User manual MICROTEK SCANMAKER E6

User's Guide for the Microtek ScanWizard Scanner Software PC Version Copyright © 1998 Microtek Lab, Inc. All rights reserved. Second Edition: May 1998 Microtek Lab, Inc. 3715 Doolittle Drive, Redondo Beach, CA 90278-1226 Main: (310) 297-5000 Sales: 800-654-4160 Tech Support: (310) 297-5100 (PC); (310) 297-5125 (Mac) Fax: (310) 297-5050 AutoTech fax back: (310) 297-5101 Internet: http://www.microtekusa.com Tech Support Web Page: http://www.support.microtek.com Microtek International, Inc. 6, Industry East Road 3 Science Based Industrial Park Hsinchu 30077, Taiwan, R.O.C. Tel: 886-3-5772155Fax: 886-3-5772598 Worldwide Web Site: http://www.microtek.tw Microtek Europe BV Max Euwelaan 68 NL - 3062 MA Rotterdam The Netherlands Tel: 31-10-242-5688 Fax: 31-10-242-5699 Worldwide Web Site: http://www.microtek.nl To obtain optimal results from the Microtek scanning software and user's guide, you should be familiar with such Windows concepts as pointing, clicking, dragging, and selecting from menus and dialog boxes. If these things are new to you, refer to your Microsoft Windows User's Guide. Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. All other product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. Table of Contents ScanWizard Reference ......................................................................................... 1 ScanWizard: The Four Windows .......................................................................... 2 The Preview Window ........................................................................................... 3 Elements of the Preview window .................................................................. 3 The Menu Bar ................................................................................................ 4 The Scanner Menu ........................................................................................ 5 Scanner Model .................................................................................................... 5 Get Current Scanner Info .................................................................................... 5 Get SCSI Chain .................................................................................................. 6 Exiting ScanWizard ............................................................................................ 7 The View Menu ............................................................................................. 8 Full Page Preview ............................................................................................... 8 Zoomed Preview ............................................................................................... 10 Resize Window to Fit ....................................................................................... 11 Show / Hide commands .................................................................................... 11 The Preferences Menu ................................................................................. 12 Scan Material .................................................................................................... 12 The Scan Material icon ..................................................................................... 13 Invert ................................................................................................................ 14 Horizontal Mirror ............................................................................................. 15 Cursor Auxiliary Lines ..................................................................................... 16 Preview Setup ................................................................................................... 18 Live Prevew .................................................................................................. 18 Color Preview ............................................................................................... 18 Fast Preview ................................................................................................. 18 The Preview Area .......................................................................................... 19 Keep Preview Image ......................................................................................... 20 Smoked Glass Background .............................................................................. 20 How Smoked Glass works with image enhancement .................................... 21 More ................................................................................................................. 22 The Help Menu ............................................................................................ 23 About ................................................................................................................ 23 The Toolbar ................................................................................................. 24 Zoom Preview tool ........................................................................................... 25 Scan Frame tool ................................................................................................ 26 Magnifying Lens tool ....................................................................................... 27 Pane tool ........................................................................................................... 28 Color Picker tool (Set Shadow / Highlight) ..................................................... 29 Action buttons ............................................................................................. 31 Rulers .......................................................................................................... 32 Preview Area ............................................................................................... 33 The Untitled Job1 (Settings) Window ................................................................ 34 Elements of the Settings window ................................................................ 34 Output Image Parameters ............................................................................ 35 Type (Image Type or Scan Mode) .................................................................... 35 Resolution .................................................................................................... 36 Optical vs. interpolated resolution .................................................................... 36 Choosing the best resolution setting ................................................................. 37 When to use high resolution ............................................................................. 37 When to use interpolated resolution ................................................................. 37 Unit Selection .............................................................................................. 38 Image Dimension controls .......................................................................... 39 How to use the Input-Output dimensions ......................................................... 40 Input dimensions ........................................................................................... 40 Output dimensions ........................................................................................ 41 How to use the Aspect Lock ............................................................................. 42 Scaling ......................................................................................................... 43 Image Adjustment controls .......................................................................... 44 Auto (Automatic Contrast Control) .................................................................. 44 Color Correction / DCR ................................................................................... 45 Image-Enhancement Tools .......................................................................... 46 What the Image Enhancement tools are ........................................................... 47 Using the Advanced Image Enhancer dialog box ............................................. 48 The Action Buttons in the AIE dialog box ....................................................... 49 Brightness, Contrast and Exposure tool ........................................................... 50 The BCE screen (for grayscale and color) ................................................... 51 The BCE screen (for line art) ....................................................................... 52 How to use the BCE tool .............................................................................. 53 Tints tool ........................................................................................................... 54 The Tints screen ............................................................................................ 55 How to use the Tints tool .............................................................................. 56 Shadows and Highlights tool ............................................................................ 57 The Shadows and Highlights screen ............................................................. 58 How to read and correct a histogram ........................................................... 60 How to use the Shadows and Highlights tool ............................................... 61 Curve tool ......................................................................................................... 62 How to read the curve .................................................................................. 62 Sample images and their curves ................................................................... 63 The Curve screen .......................................................................................... 64 Using the curve buttons ................................................................................ 65 How to use the Curve tool ............................................................................ 66 Filters tool ......................................................................................................... 67 Blur filters ..................................................................................................... 68 Sharpen filters .............................................................................................. 68 Edge Enhancement filter .............................................................................. 69 Emboss filter ................................................................................................. 69 Unsharm Mask filter ..................................................................................... 70 More Options tool ............................................................................................ 71 Descreen ....................................................................................................... 72 Scan Quality ................................................................................................. 73 Gray Scan CCD Filter .................................................................................. 73 Use Linear Gamma Curve ............................................................................ 73 The Window Expansion button ................................................................... 74 The Information Window ................................................................................... 75 Elements of the Information window .......................................................... 75 Using the Zoom Level Display ................................................................... 76 Using the Cursor Locator ............................................................................ 76 Using the Color Meter Display ................................................................... 77 Using the Sample Size button ..................................................................... 78 Value and Percent ............................................................................................. 78 Sample Size Options ........................................................................................ 79 Using the Pixel Display ............................................................................... 79 The Scan Job Window ........................................................................................ 80 Elements of the Scan Job window ............................................................... 80 How to read the Scan Job window .............................................................. 81 The New button ........................................................................................... 82 More Applications ............................................................................................ 85 The Duplicate button ................................................................................... 86 The Save button ........................................................................................... 87 The Add button ............................................................................................ 87 The Check button ........................................................................................ 87 The Delete button ........................................................................................ 87 The Up/Down Position Arrows ................................................................... 88 ScanWizard Reference This is a reference manual for ScanWizard, your Microtek scanner controller driver. The reference information is organized in four parts, following the structure of the software which shows the four major windows of the program (Preview, Settings, Information, and Scan Job). ScanWizard acts as a bridge between your scanner and your image-editing software (such as Adobe Photoshop or Ulead PhotoImpact). ScanWizard captures the image placed on your scanner and then delivers the image when it is scanned to the imageediting software, where the scanned image can then be saved, printed, or edited further. Here are some things you can do with ScanWizard: · Select the type of image to be scanned. For example, you can have a color photo and scan it in the same color mode, or you can scan it in a different mode such as grayscale or line art. Perform a preview, which allows you to see a preliminary view of the image before it's actually scanned. Use the image-enhancement tools to adjust image features such as brightness and contrast, or to apply filters and special effects. Create multiple scan jobs. For example, one scan job may be in grayscale and another may be in color. The two scan jobs can then be manipulated and scanned separately, and you can switch between scan jobs easily while making changes. ScanWizard's ability to process various scan jobs concurrently adds tremendous flexibility to scanning. · · · ScanWizard: The Four Windows ScanWizard consists of four major windows: Preview, Settings, Information, and Scan Job. The Preview and Settings windows appear automatically after ScanWizard is started up. The Scan Job and Information windows, however, are hidden, and to see them, go to the View menu in the Preview window and click on the commands Show Scan Job window and Show Info window. Settings window Information window Scan Job window Preview window Whenever ScanWizard is started, only the Preview and Settings windows appear. To see the Scan Job and Information windows, go to the View menu and choose the Show Scan Job window and Show Info window command. 5-2 Microtek Scanner User's Guide (PC version) The Preview Window The Preview window is the most prominent window of the four major windows, and it includes the various commands and tools for controlling the scanner. Elements of the Preview window 3 1 7 2 4 5 6 1 The Menu Bar includes the different menus for controlling ScanWizard. The Toolbar simplifies the performance of certain tasks. The Action buttons generate a specific action from the scanning software. The Action buttons include Preview and Scan. 4 The Scan Material Status icon shows your scan material, whether it's reflective, positive, or negative. The Preview Area is where the preview image appears after you click on the Preview button. Rulers are located on both sides of the window to help you with measurement and alignment. 2 5 3 6 Reference 5-3 The Menu Bar 5-4 Microtek Scanner User's Guide (PC version) The Scanner Menu The Scanner Menu lets you: · Show your scanner model or select a scanner if you have multiple scanners · Get information about your scanner · Get information about the SCSI chain Scanner Model The top of the scanner menu displays the scanner model you're using and its SCSI ID. If you have multiple scanners on your system, all the scanners are shown with their respective SCSI IDs, and the current scanner is indicated by a check. Only one scanner can be accessed at a time. To switch among various scanners, select the scanner to be used. The scanner is displayed here with its SCSI ID. The The current scanner is marked by a check. Get Current Scanner Info This command provides information about your current scanner. A dialog box appears showing the scanner model, SCSI ID number, firmware version, and other relevant information. Reference 5-5 Get SCSI Chain Info This command lets you see the SCSI devices on your SCSI chain and the SCSI ID number of the devices. By default, all numbers (located in the lower third of the dialog box) are selected by the check boxes. To allow ScanWizard to start up more quickly, select only the boxes that match the SCSI ID of your scanner (or scanners, if you have multiple scanners on your system). This will make ScanWizard bypass the numbers for your other devices and focus effort on simply detecting scanners. If you're not sure about which numbers to specify, check all the boxes. The Get SCSI Chain Info dialog box Click on the Probe button to update information or mount a SCSI device if it's not showing in the dialog box Make sure you have the correct interface card here. SCSI devices are shown with their corresponding SCSI ID numbers To use the Get SCSI Chain Info feature: 1 Choose the Get SCSI Chain Info command from the Scanner menu. The SCSI Check dialog box will appear. 2 3 4 If your scanner does not show in the SCSI Check dialog box, click on the Probe button. Make sure your scanner is connected and turned on. Make sure that the correct interface card is shown in the card selection box. Check the numbered box corresponding to the SCSI ID of your scanner or scanners. Click OK to close the dialog box. 5. 5-6 Microtek Scanner User's Guide (PC version) Exiting ScanWizard To exit ScanWizard for Windows, double click on the "X" on the upper right corner of the Preview window. Double-click here to exit ScanWizard Reference 5-7 The View Menu The View menu lets you: · Get a full page preview or enlarged, h ig-resolution view of an image · Resize the preview window · Show or hide the Settings, Information, and Scan Job windows · Obtain information on ScanWizard Full Page Preview This command shows you a full preview of your image. Take note of the following: · The Full Page Preview is defined by the parameters set in the Preview Setup command (in the Preferences menu). For instance, if your image is 8" x 5" but the dimensions in the Preview Setup are 4" x 3", your full page preview will be 4" x 3". The maximum size of the Full Page Preview varies, depending on your scanner model. For example, if the scan bed (the glass surface) of your scanner has a maximum size of 8.5" x 13", the maximum full page preview will be limited to those dimensions. The size of the full page preview can be changed by setting new dimensions in the Preview Setup command. The new dimensions will take effect, however, only with the next preview. This means you need to click on the Preview button so that the scanner does a new preview; only then will you see the new dimensions of the Full Page Preview. You may wish to change the size of your Full Page Preview to improve performance and save memory. A smaller preview area will occupy less memory, speed up processing, and yield a higher-resolution preview. · · · 5-8 Microtek Scanner User's Guide (PC version) Comparison of Full Page Previews as determined by the Preview Setup 1 Full page preview (8.5" x 11") as determined by dimensions in the Preview Setup Preview area matches dimensions in Preview Setup command 2 2 Full page preview changes to 6" x 9" because dimensions in Preview Setup were changed Preview area changes as dimensions change. Note new ruler measurements. To use Full Page Preview: Full Page Preview is the default view. The option will be dimmed in the View menu if the current view is already the Full Page Preview. 1 To change the size of the full page preview, click on the Preview Setup command in the Preferences menu. When the Preview Setup dialog box appears, specify the new dimensions for the full page preview. (See the Preview Setup command for more details.) To make the new preview dimensions take effect, do a new preview by clicking on the Preview button, and in a few moments, the new preview area will appear. 2 Reference 5-9 Zoomed Preview This command displays a magnified view of the preview when you use the Zoom Preview tool. The zoomed preview shows a specific part of the preview image in higher resolution and with more visible detail. If you have zoomed preview enabled, the view is stored in memory, and you can easily switch between full page preview and zoomed preview. The zoomed preview is different from the zoomed-in view obtained from the Magnifying Lens tool. The zoomed-in view is simply an enlarged view, but it is not in high resolution. Full page preview Zoomed preview To use Zoomed Preview: 1 2 Click on the Zoom Preview tool (leftmost tool in the Toolbar that looks like a microscope). Move the pointer to the preview image and draw a scan frame around the area to be zoomed in, then click inside the scan frame. The selected area will be magnified to give you the zoomed preview. After you use the zoom preview tool to create the zoomed preview, the Zoomed Preview option in the View menu will be enabled. You can then switch between Full Page Preview and Zoomed Preview as your viewing modes. For more details, refer to the section on the Zoom Preview tool. 5-10 Microtek Scanner User's Guide (PC version) Resize Window to Fit This command adjusts the preview window to fit the preview area, so that the preview space is used more efficiently. To use this feature: Choose the command Resize window to fit in the View menu. This command is available only if the current zoom level is 100%, and is disabled if zoom is set to other levels. To verify the zoom level, open the Information window and look up the zoom level. Show / Hide commands Allow you to switch between showing or hiding the Settings, Scan Job, and Information windows on your screen. The commands also have their toolbar counterparts in the form of three arrowheads on the right edge of the toolbar. To use this feature, do either of the following: · Toggle the command to show or hide the respective window on your screen. · Click on the Show/Hide tool buttons in the Preview window. Click arrows here to show or hide the Settings, Preview, and Scan Job Window Note: Do not doubleclick the close box of the Preview window because this will cause you to exit the program. Reference 5-11 The Preferences Menu The Preferences menu lets you: · Choose the correct scan material · Create effects like invert and mirror · View cursor lines to help you with alignment · Control the size of your preview window · Keep your last preview image after you finish scanning · Create a smoked glass background to help distinguish the active scan frame · Set other options, such as specifying a working directory for files Scan Material This command allows you to select the correct scan material, which can be classified into three types: · Reflectives (such as photographs or prints) · Positives · Negatives The options available to you in the Scan Material submenu will depend on your equipment. For instance, the positive and negative option will be active only if you're using a Transparent Media Adapter (TMA) with your scanner. If you are scanning negatives or positives, make sure you specify the correct scan material before scanning the image, or you will get inaccurate scanning results. The Scan Material function is also related to the Tints tool, an image-enhancement function in the Settings window. Refer to that section for more details. 12 Microtek Scanner User's Guide (PC version) To use the scan material feature: Choose the Scan Material command in the Preferences menu. From the submenu that appears, select your scan material; a check appears next to the selected option. The option you select will also be shown in the Scan Material Status icon (discussed below). The Scan Material icon Another way to access the Scan Material menu is to use the Scan Material icon, located to the right of the Scan Button. Scan Material icon The appearance of the Scan Material icon changes, depending on whether your scan material is reflective, positive, or negative. Note: The positive and negative icons become active only if you're using a Transparent Media Adapter with your flatbed scanner, or if you're using a transparency / slide scanner such as the ScanMaker 35t Plus. Scan Material icon when scanning reflectives Scan Material icon when scanning positives Scan Material icon when scanning negatives Reference 13 Invert This command creates a negative of an image. The Invert effect is applied to the whole preview image; it cannot be used for only a specific portion of the image. When an image is inverted, the brightness value of each pixel is converted to the inverse value on the 256-step color values scale. For example, a pixel in a positive image with a value of 255 is changed to 0, and a pixel with a value of 5 is changed to 250. Original Invert To use this feature: Choose the Invert command in the Preferences menu. A check appears next to the command when it is enabled. 14 Microtek Scanner User's Guide (PC version) Horizontal Mirror This command allows you to flip the image so that a mirror effect is created. The Mirror effect is applied to the whole preview image; it cannot be used for only a specific portion of the image. Original Horizontal Mirror To use this feature: Choose the Horizontal Mirror command in the Preferences menu. A check appears next to the command when it is enabled. When the mirror image appears, the scan frame will still be in the old location, and you will need to move the scan frame if you wish to define another area. Reference 15 Cursor Auxiliary Lines This command allows you to create horizontal and vertical grid lines with your cursor to help define a scan frame precisely. Using the grid lines, you can read the measurements off your ruler more easily. Cursor auxiliary lines on the x and y axis To use this feature: 1 Choose the Cursor Auxiliary Lines command in the Preferences menu. From the submenu that appears, select how the cursor lines will appear. · On both x (horizontal) axis and y (vertical) axis · On x axis only · On y axis only · None (no cursor lines) 16 Microtek Scanner User's Guide (PC version) 2 Click on the Scan Frame tool. To see how the cursor lines work, draw a scan frame. Click on the top left corner of the image as your starting point, then drag down to form a scan frame. As you draw the scan frame, cursor lines will appear to help you draw the scan frame precisely. When you release the mouse, your scan frame will be aligned with the cursor lines. Click on the Scan Frame tool, then define a starting point. As you drag the mouse down, the scan frame is aligned with cursor lines on the x and y axis (based on your selected option in the submenu). Reference 17 Preview Setup This command allows you to set the dimensions of your preview area. When the Preview Setup dialog box (below) comes up, click on the option you need or specify your parameters. Option Description of function Live Preview This option applies only to color scanners. If Live Preview is enabled, the next option, Color Preview, will be dimmed. If Live Preview is on: · Changes you make to the preview image are shown instantly (for example, switching from color to grayscale). · If you're scanning in grayscale and live preview is on, the image appears in color unless you specifically change image type in the Type box (in the Untitled Job1 window) to a grayscale mode. This happens because Live Preview always does previews in color. If Live Preview is off: Your preview will be in accordance with your image type (i.e., if you have a grayscale image, your preview is in grayscale; with a color image, you get a color preview). If you apply any image-enhancement control, the changes will not be apparent until you do a new preview (click on the Preview button again). Turn off Live Preview if you're previewing or scanning in grayscale to speed up the process. Color Preview This option is enabled only if Live Preview is not selected. If this option is turned on, the image will be scanned in whatever scan mode is specified in the Type box (in the Settings window). If it is turned off, the image will be scanned in grayscale. Fast Preview This option allows you to choose your preview mode. · On: The preview process is faster, but the quality of preview image is a little coarse. · Off: The preview process is slower, but the quality of the preview image is improved. The Fast Preview option is a hardware-related feature and may or may not be available depending on your scanner model. 18 Microtek Scanner User's Guide (PC version) The Preview Area The Preview Area option in the Preview Setup dialog box lets you select the size of your preview area. Choose from the following options: letter, A4, legal, maximum size, or custom size. · · · Maximum refers to the maximum scan area that can be supported by your particular scanner model. Custom will appear if you type in your own specifications and change any of the edit boxes. The Top, Left, Width and Height edit boxes allow you to specify the dimensions of the preview area. Top and Left refer to the starting points of the preview area on the x and y coordinates. Width is the expanse of the preview area, and Height is the depth of the preview area. The unit of measurement, indicated on the right side of the Left box, reflects the unit selected in the Settings window. · Size of preview area if preview setup is 8. 5" x 11" Size of preview area if preview setup is 6" x 9" To set the preview area: 1 Choose the Preview Area size. If you enter any of the edit boxes marked Top, Left, Width, or Height, the Preview Area size automatically changes to Custom. 2 3 Click OK to accept the settings; click Cancel to abandon. To make the new preview dimensions take effect, do a new preview by clicking on the Preview button. In a few moments, the new preview area will appear. Reference 19 Keep Preview Image This command allows you to retain the last preview image you used, and the preview image is kept in the preview window after you exit ScanWizard.The next time you start up ScanWizard, this last preview image is again displayed in the preview window. To use this feature: Choose the Keep Preview Image command in the Preferences menu. A check mark appears next to the command when it is enabled. Smoked Glass Background This command helps you distinguish the scan frame from the rest of the preview image for greater visibility of the scan frame. With this feature turned on, the part of the image within a scan frame will stand out, while any material not in a scan frame is relegated to the smoked glass background. If you have multiple scan frames, all the scan frames will be visible, and the current scan frame will be denoted by the marquee (marching ants). Current scan frame (pulsing lines or "marching ants" marquee) Part of image not in any scan frame and also hidden by smoked glass background Holding down the Shift key while dragging the mouse allows you to make multiple scan frames. To use this feature: Choose the Smoked Glass Background command in the Preferences menu. A check appears next to the command when it is enabled. It is helpful to enable this feature, especially when you are editing a scan frame or applying image-enhancement controls. See the next section for more details. 20 Microtek Scanner User's Guide (PC version) How Smoked Glass works with image enhancement When the Smoked Glass feature is enabled, it becomes linked with the functions of the scan frame and signficantly impacts the way image-enhancement controls and other settings (such as resolution) are applied. Details follow. · If you have turned on smoked glass, defined a scan frame, and set image-enhancement and other controls (such as changing brightness, applying a filter, or changing resolution), the enhancements are applied to the scan frame alone. This means that the part within the scan frame may change in appearance (as it now has different settings), but because smoked glass is on, the rest of the image hidden behind the smoked glass remains unaffected. With Smoked Glass on, controls are applied to the part of the image within the scan frame. Notice how right half of image remains behind smoked glass. · If you have turned off smoked glass, defined a scan frame, and set image-enhancement and other controls, the enhancements are applied to the entire image, not just the scan frame alone. With Smoked Glass off, controls are applied to the entire image. Reference 21 More This command allows you to specify a working directory where you can save all temporary and data files, including files for job templates. To use this feature: 1 Choose the More command in the Preferences menu. The dialog box below appears. 2 Click and hold down the Working Directory box, and from the pop-up menu that appears, choose your working directory. 3 If you choose Other Directory from the menu, a standard dialog box will appear where you can specify the working directory of your choice. Whatever directory you specify is automatically added to the pop-up menu above for you to choose from in the future. If the directory you specify is not found or does not exist, a warning message appears, and the current directory of the ScanWizard is used instead. 4 When you have completed your choices, click OK to close the More Preferences dialog box. For the changes to take effect, exit ScanWizard, then relaunch the program. 22 Microtek Scanner User's Guide (PC version) The Help Menu The Help menu lets you access online help for ScanWizard.The Help menu uses standard Windows conventions for obtaining online help. If you are not familiar with this procedure, refer to your Microsoft Windows user's guide. About This command shows you the "splash" screen for ScanWizard and the version number of the program. Reference 23 The Toolbar Zoom Preview Scan Frame Magnifying Lens Pane Color Picker 24 Microtek Scanner User's Guide (PC version) Zoom Preview tool Usage To magnify the view of a preview image in high resolution, and to let you switch between full page preview and zoomed preview. The Zoom Preview tool gives you the zoomed preview, which is an enlarged, high-resolution view of an image with more visible detail. The zoomed preview is different from the zoomed-in view, which is obtained by using the magnifying lens tool and is not a high-resolution view. By using the zoom preview tool and creating the zoomed preview, you can then switch easily between full page preview and zoomed preview. Area to be zoomed in with the Zoom Preview tool Selected image part zoomed in (enlarged) in high resolution Full page preview Zoomed preview To use the Zoom Preview tool: 1 Click on the Zoom Preview tool. 2 3 Move the pointer to the preview image and draw a scan frame around the area to be zoomed in. Click inside the scan frame. The selected area will be magnified to give you the zoomed preview. Only the area inside the defined scan frame will be zoomed in. To zoom in on a larger area, go to full page preview and change the size of the scan frame. Reference 25 Scan Frame tool Usage To create a scan frame or multiple scan frames in the preview image. The Scan Frame tool lets you create or modify a scan frame, which is the active area on which controls and commands can be applied. You can have multiple scan frames, but only one scan frame can be current at a time; the current scan frame is indicated by a marquee (marching ants). If you have multiple scan frames, the current scan frames can be more easily distinguished if you turn on the Smoked Glass Background command (in the Preferences menu). Current scan frame Another scan frame, which can be distinguished by the marquee around the left half of the image. Image with multiple scan frames To use the Scan Frame tool: 1 Click on the Scan Frame tool. 2 Move the pointer (now a crossbar) to the preview image, and draw a frame enclosing the area to be selected. When you release the mouse, the scan frame will be in a marquee. To make multiple scan frames (which would add scan jobs), hold down the Shift key and drag the mouse. For more information on scan jobs, refer to the Scan Job section. To resize the scan frame, do either of the following: · Move the cursor to any corner of the frame; the pointer will change to a double-headed arrow. Hold down the mouse, and drag to form a new area, then release the mouse; or · Click on the Scan Frame tool again and restart the area-selection process. 3 26 Microtek Scanner User's Guide (PC version) Magnifying Lens tool Usage To enlarge your view of the preview image. The Magnifying Lens tool enlarges your view of the preview image, allowing you to set the scan frame with greater precision if you need to. Only your view of the preview image is changed; the actual size of the image remains unaffected. Each click of the lens tool magnifies or reduces by a factor of 2. Thus, the magnification levels increase from 100% to 200%, to 400%, to 800%, and to the maximum 1600% (see Note below). When you reach the maximum magnification factor, the center of the lens tool will appear empty. If the portion that you want to magnify includes most of the preview area, the lens tool will magnify the view only slightly. To solve this, enlarge the size of the preview area (through the Preview Setup command), or create a smaller selection area. Note If the Information window is open, the zoom level will be indicated. This means you can also zoom in by selecting the appropriate zoom level in the Information window. Original image view Image view enlarged with Magnifying Lens tool To use the Magnifying Lens tool: 1 Click on the Magnifying Lens tool. 2 Place the pointer -- now a lens with a plus sign inside it -- on the image and click. To reduce the view, hold down the Option key and click again. The plus sign changes to a minus sign when you hold down the Option key. Reference 27 Pane tool Usage To scroll through an image and move parts of it into view. The Pane tool lets you scroll through a preview image, allowing you to move parts of the image into view. The Pane tool can be used to include zoomed-in images (enlarged through the Magnifying Lens tool), or images not included completely within the frame of the preview window (for instance, if your preview image is 8 inches wide and you resized the width of your preview window to only 5 inches). Zoomed-in image of three girls Zoomed-in image Image moved in from the right. Girl on extreme left is now out of the view frame. Scrolled image To use the Pane tool: 1 Click on the Pane tool. 2 Move the pointer (now a hand) to the image. Hold down the mouse and move the hand left, right, up, or down, and see portions of the image come into view. 28 Microtek Scanner User's Guide (PC version) Color Picker tool Usage To sample color from an area and designate new shadow or highlight points. The Color Picker tool allows you to sample color from an area of an image and to designate a new shadow or highlight point. With the Color Picker tool, you can determine the color values for any pixel in an image. When you click on the Color Picker tool and pass over a pixel, the value of that pixel will be displayed in the Information window, based on the sample size also selected in the Information window. Pixelvalue information is useful especially when you're making color adjustments based on color values. (For more details, see the section The Information Window.) To select a new shadow or highlight point: 1 Click on the Color Picker tool. Then click on the Window Expansion button in the Untitled Job1 window to see the bottom half of the window. Select a color channel in the Channel box. To select a new shadow point, click on a pixel in the preview image that will serve as the new shadow point. To select a new highlight point, hold down the Option key as you click; the Color Picker tool will change and become a white-colored eyedropper. Window expansion button Select a color channel 2 3 Click Reset to restore settngs To restore original settings: 1 Click on the Window Expansion button in the Untitled Job1 window to see the bottom half of the window. 2 When the expanded window appears, click on the Reset button. When a dialog box appears, choose Shadows and Highlights, then click on Reset to close the dialog box. Reference 29 To change the sample size of the Color Picker: 1 2 3 Open the Information window by choosing the Show Info Window command in the View menu. Click on the Sample Size button, located to the right of the RGB values in the Information window. Choose your options. · Select Value or Percent to determine how the pixel information will be displayed. · Select the sample size. For instance, the 1 by 1 option will display the value of one pixel -- the one in the middle of the Color Meter Display. The 3 by 3 option reads the average value of a 3-pixel by 3-pixel area. To display color information for a pixel or an averaged area: 1 2 Click on the Color Picker tool. As you pass over a point in the image, see the Information Window -- the RGB values will be displayed in the Color Meter Display. These values are in turn based on the sample size you selected (#3 above, second bulleted item). Color Meter Display shows the value of the pixel (or sample size) where Color Picker is on. Color Picker tool at this point selects this pixel as the new shadow point for the image. The value of this pixel is shown in the Color Meter Display in the Information window. Sample Size button Pixel Display shows pixelby-pixel breakdown of the area where Color Picker is on. 30 Microtek Scanner User's Guide (PC version) The Action Buttons The Preview button gives you a preliminary view of the image on your scanner. Previewing an image gives you greater flexibility, as it allows you to apply various controls to the preview image before actually scanning it in. With the preview image displayed, you can apply image enhancements or crop the image before performing the final scan. The Scan button lets you scan in the image in your scanner and delivers it to your image-editing software. The scanned image is based on the specifications you have chosen in the Settings window and on controls you may have applied to the preview image if a preview was performed. If you wish to keep the scan module (the ScanWizard) after a scan is completed, check the command Retain Scan Module After Scan, located in the Preferences menu in the Preview window. For applications that support scan-module retention, the ScanWizard windows reappear after a scan is delivered to the image-editing software. Otherwise, you need to "acquire" ScanWizard again from your image-editing software. Reference 31 Rulers The rulers on both sides of the preview window help you with operations that need precise measurement and alignment of your image. The unit of measurement in the rulers is determined by the unit of measurement selected in the Image Dimension controls, located in the Untitled Job1 window. Depending on your chosen unit of measurement, the rulers can mark off measurement in these units: inch, centimeter, millimeter, point, and pixel. The pixel option is dimmed if the selected resolution unit is lpi. The rulers will change when you alter the dimensions of the preview area in the Preview Setup command (in the Preferences menu). For example, if you change the preview area size from 5"x8" to 6"x9", the rulers will change accordingly. Pressing the ruler unit button displyas the measurement menu. Select the unit of measurement for the rulers in either the Untilted Job1 window or the Preview window. To select a unit of measurement for the rulers: Click on the unit box in the Untitled Job1 window, and select the unit of measurement from the submenu that appears. 32 Microtek Scanner User's Guide (PC version) Preview Area The preview area is where the preview image appears. The size of the preview area varies, depending on your scanner model. The size can be changed, however, through the Preview Setup command in the Preferences menu. You can increase the size of the preview area to see more detail in your image, or you can reduce the preview area to save on memory. For details on how to change the size of the preview area, refer to the Preview Setup command in the Preferences menu section. Preview area Reference 33 The Untitled Job1 (Settings) Window The Untitled Job1 (Settings) window contains the commands for outputting your scanned image and includes the image-enhancement tools of the program. Elements of the Untitled Job1 (Settings) window 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 The Type menu lets you select the mode in which your image will be scanned and processed. The Resolution edit box lets you enter a resolution value in which your image will be output (not scanned). The Unit Selection lets you choose the unit of measurement for resolution in either dpi (dots per inch) or lpi (lines per inch). The Image Dimension controls include various parameters for specifying input width and height, scaling, output width and height, and unit of measurement. 5 2 The Image adjustment controls let you adjust images quickly with the click of a button. These controls are the Auto button and Color Correction button. The Image enhancement tools let you adjust your image in many different ways. The Window Expansion button reveals the bottom half of the Settings window, which includes the various image-enhancement controls corresponding to #6. 6 3 7 4 34 Microtek Scanner User's Guide (PC version) Output Image Parameters The Output Image Parameters include the various controls that determine how your image is scanned and processed. The Output Image Parameters include: · Type · Resolution · Image Dimension controls Type (Image Type or Scan Mode) The Type menu determines what your resulting scan will be. It does not refer to the original image mode. For instance, if you have a color photo but choose 256 grayscale for the scan mode, the photo is scanned and processed as grayscale. To use the Type menu: · From the Type menu select the image type for your final scan. Choose the correct image type, as the wrong choice will simply create bigger files that won't be of any use to you. For instance, if you have a grayscale original, do not set image type to Millions of colors. · If you select Halftone, choose the halftone screen as well from the submenu. The image you obtain when you choose Halftone may not look clear in the preview. To see what it actually looks like, you may need to scan it in. The various halftone patterns give you an array of effects for your image. The options Billions of colors and 1000's shades of gray are available only for 36-bit scanners and for some applications (like Adobe Photoshop). If your application does not support these options, do not select them as your scanned images may be distorted. Reference 35 Resolution Resolution determines the level of detail recorded by the scanner, and is measured in dots per inch (dpi). The greater the dpi number, the higher the resolution and the resulting file size. Image quality improves with higher resolution, but only up to a certain point, after which increasing the resolution simply makes file size unmanageable without yielding any visible improvement to the image. For most purposes, scans up to 300 dpi are adequate. Resolution is also related to scaling, or how large or small the image will be scanned relative to the original. When you change the resolution, the scaling may be affected slightly if the resolution you selected has no exact equivalent in scaling. (Scaling is discussed in the next section, Image Dimension controls.) To set your resolution: Enter a resolution setting in the Resolution edit box. There is no need to press the Enter key; typing in a value automatically inputs it into the system. If the value you enter is too low or too high, the minimum or maximum resolution value is entered for you instead. Optical Vs. Interpolated Resolution When dealing with resolution, it's important to distinguish between optical, or true, resolution, and interpolated resolution, which is resolution enhanced through software. · · Optical resolution is the key factor in determining the sharpness and clarity of an image. Interpolated resolution, or resolution enhanced through software, is useful for certain tasks, such as scanning line art or enlarging small originals. 36 Microtek Scanner User's Guide (PC version) Choosing the best resolution setting Scanning at a higher resolution requires more time, memory, and disk space. When choosing a resolution setting, consider the type of image you're scanning and the printing method. Printed images have their own resolution, as measured in lines per inch (lpi), which is distinct from the resolution of electronic images (as measured in dpi). An easy way to determine the best resolution for your intended output is to find out the lines per inch (lpi) capability of your output device and multiply it by 1.5 to 2.0. For instance, to tailor your scanned image to a typical magazine printing press that prints at 133 lines per inch, multiply 133 x 1.5 or 2.0, which gives 199.5 or 266. In this case, the optimal resolution setting for your image would then be 200 dpi to 266 dpi (depending on how high the output quality will be). Lpi varies, depending on the quality of the printing job. A newspaper uses approximately 85 lpi, magazines from 133 to 150 lpi, and fine art books may go as high as 200 to 300 lpi. If you're outputting images to a monitor (such as doing multimedia work), you need not scan images higher than 72 dpi, as monitors are capable of only showing images up to 72 dpi. A higher-resolution image will not be any clearer on the monitor and will simply create larger files. When to use high resolution High resolution is important if you're processing an image through a high-end color system that carries continuous tone data from the scanner through the final film output. This is because high resolution can improve the sharpness and clarity of the dots that make up the image. When to use interpolated resolution Interpolated resolution is useful for scanning line art or enlarging small originals. · For line art: Set the resolution equal to that of your output device. For instance, if you're producing line art to be printed by a 1200-dpi imagesetter, you can interpolate resolution to up to 1200 dpi for superior results. This will produce smoother lines and eliminate some of the jaggedness characteristic of line art scans. For enlarging small originals: Let's assume that you scan a 1" x 2" photograph at 300 dpi, and that your maximum optical resolution is 300 dpi too. To enlarge the image to two times the original size without loss of detail, interpolate the resolution to 600 dpi. This way, the image retains clarity and sharpness even if the print size was doubled. · Reference 37 Unit Selection The unit of measurement for resolution is in dpi (dots per inch) or lpi (lines per inch). Lpi settings are dimmed if the ruler unit is in pixels. Choose your unit of resolution from here To select your option: · Choose dpi if you know precisely the resolution you need for your image. For more details on resolution, see the Basic Concepts chapter. · Choose lpi Draft to produce resolution that is one times the screen frequency (no higher than 72 pixels per inch). Draft quality may result in output images that look a little blurred or indistinct at edges. Choose lpi Medium to produce resolution that is one and one-half times the screen frequency (no higher than 72 pixels per inch). Choose lpi Final to produce resolution that is two times the screen frequency. · · 38 Microtek Scanner User's Guide (PC version) Image Dimension controls These controls allow you to adjust the various factors that affect the image, including the width and height of your image when it is first scanned (input), the scaling factor, and the dimensions of the image when it is finally output. 3 1 2 4 5 1 This is a mathematical formula expressing the relation of the input dimensions to scaling and how they affect image dimensions when the image is scanned. · Input width and input height refer to the dimensions of the scan frame that you draw. For example, if the image on your scanner is 5" x 7" and you draw a scan frame that is 3" x 4", then your input width will show 3.000 and your input height will show 4.000. Output width and output height refer to the dimensions of the image when output to an output device (such as a monitor or printer). · The input width, input height, output width, and output height are affected by your scaling and whether or not the Aspect Lock is on. For more details, see the sections How to use Input-Output dimensions and How to use the Aspect Lock. 2 The Aspect Lock allows you to keep the ratio of the image width and height constant. (For more details, see the section How to use the Aspect Lock in the following pages.) 3 Scaling lets you create large or small images so that the images don't have to be resized subsequently, which is usually done in your image-editing software. 4 The Unit of Measurement allows you to select your unit of measure. The options include inch, centimeter (cm), millimeter (mm), point, and pixel. 5 The Size indicates how big the file will be when you accept the dimensions shown in the edit boxes, together with the resolution setting that you selected. Size is calculated automatically. To use the Image Dimension Controls: 1 Select the unit of measurement. 2 Enter a value in the applicable edit boxes (width input, height input, scaling, width output, height output. Reference 39 How to use the Input-Output dimensions The Input-Output dimensions consist of four edit boxes: input width, input height, output width, and output height. These edit boxes are linked to the use of the Aspect Lock, and the boxes may or may not be edited depending on whether the Aspect Lock is on or off. Below are the details. Input Dimensions Use the input dimensions to specify your scan frame. If you wish, you can also drag on the scan frame to whatever size you want, and the dimensions will be reflected in the input width and height boxes. The input dimensions can be changed only if your Aspect Lock is off, and this is evident because only the input dimensions have edit boxes around them. The output dimensions have no boxes around them, indicating that they cannot be edited at this point. The output boxes, however, will respond to changes in the input boxes (and scaling). Aspect Lock is off Output edit boxes are grayed out With Aspect Lock off, only input dimensions can be edited 40 Microtek Scanner User's Guide (PC version) Ouput Dimensions The output dimensions determine the width and height of your image when output to an output device such as a monitor or printer. Take note of the following: · · The output dimensions can be changed only if the Aspect Lock is on. The output dimensions are calculated dynamically, and the system looks at other variables such as your resolution and scaling to determine the final output dimensions. This means that you may specify output dimensions of 5" x 7", but because of intervening variables, the actual output dimensions may be 4.85" x 6.9" -- which is the closest the system can produce given your other variables. Aspect Lock is on Input edit boxes are grayed out With Aspect Lock on, only output dimensions can be edited Reference 41 How to use the Aspect Lock The Aspect Lock preserves the ratio of the image width and height from input to output. For instance, if your image is 2 inches wide by 4 inches high, changing it to 1 inch by 2 inches will maintain its aspect ratio. Changing it to, say, 1 inch by 4 inches, however, will alter its aspect ratio, so that the image will be narrower than the original. The Aspect Lock is a toggle. Click on it to lock or unlock. The notes below provide more details on how to use the Aspect Lock. · If the Aspect Lock is ON: Changing one output edit box (width or height) will automatically change the other output field, as well as scaling, to preserve the aspect ratio. With Aspect Lock on, you cannot edit the input dimensions. Aspect Lock is on Changing one output field will change the other. Note that aspect ratio is preserved (input 2x4; output 4x8); scaling also changed automatically. · If the Aspect Lock is OFF: Changing one input edit box (width or height) will NOT automatically change scaling or the other input field, and aspect ratio can be changed. With Aspect Lock off, you cannot edit the output dimensions. Aspect Lock is off Changing one input field will not automatically change the other. Note aspect ratio is not preserved (input changed from 2x4 in previous box to 3x4). 42 Microtek Scanner User's Guide (PC version) Scaling Scaling is the process of creating larger or smaller images in your scanning software so that you need not resize the images later when they are delivered to your image-editing program. In the scanning software, scaling has an inverse relation to resolution: The lower the resolution, the larger the image can be scaled. At the highest resolution, images can only be scaled smaller. To illustrate the use of scaling: Assume that your input dimensions are 4" x 5": · If scaling is at 100%, output dimensions will also be 4" x 5". · If scaling is at 50%, output dimensions will be halved -- to 2" x 2.5" · If scaling is at 200%, output dimensions will be doubled -- to 8" x 10". The above assumes that your resolution is held constant throughout the changes. When you change resolution and specify a value that has no exact equivalent for scaling, the scaling may be affected and adjusts itself to the nearest allowed value. For instance, if your resolution is 100, your scaling becomes 99 (instead of a full 100), because that is the closest scaling equivalent, given the resolution value. Reference 43 Image Adjustment controls The Image Adjustment controls include the Auto button and the Color Correction button, located below the Image Dimension Controls. Auto (Automatic Contrast Control) The Auto button optimizes the contrast of scanned images by making adjustments to the Shadow/Midtone/Highlight values. The Auto setting works by calculating the image settings of the current scan frame and applying those settings to either lighten or darken an image. Take note of the following: · · If the current scan frame encloses the whole preview image, the Auto setting is applied to the entire image. If the current scan frame encloses only a portion of the preview image, the Auto setting is applied only to the portion of the image within the current scan frame. Experiment with the Auto setting and see how it affects your images. The Auto button will be dimmed if the image type selected in the Type box is "Line Art" or "Halftone". To use the Auto feature: 1 Click on the Preview button to preview the image. 2 3 Click on the Scan Frame tool, and draw a scan frame of the area where Auto will be applied. Click on the Auto button in the Untitled Job1 (Settings) window. The button will light up, indicating that Auto has been applied. If you do not like the results obtained by Auto, or if you choose not to use it for certain images that have Auto enabled, click on the Auto button again to deselect the feature. A message will appear, asking if you wish to reset the Shadow / hightlight / midtone values; click Yes. This will return your image to the original. The Auto button 44 Microtek Scanner User's Guide (PC version) Color Correction / DCR This tool applies a generic color correction profile to your images to give it accurate, lifelike color. However, if you have Microtek's DCR color calibration and correction system installed, the Color Correction button will override the generic color profile and apply DCR to the image. A generic color profile is provided with the scanning software to correct the minor color shifts that occur invariably with scanners. To achieve optimal color correction, however, you need a true color calibration and correction system like Microtek's DCR, or Dynamic Color Rendition, developed expressly for this purpose. DCR creates an industry-standard color profile matched to your scanner, so that colors in your scanned image are adjusted to their optimal levels. DCR comes standard on certain ScanMaker models and is available as an option on other models. To obtain DCR, call Microtek Sales at 800-654-4160. The Color Correction button is turned on by default, but it can be turned off by clicking on the button again. Color Correction will be dimmed in the following instances: · If image type is set to billions of colors, any grayscale setting, line art, or halftone. · If the scan material type chosen (in the Scan Material command, Preferences menu) is Negative. The Color Correction button Reference 45