Polaroid SprintScan 35 User Manual

Table of contents

Quick Scanning Guide	iii
1 Installation
System requirements	1-2
Installing the software	1-3
Technical Support	1-4
Registration card	1-4
2 Scanning
Starting up the software	2-1
Inserting originals for scanning	2-2
Choosing initial settings	2-3
Making a preview scan	2-5
Adjusting settings based on the preview	2-7
Making a final scan	2-11
The Scan to Disk option	2-11

i

3 Advanced scanning settings
When to use advanced features	3-2
Image adjustment: the basics	3-2
Automated features	3-6
Exposure adjustment	3-8
Setting a white, black and gray point	3-9
Adjusting brightness, contrast, and midtone (gamma)	3-11
Adjusting the tonescale curve	3-13
Adjusting color saturation	3-14
Adjusting sharpness	3-15
Saving and reusing your settings	3-17
Plug-in preferences	3-18
4 Troubleshooting
Tips on correcting images	4-3
Hardware and software problems	4-7
Polaroid Offices and Service Centers	4-9
Appendix A: Glossary	A-1
License Agreements	L-1
Index	I-1

ii

		Quick Scanning Guide
See page		Use this guide as a quick reference for scanning.
– –	1	Connect your scanner to your computer (see your scanner
		hardware manual). Turn on the scanner, then your computer.
1-3	2	Install the SprintScan software, then restart your computer as
		instructed.
2-1	3	Open your Adobe Photoshop or compatible application.
2-1	4	Open the SprintScan plug-in by choosing File, Acquire.
2-2	5	Insert your original. Place a mounted slide in the top access
		slot, or place an unmounted slide or filmstrip negative into the
		filmstrip carrier and insert the carrier into the side access slot
		from the right.
2-3	6	Choose a film type from the Film pop-up menu.
2-3	7	Choose Color or Grayscale from the Type pop-up menu.
2-4	8	If necessary, change orientation to match your original by
		choosing Portrait, Landscape or SuperSlide from the View
		pop-up menu.
2-5	9	Click the Preview button. Your original will be moved down
		in front of the lens, then raised again after preview. A preview
		image will appear in the image area of the plug-in.
2-7	10 Click the rotation icon to rotate the preview image in 90º
		increments, if necessary.
2-7	11 Change the area of interest, if desired, with the cropping tool
		on the Preview window. (Click the Cropping button if it is not
		already selected.)
2-9	12 Click the Auto Exposure button if you want the plug-in to
		make automatic adjustments to the image.
2-4	13 Choose the output resolution you want from the Resolution
		pop-up menu.
2-11	14 Click the Scan button. The original is lowered into the scan-
		ner again. All the settings you have specified apply to the final
		scan. The scanned image then appears in your imaging
		application.

Quick Scanning Guide

iii

1 Installation

The SprintScan 35 software for Macintosh is an Adobe Photoshop plug-in module that automatically transfers final scans into Adobe Photoshop or other compatible software, or saves final scans directly to disk.

First, connect your scanner to your computer as described in your scanner hardware manual. Then, install the SprintScan 35 software as described in this chapter.

The software features real-time sharpening options, and tone and color correction. Recent improvements to the software include:

•Automatic maximum sizing of the preview window

•Simplified, efficient scanning features

•Adjustable tone curve control

•Auto highlight, shadow and contrast

•Gray balance correction

•Enhanced user interface controls, such as one-click controls

•Support for the SprintScan 35 Plus scanner

1-1

System requirements

Minimum	• A Macintosh II family, Quadra family, PowerPC or
	Powerbook computer (use appropriate Powerbook SCSI
	cable as required)
	• System 7.01 or later
	• 12 MB of RAM
	• A 256 (8-bit) color monitor
	• Adobe Photoshop v3.0.4 or later, or Adobe Photoshop plug-
	in-compliant software
Recommended	• A PowerPC computer
	• System 7.53 or later
	• 32 MB of RAM
	• A 24-bit color monitor
	• Adobe Photoshop v3.0.4 or later
SprintScan plug-in	The SprintScan plug-in requires:
	• Free disk space: Three times the image size
	• 4 MB of RAM in addition to the requirements of the
	application
	Note: Application memory is the amount of memory avail-
	able for the application after the system has started. The
	imaging application should have enough memory (combined
	RAM and hard disk memory) to allow for about three times
	the maximum image size you plan on scanning. This means
	you should have the minimum memory plus enough memory
	for the maximum scan size. Note that the maximum scan size
	depends on the images and resolutions you want to scan. For
	example, scanning a 35mm slide at 500 dpi resolution
	requires about 1.2 MB of memory. Scanning the same slide at
	1950 dpi requires 18 MB of memory, and at 2700 dpi, about
	32 MB of memory, which means utilizing the hard disk.
	If you do not have the minimum required configuration for
	using the SprintScan 35, contact the dealer from whom you
	purchased your computer system.

1-2

Installing the software

Before you install		A folder for Plug-ins must be on your system for the installa-
		tion of the plug-in module. This folder should have been
		included when you installed the Adobe Photoshop or compat-
		ible application. If you do not have a Plug-ins folder on your
		system, see the user guide to your application. Note: The
		SprintScan Plug-in requires 4MB of RAM beyond the normal
		application requirements. To accommodate the plug-in, you
		may need to increase the amount of RAM allocated to your
		application.
Upgrade customers		If you are upgrading from a previous version of SprintScan
		35, do a full install as described below, not a Custom install.
		As part of the installation, the new install program will move
		your old SprintScan 35 Preferences Folder to the trash.
Installation	1	Insert the SprintScan installation disk into a floppy drive.
	2	Open the disk, if its contents are not already visible.
	3	Be sure to read any Read Me First file included on the disk. The
		Read Me First file contains important late-breaking product
		information that may affect installation and use.
	4	Double-click the Installer icon to open the Installer program.
		Note: If you are using a PowerBook 5300 computer, click the
		Installer icon “for PowerBook 5300 owners” to install a ver-
		sion of SprintScan 35 that is designed to avoid problems with
		older versions of that computer.
	5	Click Continue on the Polaroid screen.
	6	Click the Install button to install the full program, even if you
		are upgrading from a previous version. To reinstall selected
		parts of the software, click Custom and make your selection.
	7	The system will prompt you to select your Plug-ins folder.
		Double-click to open folders until the folder containing Plug-
		ins is selected. For example, in Adobe Photoshop, open the
		Plug-ins folder and highlight the Acquire/Export folder.
	8	When installation is complete, click Restart. If you have
		upgraded from a previous version, empty the trash. To startup
		the SprintScan 35 software, see page 2-1.

Installation

1-3

Technical Support

	Before you call, have ready the following information:
	• The model of your computer, including the kind of processor,
	and the amount of RAM you have
	• The model and serial number of your SprintScan 35 (located
	on the bottom or rear panel of the scanner)
	• A list of other devices attached to your system, such as CD-
	ROM drives, printers, external hard disks, and other SCSI
	devices
	• A list of any special cards and drivers that you are using,
	along with any system extensions (see the Extensions folder in
	the System folder)
	• Other applications you are using
	• A description of the problem and the wording of any error
	messages on your screen when the problem occurs
Run a system diagnostic	We recommend you run a system diagnostic utility to provide
	detailed information about your system before you call.
Call us	You may call Polaroid toll-free from within the U.S.A. at
	1-800-432-5355, or fax the information about your problem
	to 1-617-386-9688, Monday through Friday, 8 A.M. to
	8 P.M. Eastern Time. We offer a variety of Customer Support
	Services; call us for details and applicable fees. You may also
	write to Electronic Imaging Technical Support, Polaroid
	Corporation, 565 Technology Square 3B, Cambridge, MA
	02139. In Canada, call toll-free at 1-800-268-6970. Outside
	North America, contact the Polaroid office nearest you (see
	pages 4-9–4-10).
Internet support	Technical Support is also available over the Internet. Connect
	to our web site at: http://www.polaroid.com

Registration card

Be sure to fill out and mail your registration card. As a registered owner, you’ll receive information about software updates and about the availability of new scanning products from Polaroid.

1-4

2 Scanning

Starting up the software

The SprintScan 35 system uses a Photoshop-type plug-in module, which you installed in Chapter 1, to capture image data. You must open your application to access the plug-in.

1Turn on your scanner, then your computer.

2Open Adobe Photoshop (or a compatible application).

3Choose Acquire from the File menu.

4Choose SprintScan 35.

The SprintScan 35 windows will appear.

2-1

Inserting originals for scanning

The scanner can accept 35mm slide transparencies without removal from the mounts. You can also scan unmounted slides and 35mm filmstrips using the filmstrip carrier included in the accessory kit. See the instructions provided with your scanner for inserting a slide or filmstrip. Remember that the filmstrip carrier moves in one direction, from right to left. If you go past the image you want, remove the carrier all the way from the left side and then insert it again from the right.

When you choose either the Preview or Scan commands, the SprintScan scanner automatically moves the slide down for scanning and then returns it to the start position when scanning has been completed.

With your original in the scanner and the SprintScan 35 window visible on your screen, choose some basic settings (see the next section). Then preview the image and make adjustments if necessary before your final scan.

2-2

Choosing initial settings

	The SprintScan plug-in provides you with files containing pre-
	determined settings for popular film types, both negatives and
	positives, to produce an accurate and satisfactory scan. You
	also choose whether you want your image scanned in color or
	grayscale, and the resolution for the final scan.
Film	The film type files provide basic settings that should give satis-
	factory results for most popular slide transparencies and film
	negatives. The generic default files can be used if your film
	doesn’t appear in the list.
	Note: If you do not see film types other than the defaults—
	Color Slide, Color Negative, and Black & White Slide—then
	the film type files have not been installed correctly in the
	Preferences folder. Reinstall the Preferences folder using the
	Custom install option (see page 1-3).
	To choose a film type:
	• Open the Film pop-up menu and choose the name of the film
	you are using. The name of the current film type appears as
	the selected pop-up menu item.
Type	Your choice of image type depends on what sort of reproduc-
	tion you want to make from an original: color or grayscale.
	To choose an image type:
	• Open the Type pop-up menu and choose color or grayscale.

Scanning

2-3

View	You may choose portrait or landscape orientation, or the
	SuperSlide format (36x36mm). In portrait orientation, height
	is greater than width; in landscape orientation, width is
	greater. The default is landscape orientation.
	• To change orientation, open the View pop-up menu and
	choose Portrait or Landscape. The image area in the plug-in
	dialog box will change accordingly.
	Note: If you want to change the film type, image type, or ori-
	entation after making a preview scan, you’ll need to make a
	new preview scan.
	Note about the SuperSlide format: Be sure you do not use
	the SuperSlide format with traditional slides. If you do,
	SprintScan 35 scans the area equivalent to the SuperSlide for-
	mat. This results in part of the slide mount appearing in the
	Preview window. This affects any corrections you make to the
	slide.
Output resolution	You can scan an original at a number of output resolutions,
	ranging from 144 to 2700 dpi. The pop-up Resolution menu
	lists the native resolutions, those that give you the best results.
	Non-native resolutions may be selected by choosing Other
	and typing the resolution you want.
	The resolution you choose applies only to the final scan.
	Preview scans do not reflect output resolution, but instead use
	the resolution appropriate for the screen. To choose an output
	resolution:
	• Open the Resolution pop-up menu in the Output box and
	choose the resolution value you want, or choose Other to type
	a value.
	The final scan size takes into account the output resolution,
	the scale factor, and whether only native resolutions can be
	used, as set in the Preferences dialog box. (See Chapter 3 for
	information on preferences).

2-4

Making a preview scan

A preview, sometimes called a prescan, is an image scanned at low resolution and stored in the scanner’s internal memory buffer, which has a 1 MB capacity. The preview image also appears in the image area of the SprintScan 35 window. Working with the preview image, you can select an area of interest using the cropping controls, and you can also change the resolution of the image for the final scan.

The plug-in controls also allow adjustments to the preview image’s tone, color, and sharpness without requiring you to re-scan the original (these advanced settings are discussed in Chapter 3). When everything is the way you want it, you then choose Scan to capture the data and transfer it to your application.

To make a preview image:

1Position the original in the scanner and choose initial settings.

Insert the film upside down with the emulsion side facing the back of the scanner. (See the hardware manual for more information.)

2Click the Preview button in the SprintScan 35 window.

The original is drawn into the scanner and the image is scanned for the preview. While the scanner is working, the ready light will be off.

Scanning takes only a short time. After the preview scan is completed, the original returns to the start position, the ready light glows steadily, and the preview image appears in the preview window, as shown in the following figure.

Scanning

2-5

Maximized Preview	The SprintScan 35 software lets you get the most of your
	computer’s display by making its preview window as large as
	possible. It detects the size of your display and automatically
	scales the preview window to the largest display possible. If
	you normally use two monitors, you can use your second
	monitor as your preview window.

2-6

Adjusting settings based on the preview

		Working with the preview image, you can adjust the image’s
		exposure, area of interest, designate the size of output and
		scaling, if desired, and change the resolution for your output
		scan. (You can change other image characteristics as well,
		such as the tone, color, and sharpening, and see the result
		almost instantly—see Chapter 3 for details.)
Preview rotation		The SprintScan 35 software has a rotation icon that lets you
		rotate the preview image in increments of 90º clockwise. The
		rotation is retained by the software when you perform the final
		scan. This saves you time because you don’t have to rotate
		the image in your image processing application.
Cropping the area		The part of an image that you want to capture is termed the
of interest		area of interest. Use the selection rectangle in the image area
		to center on the area of interest and to omit the unwanted
		parts of the image from the final scan. (If you are not sure
		how you will want the final image cropped, scan the entire
		image area and crop it later using the tools in your applica-
		tion.) To adjust the area of interest:
	1 Click the cropping tool, if it is not already selected.
	2 Move the pointer into the image area. The pointer changes
		shape depending on its placement.
	3 Change the rectangle’s shape, drag it around, or create a new
		rectangle.
			Drag the handles
			with the arrow to
			change the shape and
			size of the rectangle.
			Drag inside the rec-
			tangle with the grab-
			ber hand to move the
			rectangle.
			Drag from outside the
			rectangle with the
			crosshair to make a
			new rectangle, replac-
			ing the current one.

Scanning

2-7

When you change the area of interest, the width and height values in the status bar below the image area and in the boxes inside the Output box change accordingly. These two sets of values are the same if the percent shown in the Scale To box is 100%. The values in the status bar below the image always indicate the size of the rectangle in the image area.

Constraining the aspect ratio

You can constrain the cropping tool to the width and height ratio of your choosing. When constrained, the selection rectangle is kept to the proportions between width and height that you have set. To constrain the tool:

1Double-click the Cropping tool. The Crop Setup dialog box appears.

2Click the Constrained Aspect Ratio button to select it.

3Enter the ratio you want between width and height. Note that the numbers you enter are not units of measure, but an expression of the width versus the height. For example, the value 3 for width and 2 for height means that regardless of the actual size of the area of interest, the width-to-height ratio is 3:2.

4Click OK. Now when you drag the selection rectangle, the aspect ratio will be maintained. The actual values in units of measure at a particular resolution value can be viewed in the Output box.

Opening the dialog box again and selecting Normal returns the controls to their unconstrained state.

2-8

Auto Exposure	If the button has no A in the middle of the shutter graphic,
	click the button to readjust the brightness and contrast of the
	image. The software estimates the best contrast and brightness
	values for your original. This feature can often give you excel-
	lent output results without your having to manipulate settings
	yourself.
	Note: If the button has an A in the middle, the option has
	been turned on for every scan as a default in the Preferences
	dialog box; see pages 3-18–3-19. Auto Exposure has already
	been applied to your image.
Setting output size	The Width and Height values in the Output box reflect the
and scaling	output size of the area of interest at a particular scale value.
	To change the Width and Height values manually:
	• Select the value in the Width (or Height) box and type a new
	value.
	The scaling value in the Scale To box changes accordingly.
	Notice also that the value in the Height (or Width) box is also
	adjusted. The adjustment of the scaling and the other dimen-
	sional parameter is necessary to maintain the proportions of
	the area of interest within the selection rectangle.
	You can change the units of measurement by choosing
	Preferences from the Edit menu. Your choice of units may
	depend on your final output. Pixels is the unit most often used
	for screen display, and inches for printed output.

Scanning

2-9

Fixed size	If Constrained Aspect Ratio is selected in the Crop Setup dia-
	log box, the Fixed Size checkbox is available for selection.
	When Fixed Size is selected, the output width and height mea-
	surements, as you have entered them, are kept constant, as
	well as the aspect ratio between them being constrained. The
	Scale To value changes to reflect the scaling required to give
	the fixed width and height values. This feature can be useful if
	you want to fit an image into an existing space.
	You can also change the scaling value manually. For instance,
	you might want an enlargement of your area of interest. To
	change scaling:
	• Select the value in the Scale To box and type a new value. The
	values in the Width and Height output boxes change accord-
	ingly. The proportions of your designated area of interest are
	retained.
Changing Resolution	You can change the resolution for a final scan before or after
	making a preview scan.
	• To change the output resolution, select a new value from the
	Resolution pop-up menu.
	Changing the resolution will not cause any visible change on
	the screen. The change is reflected in the final scan output.
Size	The SprintScan 35 software can display the file size of the final
	image in megabytes, MB, or kilobytes, KB. Click on the file
	size in the main window to toggle between MB and KB. If the
	file is less than 1 MB, SprintScan 35 displays it in KB.

2-10