UMAX Astra MX3 OWNER'S GUIDE TRADEMARKS UMAX is a trademark of UMAX Technologies, Inc. Astra is a trademark of UMAX Technologies, Inc. IBM PC/AT is a trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. Macintosh is a registered trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. MS-Windows, and Windows, are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. PageManager is a trademark of NewSoft Technology Corporation. Other names and trademarks appearing herein are trademarks of their respective holders. COPYRIGHT ©1999 UMAX Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language or computer language, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, magnetic, optical, chemical, manual, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of UMAX Technologies, Inc. Table of Contents CHAPTER 1. GETTING STARTED........................................7 Introduction.............................................................................................................7 Unpacking the Scanner..........................................................................................8 Package Contents .............................................................................................8 Getting to Know Your Scanner............................................................................9 Astra MX3 Back Panel.............................................................................9 System Requirements ..........................................................................................10 Installing the Software.........................................................................................10 Installing Adobe Photoshop LE...................................................................10 Installing the VistaScan Software ................................................................10 Installing the Hardware .......................................................................................11 About Scanner Connectors ...........................................................................11 USB Connectors .....................................................................................11 SCSI Connectors.....................................................................................11 Checking Your Computer's Connectors ....................................................12 Positioning the Scanner.................................................................................12 Connecting the Cables ...................................................................................12 Connecting the USB Cable....................................................................12 Connecting the SCSI Cable ...................................................................13 Changing the SCSI Address.........................................................................13 Connecting the optional UTC (Universal Transparency Cover) Cable.14 Connecting the Power Adapter....................................................................14 CHAPTER 2. SCANNING BASICS ......................................15 Your First Scan.....................................................................................................15 Make a scan with Adobe Photoshop LE.....................................................15 Setting VistaScan Preferences ...........................................................................16 General..............................................................................................................16 Color Matching/Correction ...................................................................16 Show Ruler...............................................................................................17 iii Tips Help ..................................................................................................17 Scan Destination.............................................................................................17 File.............................................................................................................17 Printer.......................................................................................................19 E-mail........................................................................................................19 Fax.............................................................................................................19 Application ..............................................................................................20 Scanner Information ......................................................................................20 VistaScan Beginner Window Features.............................................................21 Performing the Preview Scan.......................................................................21 Preview Tools .................................................................................................22 Zoom tool.................................................................................................22 Frame tool................................................................................................22 Move tool.................................................................................................22 Selecting the Scan To Device or Application............................................23 Defining the Type of Image to Scan ...........................................................23 CHAPTER 3. ADVANCED FEATURES...............................25 Making Advanced Window Changes ...............................................................25 Changing the Original Document Source ..................................................25 Changing the Image Mode ...........................................................................26 Table 1. Resolution/File -Size Guidelines ..................................................28 Choosing the Best Resolution for Your Scanning Project ......................28 Table 2. Recommended Resolutions ..........................................................28 Changing the Descreen Feature ...................................................................29 Changing the Filter Setting...........................................................................29 Changing the Scale Factor............................................................................30 Using the Auto Adjustment Feature............................................................30 Using the Scan Control Unit.........................................................................31 Selecting the Scan To Device or Application....................................31 Using the Multiple Scan Modes ..................................................................32 Using the Color Adjustment Features ........................................................33 Adjusting Image Brightness, Contrast, Highlights and Shadows ..33 Using the Brightness Bar.......................................................................33 Using the Contrast Bar...........................................................................34 Highlight Bar...........................................................................................34 Shadow Bar..............................................................................................34 Gamma Bar..............................................................................................34 Reset Button............................................................................................34 Adjusting the Image Tones...........................................................................34 Adjusting the Color Balance ........................................................................35 iv UMAX Astra MX3 Owner's Guide Rotating/Inverting an Image.........................................................................36 Using VistaAccess - Direct Access ..................................................................37 Turning the Scanner Lamp On and Off.......................................................37 CHAPTER 4. PUSH BUTTON SCANNING .........................39 Configuring the Scanner Buttons......................................................................39 Setting the Scan Options...............................................................................39 Configuring the Copy Button Values..........................................................40 Configuring the Custom Button Values .....................................................42 Using the Push Buttons.................................................................................44 CHAPTER 5. SCANNING PROJECTS................................45 Scan and Print Images with VistaScan.............................................................45 Scan a Photo to E-mail Using VistaScan.........................................................46 Converting Scanned Text to Editable Text with OmniPage.........................46 Opening OmniPage LE..................................................................................46 Converting Scanned Text with OmniPage LE...........................................47 Creating an Album with Presto! PhotoAlbum.................................................47 Opening PhotoAlbum....................................................................................47 Creating a Photo Album................................................................................48 CHAPTER 6. HOW TO GET HELP ......................................51 Using Online Manuals .........................................................................................51 Accessing the Presto! PageManager Online Manual................................51 Accessing the Caere OmniPage Online Manual.......................................52 Installing Adobe Acrobat Reader 3.01........................................................52 Troubleshooting ...................................................................................................52 General Problems and Solutions..................................................................52 Additional Troubleshooting Solutions........................................................55 SCSI Problems and Solutions ......................................................................55 Re-Install the Software ..................................................................................57 Contacting Technical Support............................................................................58 v Maintenance .........................................................................................................59 Cleaning...........................................................................................................59 APPENDIX A. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS..................60 APPENDIX B. USING THE OPTIONAL UNIVERSAL TRANSPARENCY COVER (UTC)........................................61 FCC DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY ............................62 WARRANTY..........................................................................64 INDEX ....................................................................................65 vi Chapter 1. GETTING STARTED Introduction Thank you for purchasing the UMAX Astra MX3 scanner. This versatile unit is perfect for the home or office. Use this scanner to add variety and flare to your documents, or to help you share images with others. Before reading further, it's important to note that this scanner is a Macintosh ® scanner. This manual is written for Macintosh users. The styling, functionality, and ease-of-use reflect the same attention to detail that you've come to expect from other Macintosh-compatible products. But your MX3 scanner will also operate on a PC running Windows ® 95, 98 or NT. We mention this because there may be some people that want to use other operating systems with their scanner. You'll note that there are a number of screenshots throughout the manual, and that many of them are from PC systems, as opposed to Macs. Where that's the case, the functions are identical. In other words, it works the same way on either Mac or PC systems. But the MX3 is, without question, intended for Mac users. The software that is included with the scanner is specific to the Macintosh platform. There are PC versions of the driver software on the installation CD, but the application software is Macintosh compatible. The Astra MX3 scanner is equipped with two SCSI connectors and a USB connector. Both the USB and SCSI interface connectors allow you to make a fast and easy connection to your computer. SCSI connectors are found on Macintosh computers and PC computers equipped with a SCSI interface card. USB connectors are found on newer PC computers and USB-equipped Macintosh computer (such as the iMac or blue and white G3). In addi ...