Microtek ScanWizard user guide
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 T oolbar ................................................................................................. 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 T ools .......................................................................... 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
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)
Information
window
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
1
2
6
3
7
4
5
1 The Menu Bar includes the
different menus for controlling
ScanWizard.
2 The Toolbar simplifies the
performance of certain tasks.
3 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.
5 The Preview Area is where the
preview image appears after you
click on the Preview button.
6 Rulers are located on both sides
of the window to help you with
measurement and alignment.
5-3Reference
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.
5-5Reference
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 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.
3 Make sure that the correct interface card is shown in the card selection box.
4 Check the numbered box corresponding to the SCSI ID of your scanner or
scanners.
5. Click OK to close the dialog box.
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
5-7Reference
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
Preview area matches
dimensions in Preview
Setup command
2
2
Full page preview
(8.5" x 11") as
determined by
dimensions in the
Preview Setup
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.)
2 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.
5-9Reference
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
To use Zoomed Preview:
1 Click on the Zoom Preview tool (leftmost tool in the Toolbar that looks like a
microscope).
2 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)
Zoomed preview
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.
5-11Reference
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.
InvertOriginal
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.
Horizontal MirrorOriginal
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.
Click on the
Scan Frame
tool, then
define a
starting point.
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.
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
Live Preview
Color Preview This option is enabled only if Live Preview is not selected. If this option is turned on, the
Fast Preview
Description of function
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
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.
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.
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.
Untitled Job1
window) to a
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 Click OK to accept the settings; click Cancel to abandon.
3 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)
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)
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.
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
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