Benq 1220ST User Manual

Professional Desktop Scanner

User’s Manual

(PC version)

English

MiraScan main screen

Menu Bar

Combo Boxes

Tool Bar

Job List and Command Buttons

Preview Area

Status Area

(page 13)

(page 9)

(page 24)

(page 22)

(page 24)

(page 39)

Copyright © 1999 by this company. 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 this company.

Disclaimer

This company makes no representations or warranties, either expressed or implied, with respect to the contents hereof and specifically disclaims any warranties, merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose. Further, this company reserves the right to revise this publication and to make changes from time to time in the contents hereof without obligation of this company to notify any person of such revision or changes.

Brands and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

1. Read these instructions carefully. Save these instructions for future reference.

2. Follow all warnings and instructions marked on the product.

3. Unplug this product from the wall outlet before cleaning. Do not use liquid

cleaners or aerosol cleaners. Use a damp cloth for cleaning.

4. Do not use this product near water.

5. Do not place this product on an unstable cart, stand, or table. The product

may fall, causing serious damage to the product.

6. Openings in the cabinet and the bottom are provided for ventilation; to

ensure reliable operation of the product and to protect it from overheating, these openings must not be blocked or covered. The openings should never be blocked by placing the product on a bed, sofa, rug, or other similar surface. This product should never be placed near or over a radiator or heat register, or in a built-in installation unless proper ventilation is provided.

7. This product should be operated from the type of power indicated on the

marking label. If you are not sure of the type of power available, consult your dealer or local power company.

8. Do not allow anything to rest on the power cord. Do not locate this product

where persons will walk on the cord.

9. If an extension cord is used with this product, make sure that the total

ampere rating of the equipment plugged into the extension cord does not exceed the extension cord ampere rating. Also, make sure that the total rating of all products plugged into the wall outlet does not exceed the fuse rating.

10. Never push objects of any kind into this product through cabinet openings as

they may touch dangerous voltage points or short out parts that could result in a fire or electric shock. Never spill liquid of any kind on the product.

11. Do not attempt to service this product yourself, as opening or removing

covers may expose you to dangerous voltage points or other risks. Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel.

12. Unplug this product from the wall outlet and refer servicing to qualified

service personnel under the following conditions:

a. When the power cord or plug is damaged or frayed b. If liquid has been spilled into the product c. If the product has been exposed to rain or water d. If the product does not operate normally when the operating

instructions are followed. Adjust only those controls that are covered by the operating instructions since improper adjustment of other controls may result in damage and will often require extensive work by a qualified technician to restore the product to normal condition.

e. If the product has been dropped or the cabinet has been damaged f. If the product exhibits a distinct change in performance, indicating a

need for service.

13. Use only the power cord which is of the same type as the one originally included with the scanner.

FCC INFORMATION

The Federal Communication Commission Radio Frequency Interference Statement includes the following paragraph: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B Digital Device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction, may cause harmful interference to radio communication. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment dose cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

1. Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

2. Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.

3. Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which

the receiver is connected.

4. Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

The user should not modify or change this equipment without written approval from this company. Modification could void authority to use this equipment.

English

Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1. MIRASCAN............................................................................1

PREFACE: INTRODUCTION TO MIRASCAN ..............................................................1

SCANNING REFLECTIVE AND TRANSPARENT ORIGINALS...............................................4

Scanning reflective originals....................................................................4

Scanning transparent originals.................................................................6

UNDERSTANDING MIRASCAN FUNCTIONS ..............................................................9

Menu Bar .............................................................................................9

File submenu..................................................................................... 9

Load Config… ................................................................................. 9

Save Config… .................................................................................9

Save Config As….............................................................................9

Reset Config...................................................................................9

Auto Save Config.............................................................................9

Settings submenu............................................................................. 10

Scan Size…................................................................................... 10

Monitor Gamma ............................................................................ 11

Film Type..................................................................................... 12

Auto Preview................................................................................ 12

Help submenu.................................................................................. 12

Contents...................................................................................... 12

Scanner Info….............................................................................. 12

About MiraScan….......................................................................... 12

Combo Boxes...................................................................................... 13

Original box..................................................................................... 13

Reflective (Flatbed) ....................................................................... 13

Transparent.................................................................................. 13

Negative Film ............................................................................... 13

Image Type box............................................................................... 14

Color (RGB).................................................................................. 14

Gray............................................................................................ 14

Line Art........................................................................................ 14

Scan Mode box ................................................................................ 15

24 bits mode ................................................................................ 15

36 bits mode ................................................................................ 15

Resolution box................................................................................. 15

Scenarios for using a high resolution scan............................................ 16

Scaling box...................................................................................... 17

Filter box ........................................................................................ 17

Descreen box................................................................................... 19

Color Wizard box.............................................................................. 20

Auto Density................................................................................. 20

Photo Magic ................................................................................. 20

Film Wizard.................................................................................. 20

Color Matching.............................................................................. 21

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Job List and Command Buttons.............................................................. 22

Job List........................................................................................... 22

Duplicate button............................................................................... 23

Info button...................................................................................... 23

Delete button................................................................................... 23

Preview button................................................................................. 23

Scan button..................................................................................... 23

Exit button...................................................................................... 23

Preview Area ...................................................................................... 24

Tool Bar............................................................................................. 24

Selection button............................................................................... 24

New Frame button............................................................................ 25

Hand button.................................................................................... 25

Zoom button.................................................................................... 25

Level button.................................................................................... 26

Color Channel box......................................................................... 26

Histogram.................................................................................... 26

Input Level box............................................................................. 29

Output Level box........................................................................... 29

Curve button ................................................................................... 30

Color Channel box......................................................................... 30

Tonal Map.................................................................................... 30

Input/Output Status Area............................................................... 31

Color Balance button......................................................................... 32

Channel....................................................................................... 32

Adjustment Area........................................................................... 32

Color Adjustment button.................................................................... 33

Color Wheel.................................................................................. 33

Lightness Bar................................................................................ 33

Entry Box..................................................................................... 33

Brightness/Contrast button................................................................ 34

Brightness control ......................................................................... 34

Contrast control............................................................................ 34

Threshold button.............................................................................. 35

Invert button................................................................................... 36

Mirror button................................................................................... 36

Rotate button.................................................................................. 37

Auto button..................................................................................... 38

Status Area......................................................................................... 39

Pixel Display Box........................................................................... 39

Pixel Information Area ................................................................... 39

Image Information Area................................................................. 39

CHAPTER 2. PHOTO EXPRESS.................................................................41

INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................... 41

GETTING STARTED...................................................................................... 42

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GETTING IMAGES........................................................................................ 44

Working with Album............................................................................. 44

WORKING ON IMAGES .................................................................................. 46

Adjusting Images ................................................................................ 46

SHARING IMAGES........................................................................................ 48

Printing Images................................................................................... 48

Saving Images.................................................................................... 49

EXPRESS YOUR IMAGES................................................................................. 50

Create Calendars................................................................................. 50

Morphing Photos ................................................................................. 51

WORKING IN PROJECT MODE .......................................................................... 52

To Begin a New Project........................................................................ 52

Working with Templates....................................................................... 53

Adding Decoration............................................................................... 54

Printing Templates............................................................................... 55

Sharing Templates............................................................................... 56

CHAPTER 3. TEXTBRIDGE CLASSIC ........................................................57

TEXTBRIDGE CLASSIC .................................................................................. 57

Main Screen........................................................................................ 57

Select Scanner .................................................................................... 58

BEGIN OCR IN AUTOMATIC MODE.................................................................... 59

CHAPTER 4. COPIER...............................................................................61

Adjust Copier Settings.......................................................................... 61

Copier Parameters............................................................................ 62

How to Use Copier............................................................................... 65

CHAPTER 5. TROUBLESHOOTING AND FAQ............................................67

FAQ...................................................................................................... 67

TROUBLESHOOTING..................................................................................... 67

CHAPTER 6. SERVICE INFORMATION.....................................................69

APPENDIX. MIRASCAN MAIN SCREEN GUIDE MAP ................................71

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English

<Memo>

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Chapter 1. MiraScan

Preface: Introduction to MiraScan

MiraScan is the driver program for your scanner. It is TWAIN compliant and designed to be user-friendly. With its iconlized user-interface and fully logical taskflow design, you can complete a satisfactory scanning job with only a few mouse clicks. You can perform all of the following tasks using MiraScan:

1. Preview, scan and import the reflective originals or transparencies into your image editing software.

2. Adjust the quality of your scanned image before you actually start editing the image in your image editing software.

3. Apply batch scan functionality, allowing you to specify and switch among multiple scanning sessions in an image.

4. Create special effects to the scanned image by applying Invert and Mirror functions.

5. Use the Color Wizard to adjust the image easily and quickly.

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MiraScan Main Screen

Menu Bar

Combo Boxes

Tool Bar

Job List and Command Buttons

Preview Area

Status Area

You can invoke the MiraScan driver using your image editing or OCR (optical character recognition) software. Depending on the software you use, you may need to select the scanner (image source) before you can use the scanner and MiraScan to scan and import image. For details, please refer to the instructions that come with your particular software package.

When MiraScan is evoked successfully, the following main screen will appear:

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Main Screen Feature Used to… Menu Bar Adjust MiraScan settings and display driver

Combo Boxes Specify different scan settings and apply to the

Preview Area Preview the original image in order to obtain a general

Tool Bar Access several advanced tools in order to adjust the Status Area Display information of current image.

information.

scanned image, according to the original you want to scan.

understanding of what the image will look like and adjust the scan area.

scanned image more precisely.

Command Button and Job List

Manage scan jobs and control scan actions.

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Scanning Reflective and Transparent Originals

Note the direction

This chapter will guide you step by step toward a successful scan:

Scanning reflective originals

Step 1. Place the original face down on the scanner glass plate. Note the

direction of the original so that you will not scan the image in the wrong direction. Close the scanner lid.

Step 2. Open your application software. Step 3. If this is your first time to scan, you may have to select the TWAIN

source by choosing Select source in the File menu and then selecting MiraScan in your application software (You only need to do this once, unless you re-install your application software). Please note that the way to select the TWAIN source may differ according to the software you use. For details, please refer to the documents that come with your application software.

Step 4. Choose Acquire from your application software to bring up MiraScan

Step 5. From the MiraScan main screen, select Reflective in the Original

Step 6. Adjust the scan area in the Preview Area. Step 7. Use the options in the Combo Boxes to specify the Resolution, Scale…,

Step 8. Use the options in the Tool Bar to adjust the image.

(this may also differ according to the application you use).

combo box, then click Preview. A preview image will appear in the Preview Area.

etc. that will apply to the scanned image.

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Click this button to

Step 9. If you need to add another scan area (scan job) to the original, push

the Duplicate button in the Job List to add a new job. Then repeat Step 6 and 7 to do the settings for that scan job.

add a new job.

Step 10. After you have finished with the settings for each scan job, press the

Scan button to scan.

Step 11. A few seconds later, the scanned image(s) will be imported into your

application software. You can start to edit the image(s).

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Calibration area

Scanning transparent originals

Step 1. Place your film in an appropriate film frame, then place on the glass

plate of scanner. When doing so, make sure that the calibration area is facing the right direction (Towards the front panel of the scanner). Do not block the calibration area, or the scanner will fail to function correctly.

Transparency positioning frame

Scan Mounted Slides

Slide holder

Note the direction of the calibration area

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Scan Filmstrip

Filmstrip holder

Insert the filmstrip into the holder

Scan Positive Films

positive film holder

Place the positive film in the holder

Step 2. Open your application software. Step 3. If this is your first time to scan, you may have to select the TWAIN

source by choosing Select source in the File menu, then selecting MiraScan in your application software (you only need to do this once, unless you re-install your application software). Please note that the way to select the TWAIN source may differ according to the software

English

Click this button to

you use. For details, please refer to the documents that come with your application software.

Step 4. Choose Acquire from your application software. This will bring up the

MiraScan main screen.

Step 5. From the MiraScan main screen, select Transparent (if you are

scanning a positive film) or Negative Film (if you are scanning a negative film) in the Original combo box. When the Film Type dialog

box appears, select the type of film you use from the list and click OK. Step 6. Click Preview. The preview image will appear in the Preview Area. Step 7. Adjust the scan area in the Preview Area. Step 8. Use the options in the Combo Boxes to specify the Resolution,

Scale…, etc. that will apply to the scanned image. Step 9. Use the options in the Tool Bar to adjust the image. Step 10. If you need to add another scan area (scan job) to the original, click on

the Duplicate button in the Job List to add a new job. Then repeat

Steps 7 through 9 to adjust the settings for that scan job.

add a new scan job.

Step 11. After you have finished with the settings for each scan job, click on the

Step 12. A few seconds later, the scanned image(s) will be imported into your

Scan button to scan.

application software. You can start to edit the image(s).

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Understanding MiraScan Functions

This section describes all the features provided by MiraScan. By fully utilizing these features, you can scan images more efficiently and quickly.

Menu Bar

There are three selectable menu items in the Menu Bar. Each menu item contains several options in its submenu:

File submenu

MiraScan can record the settings you make for each scan session in a configuration file. With this feature, you can specify different settings for each scan job in each configuration file. Load the configuration file when you want to apply the settings. For example, you can save the settings you make for scanning magazine pictures in a configuration file and name it “Magazine”. The next time you want to scan a magazine picture, you can load the “Magazine” configuration file and MiraScan will apply the settings recorded in it.

Load Config…

Load the configuration file you created. When the configuration file is loaded successfully, MiraScan will apply the settings recorded in the configuration file automatically.

Save Config…

Save current MiraScan settings into the configuration file.

Save Config As…

Save current MiraScan Settings as another new configuration file. Usually you can create a new configuration file in this way. You can designate different file names for each configuration file.

Reset Config

When you select this item, the settings you make in MiraScan will be reset to its default value.

Auto Save Config

When you select this item, the settings will be saved in a configuration file automatically as you exit MiraScan.

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Settings submenu

You can adjust several general scan settings in this submenu.

Scan Size…

When you choose this item, the following dialog box will appear:

In this dialog box, you can set the sizes of the areas to be scanned. First, choose the job number (the numbers of the scan areas listed in the Job List) from the job number list box, then set the size of the scan area. Click in the Scan Size list box:

If you have set the original as Reflective (Flatbed) in the Combo Boxes, you can choose the scan area size from the list. Four frequently used formats are listed:

A4, A5, B5 and Letter. You can also customize the scan sizes by choosing Custom in the list box and then enter the desired width and height into the Width

and Height text boxes. The default unit is inch. To change the unit, press in the list box with your mouse, and choose the desired unit from the list by clicking it.

If you have set the original as Transparent or Negative Film, the list box will contain only two items: Max. Area and Custom. Choosing Max. Area , the full range of the image will be scanned. If you choose Custom, you can enter the sizes you want into the Width (max.: 8 inches) and Height (max.: 10 inches) text boxes.

After you complete your settings, click on the OK button to confirm your settings and close the dialog box. You can then press the Cancel button to close the dialog box without saving your settings; or you can press the Apply button to apply your settings to the image without closing the dialog box.

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Monitor Gamma

Generally, a monitor cannot display the real colors of an image in the real world. In order to have the monitor approximate the colors as possible, usually, you need to adjust the monitor gamma.

Adjustment of the monitor gamma can make the monitor approximate the colors of the original image more closely. Choose this item, and the following dialog box will appear:

From this dialog box, you can adjust the brightness in the midtone of display so that it can approximate the color details of the original images. Drag the scroll bars to adjust the gamma values of red, green, blue and gray until the monitor displays the original colors more accurately. If the Syn box is checked, you can adjust all the four gamma values simultaneously by dragging any scroll bar.

When the adjustment is done, press the OK button to confirm your settings and close the dialog box; otherwise, press the Cancel button to cancel your settings and close this dialog box. If you use the default value, click on the Default button and MiraScan will set the gamma value to 1.4.

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Film Type

This item is applicable only if you are scanning negative films and your scanner is equipped with TPO. Choosing this item, the following dialog box will appear:

When you want to scan a negative film, choose the type of your film here in advance. MiraScan will optimize the scanning result for the film type you selected. If you do not know the type of your film or your film type is not listed, choose Generic from the list.

When the selection is done, click OK to confirm or Cancel to abort.

Auto Preview

To perform the preview operation automatically each time you invoke MiraScan, check the Auto Preview checkbox.

Help submenu

Click on the Help submenu, if you are either not clear about certain MiraScan functions, or if you want information about MiraScan or your scanner.

Contents

Click this item to bring up the on-line help system for your MiraScan. Before you can use the on-line help system, you will need to have an Internet browser (such as Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer) installed in your computer.

Scanner Info…

Select this item and a dialog box showing the scanner and driver information will appear. This information, especially the driver version, is useful when you call for technical support or if you plan to update your MiraScan scanner driver.

About MiraScan…

Choose this item to display the MiraScan copyright information. Click on the image to close it.

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Combo Boxes

Original box

Combo Boxes provide several options to adjust the scan settings before you scan an image. In order to achieve the best scan result, you may need to adjust the settings according to the purpose of the scanned image and the type of original you use to scan.

According to the type of original you use to scan, you can select the original type from this box. There are three items available on the list:

Reflective (Flatbed)

Select Reflective (Flatbed) if you are scanning images on hard copies, such as magazine pictures, photographs or paper documents.

Transparent

Select Transparent if you are scanning positive films or slides. Please note that this function is only applicable if your scanner is equipped with a TPO.

Negative Film

Select Negative Film if you are scanning negative films (such as the 35mm film used for cameras). The following dialog box will appear to select the appropriate film type.

Choose the film type according to the film you use to scan. If you do not know the film type or if the film type is not on the list, please select Generic.

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Image Type box

The Image Type box is used to select a particular data type for your scanning. You will need to select a correct image type according to the original and the purpose of the scanned image. For example, if you are scanning a text document, choose Line Art instead of Color to fit the original type save the file size. The effect of each item is described below.

Color (RGB)

Each pixel of a color image occupies 24 or 36 bits (according to your selection in the Scan Mode box). The Color mode is used for scanning images with continuous tones of gray shades or colors that must be kept (such as a photograph). It contains more information than other image types and may require excessive system memory.

Note: if you select Color (RGB) as the image type, the “Threshold” function in Tool Buttons will be disabled automatically.

Gray

Each pixel of a gray image occupies 8 bits. A total of 256 gray levels may be represented. The Gray mode is used mainly for scanning grayscale images.

Note: if you select Gray as the image type, the “Color Balance”, “Color Adjustment”, Threshold” and “Rotate” functions in Tool Buttons will be disabled automatically.

Line Art

Each pixel of a Line Art image occupies 1 bit. A total of 2 gray levels, i.e., black and white, may be represented. The Line Art mode is used for scanning documents or graphics containing lines, text and detailed drawings. Select this item if you are scanning for an OCR (Optical Character Recognition) process, and keep the resolution at or above 300 dpi.

Note: if you select Line Art as the image type, the following functions will be disabled automatically: “Descreen”, “Filter” and “Color Wizard” in Combo Boxes. “Level”, “Curve”, Color Balance”, Color Adjustment”, “Brightness/Contrast” and “Rotate” in Tool Buttons.

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Image scanned at 150 dpi

Image scanned at 300 dpi

Scan Mode box

The Scan Mode box provides two scan modes: 24 bits mode and 36 bits mode. The more bits used to

reproduce the image color, the more accurate the scanner captures the colors of the original.

24 bits mode

In 24 bits mode, MiraScan uses 8 bits for Red, 8 bits for Green and 8 bits for Blue to capture the colors of the original.

36 bits mode

In 24 bits mode, MiraScan uses 12 bits for Red, 12 bits for Green and 12 bits for Blue to capture the colors of the original.

Resolution box

Resolution is used to decide how delicate the scanner captures the original image.

When the original is scanned and turned into a digital image, the scanner captures and records the image in terms of pixels. The more pixels used to record an image, the more delicate it seems. In this way, details in the image may be represented more clearly.

Resolution is the density of pixels in a digital image and is usually measured by a unit called dpi (dot per inch). If you use higher resolution to scan an image, the scanner will record the image with more pixels and the quality of the scanned image improved. Below are two examples of one image scanned at different resolutions:

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