Microtek ScanWizard user guide

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User's Guide

for the

Microtek ScanWizard

Scanner Software

PC Version

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.

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 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

Preview area matches

dimensions in Preview

Setup command

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

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.

Full page preview

Area to be zoomed in with the Zoom Preview tool

Zoomed preview

Selected image part zoomed in (enlarged) in high resolution

To use the Zoom Preview tool:

1 Click on the Zoom Preview tool. 2 Move the pointer to the preview image and draw a scan frame around

the area to be zoomed in.

3 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.

25Reference

Scan Frame tool

Usage

To create a scan frame or multiple scan frames in the preview image.

Current

scan frame

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).

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.

3 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.

26 Microtek Scanner User's Guide (PC version)

Magnifying Lens tool

Usage

To enlarge your view of the preview image.

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.

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.

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.

27Reference

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

Image moved

Zoomed-in image

Scrolled image

in from the right. Girl on extreme left is now out of the view frame.

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.

2 Select a color channel in

the Channel box.

3 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.

Click Reset to restore settngs

To restore original settings: 1 Click on the Window Expansion but-

ton in the

Untitled Job1

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.

Window expansion button

Select a color channel

window to

29Reference

To change the sample size of the Color Picker:

1 Open the Information window by choosing the Show Info Window command in the

View menu.

2 Click on the Sample Size button, located to the right of the RGB values in the

Information window.

3 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

To display color information for a pixel or an averaged area:

1 Click on the Color Picker tool. 2 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 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.

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.

Color Meter Display shows the value of the pixel (or sample size) where Color Picker is on.

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.

31Reference

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

33Reference

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 The Type menu lets you

select the mode in which your image will be scanned

and processed.

2 The Resolution edit box

lets you enter a resolution value in which your image will be output (not

scanned).

3 The Unit Selection lets

you choose the unit of measurement for resolution in either dpi (dots per inch) or lpi (lines per inch).

4 The Image Dimension

controls include various

parameters for specifying input width and height, scaling, output width and height, and unit of

measurement.

5 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.

6 The Image enhancement

tools let you adjust your

image in many different ways.

7 The Window Expansion

button reveals the bottom

half of the Settings window, which includes the various image-enhancement controls corresponding to #6.

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

1000's shades of gray

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.

Billions of colors

are

and

35Reference

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.

37Reference

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.

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

dimensions

2 The Aspect Lock allows you to keep the ratio of the image width and height constant. (For more

details, see the section

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.

and

How to use the Aspect Lock.

How to use the Aspect Lock

in the following pages.)

How to use Input-Output

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.

39Reference

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

41Reference

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

42 Microtek Scanner User's Guide (PC version)

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).

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.

T o 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.

43Reference

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 Click on the Scan Frame tool, and draw a scan frame of the area where Auto will be

applied.

3 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

45Reference

Image Enhancement Tools

Brightness, Contrast, and Exposure

Tints

Shadows and Highlights

Curve

Filters

46 Microtek Scanner User's Guide (PC version)

More Options

What the Image Enhancement Tools are

The image-enhancement tools are an integral part of ScanWizard, and they let you adjust the characteristics of your image such as brightness and contrast right from within ScanWizard. Take note of the following:

• When you click on an image-enhancement tool, a dialog box called the Advanced Image Enhancer (AIE) appears. The AIE dialog box lets you view changes to image enhancement in real time. The AIE dialog box has two thumbnails — providing you with "before" and "after versions of an image.

• Although you can use all the image-enhancement tools, you don't need to use every one of them to achieve a great image. Perhaps all that's needed is a change in the shadows or gamma curve. Try experimenting with the tools to see which one provides optimal results.

• The effects of the image-enhancement tools are cumulative. This is important because the cumulative effects will affect the image in a way that's totally different than if only a single image-enhancement tool was used. Example: If you increase brightness in an image (through the Brightness Contrast and Exposure tool) and then modify the gamma curve of the image (through the Curve tool), the image will have both brightness and curve changes.

The Advanced Image Enhancer dialog box

The kind of screen

you see is

indicated by the

selected image-

enhancement tool.

Above is the

Brightness

Contrast and

Exposure screen.

Below is the

Filters screen.

Parts common to all screens (including vertical toolbar in right side of dialog box)

Parts specific to each screen

47Reference

Using the Advanced Image Enhancer dialog box

When you click on any of the image-enhancement tools in the Settings window, the Advanced Image Enhancer (AIE) dialog box appears. In this box, you can do the following:

1 This is where you select the scan job to which image enhancement will be applied.

(Note: For definition of a scan job, see the Scan Job section of the Reference.) If you have multiple scan jobs, you can switch among the various jobs, and the thumbnails will change accordingly to show the selected scan job.

Switching to a new scan job while using the AIE dialog box will make any changes to the currently selected scan job permanent. This cannot be undone even by selecting the Cancel button.

Example: Assume you have two scan jobs, Scan Job 1 and Scan Job 2. If you applied a filter (through the Filters tool) to Scan Job 1, and then switch to Scan Job 2, the filter will be applied to Scan Job 1 even though you did not click OK. To undo the filter, you will need to use the Reset button. See next page on how to use the action buttons for more details.

2 These are the thumbnails of the image captured by your scanner. The left thumbnail is

the "before" version — which shows the effects of the last saved settings values. The right thumbnail is the "after" version — which shows the effects of the new settings added in the AIE.

3 To select another image-enhancement tool, click on any of the buttons displayed in

the vertical toolbar on the right side of the dialog box.

4 Click on an action button to achieve a particular ef fect. (See next page for more details.)

Click on any

button here to use

another imageenhancement tool. The dialog box will

change

accordingly.

48 Microtek Scanner User's Guide (PC version)

Choose your

scan job here

Click on a button

for an action

Left thumbnail:

Before enhancements

Right thumbnail: After enhancements

The Action Buttons in the AIE dialog box

The Action buttons in the AIE dialog box (item #4 in preceding illustration) carry out a specific action. Below are the details.

OK button

Clicking on this button will apply whatever image enhancements you have performed on the current scan job, and close the AIE dialog box. Clicking OK is not the same as switching to another scan job (if you have multiple scan jobs). If you switch scan jobs, the effects are applied to your current scan job, and then the new scan job appears; you do not exit the AIE dialog box.

Example: If you increased brightness, changed the saturation, and then clicked OK, all the changes are applied, and you exit the AIE dialog box.

Cancel button

Clicking on this button will cancel out all image-enhancement changes you have made to the current scan job, and then close the AIE dialog box.

Reset button

Clicking on this button brings up the Reset dialog box, where you can specify which settings are to be reset, then click Reset or Cancel. If Reset is selected, the settings are restored to their default values; if Cancel is selected, the operation has no effect.

Select the settings to be reset, then click Reset. The selected settings are restored to their default values.

Example: If you changed shadows / highlights, changed brightness, then clicked on Reset and chose to reset brightness, the brightness setting of the scan job is restored to its default; but the altered shadows and highlights remains in effect. If you reset both shadows/highlights and brightness, then those values are both restored to default.

Revert button

Clicking on this button cancels out the changes you made with the current imageenhancement tool. This means that if you used several tools (and achieved a look that is the cumulative effect of all the tools), using Revert will cancel the effect of only the current tool and preserve the effects of the other preceding tools.

Example: If you changed shadows, applied filters, changed brightness, then clicked Revert, the brightness changes will be cancelled out, but the altered shadows and filters settings remain in effect.

49Reference

Brightness Contrast and Exposure tool

Usage

To change the brightness,contrast and exposure setting of the entire image.

The Brightness, Contrast and Exposure (BCE) tool changes the brightness, contrast, and exposure setting of the entire image.

Brightness is the balance of light and dark shades in an image, while contrast is the range between the darkest and lightest shades in the image. On the other hand, exposure works like the exposure feature in photography, allowing you to change exposure of the image by increasing or reducing available light to the image. The Exposure control is a scanner hardware-related feature, and using it correctly can allow more detail to emerge in an image, especially if it was underexposed.

The goal in using the BCE tool is to get the fullest dynamic range possible for your image. Because the BCE tool affects the image as a whole, you can try using the Shadows and Highlights tool instead to get the effects you want if you find that the BCE tool alters your image too much

Original

Increase brightness

Reduce brightness

50 Microtek Scanner User's Guide (PC version)

Reduce contrastIncrease contrast

The BCE screen (for grayscale and color)

1 The Brightness control lets you change the brightness setting.

• Too much brightness can make an image look washed out.

• Very low brightness levels can make an image look very dark.

2 The Contrast control lets you change the contrast setting.

• High contrast can make an image look like a photocopy of a picture with little or no gray shades.

• Low contrast can make an image look dull and flat.

3 Channel lets you change exposure settings for a particular color channel (red, green or

blue).

4 Exposure lets you increase or reduce available light to the image. This can be used to

allow more detail to emerge in an image, especially if it was underexposed.

• More exposure can result in lighter images with more visible detail. The higher the exposure, the longer it takes to scan the image.

• Less exposure can make an image dark and without detail.

51Reference

The BCE screen (for line art)

Threshold

In line art mode, the method for determining how gray levels are converted to black and white is through the Threshold adjustment control.

The threshold is the dividing line between black and white, with the value 128 (the middle gray level) as the determining point.

• Gray levels below the threshold are converted to black, resulting in a low-contrast, blackand-white representation of the image.

• Gray levels equal to or above the threshold are converted to white, resulting in a highcontrast, black-and-white representation of the image.

To use the Threshold feature, do either of the following:

• Enter a value in the Threshold edit box; or

• Drag the black triangle above the threshold edit box to the right or left. Moving it to the right will increase the threshold value, resulting in a higher-contrast image. Moving it to the left will lower the threshold value, resulting in a lower-contrast image.

52 Microtek Scanner User's Guide (PC version)

How to use the BCE tool

To change brightness or contrast, choose the Brightness or Contrast control. To change

values, drag on the slide bar or click on the arrows at either side of the bar.

2 T o change exposure:

• Click on the Channel box, and select the color channel to be modified.

• Drag on the Exposure slide bar or click on the arrows on either side of the bar.

3 Click on an action button.

• Click OK to accept changes and exit the AIE dialog box.

• Click Cancel to abandon all changes and exit the AIE dialog box.

• Click Reset to restore settings to original default values.

• Click Revert to cancel the effect of the current image-enhancement tool. For more details, see the section The Action Buttons in the AIE Dialog Box.

53Reference

Tints tool

Usage

To change the hue or saturation of an image.

The Tints tool adjusts the hue or saturation of colors. This tool applies only to color images and is not available for use with grayscale or blackand-white images.

Hue is the aspect of color that distinguishes one color from another (whether it is red, green, or blue). In the RGB color model, hue can be distinguished by its position in the color wheel.

Saturation, on the other hand, refers to the intensity of a color (more red in an apple, more green in the grass). Increasing saturation can have a dramatic effect on the colors of an image, but beware of increasing saturation too much, as it creates artificial-looking, overly bright colors.

The Tints tool is useful when your image has a particular color cast and you wish to remove the cast to make the image look more natural. The Tints tool is also related to the Scan Material command in the Preferences menu. For reflectives or positives, the Tints tool lets you adjust hue and saturation. For negatives, the Tints tool provides additional controls for selecting film type and adjusting exposure.

To use the Tints tool:

1 Select the correct scan material for your image in the Scan Material

command in the Preferences menu. The options available to you will depend on the scanner equipment you're using and certain modules (like DCR) that need to be installed. For more details, refer to the Scan Material section.

2 Click on the Tints tool. When the dialog box comes up, make the

adjustments to hue and saturation.

54 Microtek Scanner User's Guide (PC version)

The Tints screen

3 4

1 Color Wheel shows you the position of colors — green is across magenta, and red is

across cyan. By moving the pointer (a small dot) to a place in the color wheel, the hue of the image is altered. For instance, if you move the pointer towards the green area of the wheel, the image will acquire a greenish cast.

2, 3 are available only when scan material chosen is negative. 2 Film Type Selection bar allows you to select the type of film you used for your negative.

Choosing the correct film type is important in maintaining image quality, and you should choose the film type that's indicated on the packaging that came with your film.

The Film Type Selection box provides several choices for you to choose from. If your

type of film is not in the list but a similar film type from the same company is available, you may choose from one of them. Very often, similar films from the same company use identical film types. For example, Kodak 135, ASA 100, ASA 200, and ASA 400 are grouped as the same type — ASA 100.

If your film type is not in the selection list and you cannot find its family group, choose

Generic Negative Film.

3 Exposure Correction bar lets you adjust the exposure of a negative. An overexposed

negative looks dark (with the image itself in the dialog box appearing bright), while an underexposed negative appears light (with the image itself appearing dark).

• If your film is overexposed (image is too bright), drag the bar to the left; this will make the image darker.

• If your film is underexposed (image is too dark), drag to the bar to the right; this will make the image lighter.

4 Saturation bar lets you change the intensity of the hues (colors) in your image. Use Saturation

selectively, because increasing saturation will intensify all hues in the image.

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How to use the Tints tool

1 3

1 To change the hue of an image, move the pointer in the color wheel to its new color position

in the wheel.

2 To change the saturation of an image, drag on the saturation bar. Dragging the slide bar to

the left decreases saturation; dragging it to the right increases saturation.

3, 4 For negatives only:

• To choose the correct film type for your negative, click on the Film Type Selection box and make your selection. If your film type is not in the list, select Generic Film Type.

• To correct the exposure of a film, use the Exposure Correction bar. To correct overexposure and make the film darker, drag the triangle to the left. To correct underexposure and make the film lighter, drag the triangle to the right.

5 Click on an action button.

• Click OK to accept changes and exit the AIE dialog box.

• Click Cancel to abandon all changes and exit the AIE dialog box.

• Click Reset to restore settings to original default values.

• Click Revert to cancel the effect of the current image-enhancement tool.

For more details, see the section The Action Buttons in the AIE Dialog Box.

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Shadows and Highlights tool

Usage

To change the shadow and highlight points of an image.

The Shadows and Highlights tool lets you change the shadow and highlight points of an image.

By using this tool, you can manipulate shades so that the Shadow point becomes the new darkest value and the Highlight point becomes the new lightest value. Shades that are darker than the shadow then become black, and shades lighter than the highlight become white. For example, if you set the highlight point to 200, all points in the image with a value greater than 200 will be mapped to a value of 255, since 255 represents the "whitest" white.

The Shadows and Highlights tool can be used for both grayscale and color images. If you have a limited range of grays between your lightest and darkest point, using shadows and highlights will have the effect of extending the range of grays and make more detail in the image visible. This tool is not available for use with line art or halftone scan modes.

Emphasize shadows

Emphasize highlightsOriginal image

57Reference

The Shadows and Highlights screen

1 2

4 5

1 The Histogram is a graphic representation of how all the pixels in an image are distributed across

brightness and darkness levels. The darkest pixels are at the left; the lightest pixels are at the right.

• A histogram skewed heavily to the left indicates that the image has many more dark pixels than light.

• A histogram skewed heavily to the right will indicate a light image as it has more light pixels than dark.

• The height of the histogram indicates the number of pixels at that point in the histogram.

7 8

2 The Triangles (indicators) below the histogram adjust the Shadow, Midtone, and Highlight

settings.

• The black (left) triangle controls the shadows. Moving this triangle to the right will emphasize shadows and create a darker image.

• The gray (middle) triangle controls the midtones. Moving it to a value less than 1.0 will have the effect of darkening the image. Moving it to a value greater than 1.0 will have the effect of lightening the image.

• The white (right) triangle controls the highlights. Moving this triangle to the left will emphasize highlights and create a lighter image.

Note: The gray and white triangles will change in color if a color channel (not Master) is selected in the Channel box.

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3 Input edit boxes show how pixels are distributed over the 0-to-255 pixel scale. The input values are related to the position of the indicators along the histogram. For example,

if you move the left triangle in from 0 to 30, the input range becomes 30 to 255, and pixels in the range of 0 to 30 are then set to 0. In a process called mapping, the new range (30 to 255) is stretched back to become 0 to 255. The image then becomes darker, since all pixels from 0 to 30 are now mapped to black (whereas 0 to 30 before had subtle gradations from black that lightened gradually). The same principle applies when you move in the right triangle, and the highlights in the image become more pronounced.

Moving in any of the triangles above the input boxes will change the values in the boxes. You can observe how the values in the boxes are affected by moving the triangles, or you can enter values into the boxes directly. In both cases, the histogram will change accordingly.

4 The Histogram bar shows the distribution of shades from dark to light (left to right). The

distribution of shades changes as you move any of the triangles.

5 Output edit boxes show the 0-to-255 pixel range to where the Input levels are mapped. For

example, if you modified input values to 30 and 255 and then change output values to 0 to 250, the input values of 30 to 255 will be "stretched" to fit the output range of 0 to 250. This means you have a total of 250 shades (250-0=250).

Unless you have very specific effects in mind, users are advised to leave this feature alone, so everything is always mapped to 255 shades (255-0). You can experiment with this feature to see what it does, however, and how it interacts with the input levels.

6 The Original / Enhanced box lets you choose which histogram to see: the original, before the

image was modified; or enhanced, after the image had been modified (with shadows and highlights or any other tool).

7 The Channel button lets you control the Shadow and Highlight settings for a particular color

channel (red, green or blue) or for the Master channel (red, green, and blue simultaneously).

8 Input / Count / Percent figures provide information about the histogram. The figures will

appear only when the cursor is inside the histogram or if a triangle is being moved.

• Input value indicates the color value of the data displayed in the histogram.

• Count value indicates the number of pixels at the Input value. If Input value is 2 and Count value is 1300, then there are 1300 pixels in the image at the input value of 2.

• Percent value is the percentage of all pixels in the image where color value is less than or equal to the input value. If Percent is 15% and Input value is 2, it means that 15% of all pixels in the image have a value of 2 or less.

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How to read and correct a histogram

A histogram shows how the brightness and darkness levels are distributed in an image. The darkest pixels are at the left, and the lightest pixels are at the right.

An image with good contrast will have a histogram with vertical lines spread across the scale from left to right. Here, the histogram is heavily skewed to the left, where the darkest pixels are, indicating a dark image.

To change the histogram (and thus the image), use the three triangles below the histogram.

In the original histogram, the pixels are mostly to the left where the black triangle is, indicating a dark image. The range of spread is also broad and

Original image and histogram

Pixels are

concentrated

indicating a

dark image.

flat, with almost no pixels for the midtones and highlights where the gray and white triangles are.

In the corrected image, the triangles have been moved to new locations. The net effect is to narrow the distribution range of the pixels and lighten the image.

Generally, the best thing to do is to move the black and white triangles to the start and end of the curve.

For example, if your graph starts at about value 20 and ends at 240, then move the black triangle to 20 and the white triangle to 240. Move the gray triangle to somewhere in the middle between the black and white triangle.

here,

Histogram has a broad and flat spread, with almost all pixels in the shadow range (near the black triangle).

Corrected image and histogram

More highlights visible

More detail shows up in shadow areas

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Triangles moved to new positions

How to use the Shadows and Highlights tool

3 1

1 Choose the channel in which the histogram will be modified.

• Select Master to modify the histogram in the red, green, and blue color channels simultaneously.

• Select color channels individually (red, green, blue) to modify the histogram in that particular channel.

• For grayscale scanners, only the gray channel is available.

2 Move the black, gray, and white triangles to change shadows, midtones, and highlights,

respectively. The values in the input edit boxes will change accordingly.

• To make the image darker, move in the black triangle to the right.

• To make the image lighter, move in the white triangle to the left.

• To change the midtones, move in the gray triangle. If the midtone value is less than 1, the image becomes darker. If the midtone value is greater than 1, the image becomes lighter.

For more details, see additional information in previous page

3 Click on the Display box to view histograms of the original image and the resulting (Enhanced) image.

• Select Original to see the histogram before changes were made to the image.

• Select Enhanced to see the histogram after changes were made to the image.

4 Click on an action button.

• Click OK to accept changes and exit the AIE dialog box.

• Click Cancel to abandon all changes and exit the AIE dialog box.

• Click Reset to restore settings to original default values.

• Click Revert to cancel the effect of the current image-enhancement tool.

For more details, see the section

The Action Buttons in the AIE Dialog Box.

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Curve tool

Usage

To control the midtones, or mid-level grays, of an image.

How to Read the Curve

Original curve: Straight

The Curve tool lets you control the gamma, which measures the intensity affecting the mid-level grays (midtones) of an image. Adjusting the gamma lets you change the values of the middle range of gray tones without dramatically altering the shadows and highlights.

In many ways, the Curve tool gives you the most control for adjusting an image's values, but novice users may take some time to master its intricacies. The Curve tool applies to grayscale and color images and is not available for use with line art or halftone scan modes.

Modified curve with

diagonal line

points moved up

The Curve shows the relationship of the brightness changes across the middle pixels

between the resulting image and the original. When you open the Curves dialog box, the line

on the graph is diagonal because the Input and Output values are the same.

The x axis of the graph represents the original brightness values of the pixels, from 0 to 255; the y axis represents the new brightness values. Clicking on the diagonal line then plots a point that can be adjusted.

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When the curve is moved up or down, the relationship between input value and output value

changes accordingly.

• In areas where the curve is moved down, pixels in that portion of the image are darkened.

• In areas where the curve is moved up, pixels in that portion of the image are lightened.

Contrast in an image can be seen by the angle of the line. The steeper the slope, the higher the contrast. The closer the line is to horizontal, the lower the contrast.

Sample images and their curves

Here, the original curve is a straight diagonal, indicating that input and output values are equal.

Here, points along the curve have been moved up, so that pixels are lightened as they are plotted to new points. The net effect creates a lighter image.

Here, points along the curve have been moved down, so that pixels are darkened as they are plotted to new points. The net effect creates a darker image.

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The Curve screen

1 Curve is a graphic representation of the gamma showing scanner input from dark on the left to

light on the right.

2 Method sets the kind of curve you wish to have. Select from Line, Curve, or Gamma.

Line

Curve

Gamma

3 Channel allows you to choose the color or gray channel in which the gamma will be affected.

4 Input / Output / Zoom:

• Input shows the input value of wherever the cursor is pointing on the horizontal axis of the curve. In the example above, the cursor is pointing to the middle of the curve, with a value of 136 on the 0-to-255 pixel scale.

• Output shows the output value of of wherever the cursor is pointing on the vertical axis of the curve. In the example above, the cursor is pointing to the exact middle of the curve, with a value of 119 on the 0-to-255 pixel scale.

• Zoom indicates the magnification level of the curve box. At 100% zoom, the curve is seen in its entirety. Using the zoom frame tool (discussed below) to magnifiy the curve will zoom in or enlarge your view of the curve, resulting in a higher zoom percentage (ex. 200%).

5 Curve Buttons let you modify the curve. The tools are (left to right) the Pointer, Zoom Frame,

and Pane.

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Using the Curve buttons

The Curve buttons allow you to modify the curve in the Curve dialog box. The buttons are the Pointer, Zoom Frame, and Pane.

• Use the Pointer button to define points in the curve that will be modified. When you click on any point in the curve, a control point appears to mark your position. To

Pointer

remove a control point, drag it off the graph.

Original curve

New control points

• Use the Zoom Frame button to zoom in on a particular point in the curve. Once the area is zoomed in, you can then use the pointer button to define new points for more

Zoom

Frame

precision. This is particularly useful for working with 12-bit images, as more detail can be seen in such images. The zoom level can be seen in the Zoom column (item #4 in preceding page).

• Use the Pane button to scroll through the curve if the curve has been zoomed in. The Pane button can be used only if the curve has been zoomed in with the Zoom Frame

Pane

button (above). Otherwise, the Pane button will be dimmed.

65Reference

How to use the Curve tool

1 Choose the channel in which the curve will be modified.

• Select Master to modify gamma in the red, green, and blue color channels of the image simultaneously.

• Select color channels individually (red, green, blue) to modify gamma in that particular color channel.

• For grayscale scanners, only the gray channel is available.

2 Choose the Method in which the curve will be modified; select from Line, Curve, or Gamma.

There is no difference in the method you select, and the choices are provided to give you more flexibility in adjusting the curve.

3 Choose a Curve button; select from Pointer, Zoom Frame, or Pane. (See previous section

a curve button

for more details.)

Using

4 Click on the curve to define the points where the curve will be modified. You can then either raise

or lower the curve at that point and see changes to the image accordingly.

5 Click on an action button.

• Click OK to accept changes and exit the AIE dialog box.

• Click Cancel to abandon all changes and exit the AIE dialog box.

• Click Reset to restore settings to original default values.

• Click Revert to cancel the effect of the current image-enhancement tool.

For more details, see the section

The Action Buttons in the AIE Dialog Box

6 To save a curve, click on the Save button. A dialog box will appear.

• Save the curve in either Microtek or Photoshop format. The Microtek format allows you to have as many as 64 control points in the curve for more precision; Photoshop allows a maximum of

19.

• Choose the Channel. Select All if your channel (in #1) is Master; select Current if you selected one of the three color channels (red, green or blue).

To use a previously saved gamma curve for another image, click on the Load button, then specify the curve to be loaded. Photoshop-saved curves can be loaded.

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Filters tool

Usage

To create special effects for images.

The image you obtain in the preview when you use the Filters tool may differ from the way the image will appear when you scan it in. This depends on your resolution, and the higher the setting, the less obvious certain filters (like Blur) will have.

The Filters tool lets you apply or create special effects to your images. This tool is disabled when your image type is set to billions of colors, 1,000 shades of gray (grayscale), line art, and halftone.

The filters include Blur and Blur More, Sharpen and Sharpen More, Edge Enhancement, Emboss, and Unsharp Mask.

To use the filters:

1 In the Advanced Image Enhancer (AIE) dialog box, select the filter to be

used (choose None if no filter is desired).

2 To preview filters and see their effects immediately, click on this box. 3 Click on an action button.

• Click OK to accept changes and exit the AIE dialog box.

• Click Cancel to abandon all changes and exit the AIE dialog box.

• Click Reset to restore settings to original default values.

• Click Revert to cancel the effect of the current image-enhancement tool. For more details, see the section The Action Buttons of the AIE Dialog Box.

1 2

67Reference

Blur Filters

The Blur filters eliminate noise in the parts of the image where significant color transitions occur. The Blur filters decrease the contrast between adjacent pixels, making the image appear hazy and out of focus.

• Blur smooths out the transitions by lightening pixels next to the hard edges of defined lines and shaded areas.

• Blur More produces an effect three or four times stronger than Blur.

Original

Sharpen Filters

Blur

Blur More

The Sharpen filters do the opposite of the Blur filters and increase the contrast of adjacent pixels, making images appear sharper and more focused.

Both Sharpen and Sharpen More filters improve clarity. The Sharpen More filter has a stronger sharpening effect than the Sharpen filter.

Original

Sharpen

Sharpen More

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Edge Enhancement filter

The Edge Enhancement filter gives greater contrast to edges. The filters can do this because edges are usually areas in an image where gray or color levels change abruptly.

Original

Emboss filter

Edge Enhancement

The Emboss filter makes a selection appear raised or stamped by suppressing the color within the selection and then tracing its edges with black.

Original Emboss

69Reference

Unsharp Mask

The Unsharp Mask filter adjusts the contrast of edge detail and creates the illusion of more image sharpness. This filter can be useful for refocusing an image that has become blurry from interpolation or scanning.

To use Unsharp Mask:

1 Choose Unsharp Mask from the Filters menu. The Unsharp Mask dialog box

appears.

2 Enter a value in the Amount box to specify the percentage of the filter's effect. The

higher the percentage, the stronger the effect of the filter.

3 Enter the Radius value in pixels. The radius determines the depth of pixels that will

be affected at the edge.

• With a high value, more of the pixels surrounding the edge pixels are sharpened.

• With a low value, only the edges are sharpened.

4 Enter a value in the Threshold box.

This option allows you to specify a tolerance range to prevent overall sharpening that might generate noise or cause other unexpected results.

The Threshold defines the required range of contrast between adjacent pixels before sharpening is applied to an edge. A lower value produces a more pronounced effect.

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More Options tool

Usage

For additonal controls in adjusting your scanner and image.

The More Options tool provides you with additional scanner and image controls. These controls include:

• Descreen

• Scan Quality

• Gray Scan CCD Filter

• Using the linear gamma curve

To use the controls in the More Options tool: 1 In the Advanced Image Enhancer (AIE) dialog box, click on the More

Options tool.

2 When the More Options dialog box appears (shown below), select the

particular control to be modified and its option, then click OK.

Select the control to be modified and its particular option.

71Reference

Descreen

Descreen allows you to remove moiré patterns in images. A moiré is an undesirable pattern in printing that results from incorrect screen angles of overprinting halftones. Moirés usually result when you scan images taken directly from a magazine (instead of scanning a continuous glossy photographic original or a transparency).

Before Descreen

After Descreen

To use Descreen:

1 Choose the correct Descreen option.

• Choose Newspaper if the original image has a coarse dot pattern (like images in a newspaper).

• Choose Magazine for images with a finer dot pattern.

• Choose Art Magazine for images with near-photographic quality with a very tight dot pattern.

2 Remeber to reset the Descreen option to None after using the feature. Leaving the

Descreen feature on will slow down your future scans, in some instances significantly especially if you're scanning a big file.

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Scan Quality

This option allows you to select the quality of your scans.

• Choose Draft if you're outputting images as drafts. This option speeds up the scanning process, but the image may be a little coarse (compared to the Final option).

• Choose Final if you wish to have a scanned image of better quality. This option, however, is slower than Draft.

Gray Scan CCD Filter

This option allows you to select a particular color channel when scanning grayscale images and is useful for obtaining certain effects. When scanning grayscale images, one of the color channels of the CCD is usually used for scanning; this could be the red, green, or blue color channel.

Use Linear Gamma Curve

This control allows the scanning software to read only raw image data, so that no color adjustment (not even the generic color correction profile) is applied to your image when it is scanned.

This control is helpful for professional graphic designers who wish to create very specific effects and are thoroughly familiar with the scanning process. If you are not familiar with this feature, leave this option turned off.

73Reference

The Window Expansion button

The Window Expansion button lets you expand the Untitled Job1 (Settings) window to its full size, with the bottom half of the window revealing the image-enhancement controls.

Image enhancement tools

Untitled Job1 window before expansion

Click here to expand window

Untitled Job1 window after expansion

Image enhancement controls

When the bottom half of the Untitled Job1 window is open, you can use the imageenhancement functions directly by dragging on the slide bars for each control. This is like clicking on the image-enhancement button, which takes you to a dialog box where you can change the controls.

Using the slide bars to adjust images may be faster, but using the image-enhancement buttons gives you greater control over adjusting images and shows you "before-and-after" images in a dialog box.

To close the bottom half of the window, click on the Window Expansion button again.

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The Information Window

The Information window provides information on the cursor and the preview image. It also allows you to change zoom levels directly, in much the same way like using the Magnifying Lens tool in the Preview window.

The Information window is a "floating window" and does not appear when you start up the scanning software. To display the information window, click on the Show Info window command in the View menu (in the Preview window).

Elements of the Information window

The Zoom Level Display shows the magnification levels

possible — from 100% to a maximum 800% view.

The Cursor Locator shows where the cursor is on the

coordinates along the x (horizontal) and y (vertical) axis, based on the unit of measurement selected for the rulers.

The Color Meter Display indicates the values of the red,

green, and blue (RGB) color channels of that part of the image to where the cursor is pointing. The numbers represent the values in the 0-to-255 pixel range.

The Sample Size button lets you choose how extensively

the color information will be read — whether it will apply to a single pixel or an averaged area.

The Pixel Display shows the pixel and color information of

the image part where the cursor is resting.

75Reference

Using the Zoom Level Display

The Zoom Level Display magnifies your view of an image, much like the Magnifying Lens tool in the Preview Window.

The magnification factor in both Zoom Level Display and the Magnifying Lens tool is by a factor of 2. Thus, the magnification levels increase from 100% to 200%, to 400%, to 800% and to the maximum 1600%.

To use the Zoom Level Display: Click on the Zoom Level box. From the drop-down menu that appears, select your zoom

or magnification level.

Click here to display the dropdown menu, and then select your zoom level.

Using the Cursor Locator

The Cursor Locator shows you where the cursor is on the x (horizontal) and y (vertical) coordinates of the axis. This feature is useful for operations that require very precise measurements and alignment.

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Cursor Locator

Using the Color Meter Display

The Color Meter Display is useful if you wish to adjust the shadow and highlight points of an image.

As you pass over a point in the image, the Color Meter Display will show the appropriate RGB values of that point in the image. The significance of the numbers is explained below.

• There are two numbers shown in the Color Meter Display. The first number represents the raw color data taken by the scanner; the second number represents the resulting value after color correction or image enhancement is applied to the image.

• The values can be anywhere from 0 to 255, with 0 as the black point, 255 as pure white, and all other values in between corresponding to shades from black to white.

• The values as a whole represent color information for the sample size selected in the Sample Size button (discussed below). For instance, if you chose 3 x 3 as your sample size and your R value reads 23, that shows your red value of 23 is the average of a 3-pixel by 3-pixel area.

The numbers in the Color Meter Display represent color information.

The numbers can be from 0 to 255, with 0 as the black point, 255 as white, and all values in between corresponding to shades from black to white.

Pixel-value information is useful especially if you are making color corrections based on color values. Knowing this, you can modify the shadow and highlight points of an image, then come back to the same point in the image, and verify through the Color Meter Display that the RGB values have indeed changed.

The Color Meter Display can also be used in conjunction with the Color Picker tool. For more details, see the Color Picker topic in the Preview Window section of the Reference.

77Reference

Using the Sample Size button

The Sample Size button provides options for choosing how extensively the color information will be read — whether the color information will apply to a pixel, a 2-pixel by 2-pixel area, or a wider expanse (maximum 5-pixel by 5-pixel area).

When you click on the Sample Size button, the drop-down menu below appears:

Determines how the numbers in the Color Meter Display are shown — in absolute values or in percentages

Determines the size of the sampling area

Value and Percent

• If you choose Value, the numbers in the Color Meter Display represent the values in

the 0-to-255 pixel scale. For instance, an R value of 23 indicates that the sampling size selected has a red color value of 23. Value is calculated by multiplying the percentage by the constant 255 (value = 255 x percent).

• If you choose Percent, the numbers represent the percentage of the maximum intensity

of the pixel. For instance, a G value of 35% indicates that the sampling size selected has a green color value to be 35 percent intense (out of 100 percent). Percent is calculated by dividing the constant 255 by the value (percent = 255 ÷ value).

Numbers here are in

Values

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Numbers here are in

Percentages

Sample Size Options

This determines the expanse of color information to be made available. For instance, if you choose 5 x 5 as your sample area, this means your RGB values will represent color information for a 5-pixel by 5-pixel area. If you choose 1 x 1, the color information pertains to a single pixel — the one in the middle of the Pixel Display.

The 1 x 1 sample size means

the RGB numbers represent the

color value of a single pixel —

the one in the middle of the

Pixel Display.

The 5 x 5 sample size means

the RGB numbers represent

the average value of a 5-pixel

by 5-pixel area. This would

include the whole of the Pixel

Display (which is 5 pixels long

and 5 pixels wide).

Pixel Display

Using the Pixel Display

The Pixel Display helps you see how color pixels are organized and distributed. The display can then help you make an informed judgment on how best to modify image characteristics such as shadows and highlights, and also allow you to verify any changes that are made.

79Reference

The Scan Job Window

The Scan Job window is an important feature of ScanWizard and provides several key functions in processing your scans.

A scan job is simply a task that you designate the scanner to process and scan. For instance, when you first preview an image, the image as a whole has its own parameters (its own brightness and contrast setting, resolution, etc.). The whole image can be treated as one scan job.

From that one image, you can designate several other scan jobs. For instance, you could select a portion of the image and assign a set of parameters to it (color mode, 300 dpi resolution). That would constitute a second scan job. If you select yet another portion of the image and give it different settings (grayscale mode, 100 dpi), that will make up a third scan job.

The above example makes use of one single image to create three different scan jobs. By the same token, you can use three different images and create three scan jobs.

The number of scan jobs is indicated by the number of titles in the Scan Job window. Scan jobs marked with a check are the ones designated to be scanned, and the jobs are scanned in the order that they appear in the window.

Elements of the Scan Job window

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1 The Title area shows the number of

jobs that have been created. In this example, there are two scan jobs. Check marks indicate which job or jobs are to be scanned; a dot before the title indicates the current scan job. To rename a scan job, double click on the title and type over a new name.

2 The function buttons allow you to

create or manipulate the settings for a scan job. These buttons include the Up and Down position arrows; Duplicate button; New button; Add button; Save button; Delete button; and Check button. See next page for more details.

How to read the Scan Job window

1 The example above shows three scan jobs (three different scan frames).

• The first scan job, Untitled Job1, is a color image, as denoted by a color icon

right beside the title.

• The second scan job, Untitled Job2, is a grayscale image, as denoted by a

grayscale icon beside the title.

• The third scan job, Untitled Job2-1, is a duplicate of the second scan job.

2 The current scan job is the first scan job, as it is highlighted. 3 All three scan jobs will be scanned, as each is marked with a check. To change the

order in which the jobs will be scanned, use the Up and Down position arrows to change the sequence of the titles.

Rrelation between the Scan Job and Untilted Job (Settings) window

Throughout this chapter, the Settings window has been called the Untitled Job1 window — and that is because the assumption was there was only

one Scan Job at the time. If you have multiple scan jobs, however, selecting another scan job will

cause the settings of that scan job to be reflected in the Settings window as well. The title of that window will then be Untitled Job 2, 3, 4 — as the case may be.

81Reference

New button

The New button creates a new scan job, which will have default settings. This feature allows you to create as many scan jobs as you wish, and each scan job can then have its own settings.

In the following example, we will use a single image and then divide it into two parts: the left half of the image will comprise one scan job and will be in color; the other half of the image will make up the second scan job and will be in grayscale.

To use the New button:

1 Click on the Preview button to see a preliminary view of the image. 2 When the preview image appears, draw a scan frame that covers the left half of the

image. At this time, your scan job area shows the title of the current scan job (Untitled Job1). Make sure the image type selected (in the Untitled Job1 or Settings window) for this scan job is Millions of colors.

Scan frame around

left half of image. This

corresponds to the

current scan job in

Scan Job window.

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3 Click on the New button in the Scan Job window; a new scan job is created called

Untitled Job2. At the same time, a new scan frame will appear in the preview image. To rename the scan job, double-click on the title and give it a new name..

Two titles now

appear in the Scan

Job window.

4 Move the second scan frame to somewhere around the right half of the image. In this

case, confine the second scan frame to the upper right half, leaving the lower right half of the image free. The reason why will become apparent in the next step.

Draw second scan frame around upper right half of image.

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5 With the second scan job (Untitled Job2) highlighted in the Scan Job window, go to

the Untitled Job2 or Settings window, then choose 256 shades of gray in the Type box. Next, go to the Preferences menu in the Preview window and enable the Smoked Glass Background command.

You will now see the following:

• The second scan job (the upper right half of your image) is in grayscale.

• The lower right half of the image (the part not included in any scan frame) is

hidden behind the smoked glass background. The smoked glass command is not essential for doing a scan job, but it helps you distinguish scan frames more easily.

Upper right half of image (second

Left half of

image is first

scan job

scan job) is in grayscale.

Lower half of image is not in any scan frame

6 To see how the scan jobs relate to the titles in the Scan Job window, try this.

• Click on the first scan job title. The scan job that becomes active will be the left

half of the image (in color). In the Scan job window, the title will have a dot in front of it, indicating that it is the current scan job.

• Click on the second title, and the second scan job is activated (upper right-hand

part of image, in grayscale). The dot will now appear in front of the second title because it will be the current scan job.

7 To designate the scan job to be processed and scanned, select the scan job and click

on the Check button. The checked scan job(s) will then be scanned in the order that they appear in the Scan Job window, and they will be delivered separately to your image-editing software.

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More Applications

The above example shows how to use the New button to create different scan jobs. While the example makes use of creating two scan jobs from a single image, with each scan job being a different image type, you can use the same principle in different applications.

For instance, you can:

• Create two or more scan jobs from a single image. The scan jobs may be the same image type (all color or all grayscale), but each job could have different brightness and contrast settings, resolution, etc.

• Create different scan jobs from multiple images. Instead of one, you can have two or more images and designate each image as a separate scan job. Image 1 could be color, image 2 could be grayscale, and image 3 could be line art. When the three scan jobs are scanned, each is delivered into its own file.

When you have multiple scan jobs and designate all of them for scanning (all scan jobs are checked), each job will be scanned once you activate scanning, and each job is delivered to its own file in your image-editing software.

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Duplicate button

The Duplicate button lets you duplicate the settings of a scan job. This function is especially helpful if you have created optimal settings for a scan job and wish to use these settings as a template for other scan jobs. This saves time, as you don't have to create the settings repeatedly for every scan job you make.

Before using Duplicate, it is helpful to turn on the Smoked Glass Background feature. This will allow you to see clearly the effects of duplication.

To use the Duplicate button:

1 Click on the Preview button to see a preliminary view of the image. To show the

principle of duplication clearly, choose image type (in the Settings window) as Millions of colors. Also, turn on the Smoked Glass Background feature (in the Preferences menu of the Preview window). Draw a scan frame around a part of an image. This is your current scan job.

2 Draw a scan frame around a part of the image. This is your current scan job.

Draw scan

frame around

image part. This

is the current

scan job.

Shortcut to creating duplicate scan jobs:

Hold down the Shift key and drag the mouse. A duplicate scan job is created based on the current scan job, and a duplicate title is added in the Scan Job window.

3 To see the effects of duplication clearly in the steps that follow, do this as an

experiment. Set the image type of the current scan job to 256 Grayscale.

4 Click on the Dup button in the Scan Job window . Draw another scan frame around a

different part of the image; this is your duplicate scan job. You will see that the duplicate scan job will also be in grayscale, as it shares the settings of the current scan job. In the Scan Job window, there will be two titles, and the duplicate scan job is the one with a number and dash to it (ex. Untitled Job 2-1).

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Save button

The Save button lets you save the settings in a scan job to a scan job template that can be used for future scan jobs. To use the Save button:

1 Click on the Save button. 2 When a dialog box appears, give a name to the scan job template to be saved, then

click OK.

Add button

The Add button lets you add a scan job from a scan job template saved previously. To use the Add button:

1 Click on the Add button. 2 When a dialog box appears, specify the name of the scan job template to be added,

then click Add. To close the dialog box, click Close.

Check button

The Check button allows you to select the scan jobs to be scanned. When you then click on the Scan button to start scanning, the scan jobs marked by a check are the ones that will be scanned. The Check button is a toggle. To use the Check button:

1 In the Title area of the Scan Job window, select the scan job to be scanned. 2 Click on the Check button. A check will appear next to the selected scan job. 3 To uncheck a selection, select the scan job to be unchecked, and click on the Check

button again. The scan job will be unchecked, and the scan job will not be scanned when you click on the Scan button.

Delete button

The Delete button lets you delete a scan job from the list. To use the Delete button:

1 In the Title area of the Scan Job window, select the scan job to be deleted. 2 Click on the Del button. The scan job is deleted.

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Up/Down Position Arrows

The Up/Down position arrows allow you to change the sequence in which jobs are scanned through changing the order of the scan jobs in the Title area. To use the Up/ Down position arrows:

1 In the Title area of the Scan Job window, select the scan job to be moved up or

down.

2 Click on the Up or Down arrow to change the order of the scan job in the list. When

you start scanning, the scan jobs will be processed and scanned in the order that they appear in the Scan Job window (i.e., the first scan job is scanned first; the second scan job is scanned second, etc.).

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Microtek ScanWizard user guide

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

Table of Contents

ScanWizard Reference

ScanWizard: The Four Windows

The Preview Window

Elements of the Preview window

The Menu Bar

The Scanner Menu

Scanner Model

Get Current Scanner Info

Get SCSI Chain Info

Exiting ScanWizard

The View Menu

Full Page Preview

Zoomed Preview

Resize Window to Fit

Show / Hide commands

The Preferences Menu

Scan Material

Scan Material icon

Invert

Horizontal Mirror

Cursor Auxiliary Lines

Preview Setup

Keep Preview Image

Smoked Glass Background

More

The Help Menu

About

The Toolbar

Zoom Preview tool

Scan Frame tool

Magnifying Lens tool

Pane tool

Color Picker tool

The Action Buttons

Rulers

Preview Area

The Untitled Job1 (Settings) Window

Elements of the Untitled Job1 (Settings) window

Output Image Parameters

Type (Image Type or Scan Mode)

Resolution

Optical Vs. Interpolated Resolution

Choosing the best resolution setting

When to use high resolution

When to use interpolated resolution

Unit Selection

Image Dimension controls

How to use the Input-Output dimensions

Input Dimensions

Ouput Dimensions

How to use the Aspect Lock

Scaling

Image Adjustment controls

Auto (Automatic Contrast Control)

Color Correction / DCR

Image Enhancement Tools

What the Image Enhancement Tools are

The Advanced Image Enhancer dialog box

Using the Advanced Image Enhancer dialog box

The Action Buttons in the AIE dialog box

Brightness Contrast and Exposure tool

The BCE screen (for grayscale and color)

The BCE screen (for line art)

How to use the BCE tool

Tints tool

The Tints screen

How to use the Tints tool

Shadows and Highlights tool

The Shadows and Highlights screen

How to read and correct a histogram

How to use the Shadows and Highlights tool

Curve tool

How to Read the Curve

Sample images and their curves

The Curve screen