Posted by Gary Yeoh on October 10, 2010 at 10:57 PM
Just been experimenting with using scanner for image acquisition using Epson Perfection scanner 4990 attached to iMac. The color rendition of the images seem to vary from scan to scan. The scanner is controlled with Mac OS image acquisition driver and I have not installed a specific driver for the Epson Scanner. The scanner driver software VueScan by Hamrick looks interesting. Does anyone know how to get reproducible scans or have experience using VueScan?
Posted by Carol Hyman on October 11, 2010 at 12:13 AM
Gary, I can't help you but hopefully someone here on NPN will have some information for all of us.
Carol
Posted by Buck Ward on October 11, 2010 at 8:34 AM
Hi Gary
Years ago I had an HP PhotoSmart slide scanner, a low end scanner. In addition to the HP scanning software, I also used VueScan. Sometimes it gave a better rendition and sometimes not, but it was almost always different in color, contrast and saturation.
This was a long time ago, and although my scanned images seemed OK at the time, they look pathetic now, I'm sure Vuescan has changed, probably a lot. I have no idea what alternatives may be available now, but my point is that different software may make a big difference.
Posted by Mark Stahlke on October 11, 2010 at 12:29 PM
VueScan is a very nice piece of software. It supports a wide variety of scanners. I've used it for scanning film with my Epson 4990 with good results.
Most of the time I use Epson Scan. It's a little simpler than VueScan but gives excellent scans especially in professional mode. You can download it for free from Epson's web site.
Epson Scan in Pro mode would be my recommendation. It's interface is much easier to use than VueScan, and being free, well, you can't beat the price.
--P
Posted by Jim DeWitt on October 12, 2010 at 1:56 AM
Another vote for Vuescan. I can't speak for its color, but I used it on a very large project scanning antique photos in black and white (sometimes sepia). Quite good, and very consistent on my Canon 8800F.
Posted by Mel Ladewig on October 12, 2010 at 1:17 PM
Gary, I scan on an Epson 4990 and a Nikon LS-4000.
If you're looking for reproducible scans time after time, silverfast along with IT8 targets is a workflow designed around repeatability and profiling of the scanner. But it comes with some downsides in my experience. I don't like the way silverfast performs color negative scans on the 4990.
With EpsonScan, you can repeat the scan if you write down all the variables input in professional mode. You'll need the top and bottom end points. You'll need the curves, saturation and contrast settings for example. If you plug it all in the same, the scan should come out the same, at least extremely close. But I don't keep all these variables, so my scans rarely come out the same at a later time. I primarily use EpsonScan.
NikonScan has its own idiosyncrasies, but they don't apply to your situation.
I haven't used vuescan, though I've been contemplating it.
Discussion
6 repliesCarol
Years ago I had an HP PhotoSmart slide scanner, a low end scanner. In addition to the HP scanning software, I also used VueScan. Sometimes it gave a better rendition and sometimes not, but it was almost always different in color, contrast and saturation.
This was a long time ago, and although my scanned images seemed OK at the time, they look pathetic now, I'm sure Vuescan has changed, probably a lot. I have no idea what alternatives may be available now, but my point is that different software may make a big difference.
Most of the time I use Epson Scan. It's a little simpler than VueScan but gives excellent scans especially in professional mode. You can download it for free from Epson's web site.
--P
If you're looking for reproducible scans time after time, silverfast along with IT8 targets is a workflow designed around repeatability and profiling of the scanner. But it comes with some downsides in my experience. I don't like the way silverfast performs color negative scans on the 4990.
With EpsonScan, you can repeat the scan if you write down all the variables input in professional mode. You'll need the top and bottom end points. You'll need the curves, saturation and contrast settings for example. If you plug it all in the same, the scan should come out the same, at least extremely close. But I don't keep all these variables, so my scans rarely come out the same at a later time. I primarily use EpsonScan.
NikonScan has its own idiosyncrasies, but they don't apply to your situation.
I haven't used vuescan, though I've been contemplating it.