1] with Graphic Converter? > > GC uses the toolbox that comes with the scanner. > (with a more pleasant interface) Well, no it doesn't. No UI, no nothing. The only response I've ever had from GraphicConverter when trying to TWAIN acquire - is crashing. That's all I've ever got from GKON when trying to scan - a crash. > > Graphic Converter cannot acquire a scan from my current scanner. > > Nothing appears in the `Source' list when I try `File->Acquire' (normal > > or open source). > > > > Nor does my scanner appear in the `Print and Fax' system prefs pane > > (list on the left, so Mac Help directs). > > > > I have run the software installer that Epson supplies for the scanner in > > question. I've read in the GraphicConverter manual of plug-ins that are > > required, but I can't find any trace of anything which might be what the > > manual talks about in that line. > > > > Any thoughts? > > No, sorry, no idea. > All scanners I ever had just worked. None of those that I've tried to use with Graphic Converter have worked with it, not one. Rowland. -- Remove the animal for email address: rowland.mcdonnell(a)dog.physics.org Sorry - the spam got to me http://www.mag-uk.org http://www.bmf.co.uk UK biker? Join MAG and the BMF and stop the Eurocrats banning biking
From: Rowland McDonnell on 22 Feb 2010 07:56
Martin S Taylor <mst(a)hRyEpMnOoVtEiTsHm.cIo.uSk> wrote: > Rowland McDonnell wrote > > Image Capture doesn't do anything but low-res preview scanning here. > > Yeah, that's right. Read on. > > > > I hit `scan'. I got a low-res slow preview come up of the entire image > > area. > > > > There seems to be no means of actually scanning the image and saving the > > scan as a file. > > > > Do you happen to know how to get it to do a scan? You know, select an > > area to scan and then save a file of the scan at a selected resolution > > and colour depth? > > Hmm. I get that when I hit 'Overview'. I then have to select an area (click > and drag) and the 'Scan' button ungreys and allows me to do a decent quality > scan. No such button as `Overview'. I've got `Scan' and `Show Details' buttons only. `Scan' gives me a fast scan and dumps the file in ~/Pictures (selectable via a pop-up menu). Pressing `Overview' - ah well now, that's not a bad idea, is it? Yes. Some controls. Nothing but crude manual colour correction available - can't even do anything with ColorSync. Bummer. Or is it possible to set up ColorSync elsewhere so that it's used to do the scan? I've read the ColorSync help, and Apple's line *still* seems to be `You don't need to know about it, it just works'... Any idea how to set up anything to do with ColorSync? (he asked, plaintively. It's like this: ever since I heard about ColorSync, I've wanted to make use of it. And I've had a colour printer or three, and I've got a colour scanner, but can I work out how to set up colorsync profiles to put colorsync to work sorting out my colour? Nope.) > My father's scanner has similar problems to yours, Tell him to press `Overview'. Go on, give it a go. > and I don't know a way > round it (other than VueScan - Ed Hamrick is very helpful, but VueScan does > cost). Uhuh. > Anyhow, my scanner is a Canon, and I've always been impressed with how well > their hardware integrates with the Mac. I suspect your problems are because > your scanner is old. What the makers of scanners tell me - when I've asked - is that `Your problems are all because your hardware is too new'; or `Your problems are all because your hardware is too old'. There is never a time when the makers of scanners are of the opinion that their scanners are in fact properly compatible with any Mac host. Or so they've told me. > I'd recommend buying a Canon scanner (or an all-in-one) from a mail order > company and trying it out. If it doesn't work (or even if it does) you can > always return it for a full refund under the Distance Selling Regulations. Hmm - righto. Ta for the thought. btw, is there any chance that an HP scanner might be competent? The prices look quite good, but I've never met an HP scanner in the past that struck me as capable of producing adequate images... Rowland. -- Remove the animal for email address: rowland.mcdonnell(a)dog.physics.org Sorry - the spam got to me http://www.mag-uk.org http://www.bmf.co.uk UK biker? Join MAG and the BMF and stop the Eurocrats banning biking |