Umax ASTRA 2000U User Manual

Astra 2000U/P

OWNER’S GUIDE

Trademarks

UMAX is a trademark of UMAX Technologies, Inc. Astra is a trademark of UMAX Technologies. IBM PC/AT is a trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. MS-Windows, Windows, and MS-DOS are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. PhotoDeluxe is a trademark of Adobe Systems, Inc. Presto! PageManager is a trademark of NewSoft Technology Corporation. Other names and trademarks appearing herein are trademarks of their resp ect ive holders.

©1999 UMAX Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language or computer language, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, magnetic, opti cal, chemical, manual, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of UMAX Technologies, Inc.

UMAX Astra 2000U/P Owner’s Guide

Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1. GETTING STARTED.............................. 9

Introduction...............................................................................................9

Unpacking the Scanner.............................................................................9

Astra 2000U Package Contents.............................................................10

Astra 2000P Package Contents.............................................................10

Getting to Know Your Scanner.............................................................11

Astra 2000U and Astra 2000P Scanner Elements.................................11

Astra 2000U Backpanel........................................................................11

Astra 2000P Backpanel.........................................................................12

System Requirements.............................................................................12

Installing the Hardware .........................................................................13

About Scanner Connectors.................................................................... 13

Setting Up – General Information.........................................................14

Connecting the Hardware Interface Cables...........................................15

Connecting the Power Adapter.............................................................17

Installing the Software............................................................................18

Installing PhotoDeluxe on Your PC......................................................18

Installing PhotoDeluxe on Your Macintosh..........................................19

Install VistaScan Drivers, Presto! PageManager, Presto! PhotoAlbum,

Presto! PageType, OmniPage LE and Online Manuals........................20

CHAPTER 2. YOUR FIRST SCAN............................. 21

Opening the PhotoDeluxe Software.......................................................21

Scanning an Image From the PC...........................................................23

Scanning an Image From the Macintosh............................................... 25

Turning the Scanner Lamp On and Off ...............................................27

Setting VistaScan Preferences................................................................29

General..................................................................................................29

Scan Destination ...................................................................................31

Scanner Information............................................................................. 34

VistaScan Beginner Window Features................................................. 35

VistaScan Advanced Features.............................................................. 40

Using VistaAccess – Direct Access......................................................59

Using VistaShuttle................................................................................ 61

Using the UMAX Copy Utility ............................................................ 63

CHAPTER 4. SCANNING PROJECTS.......................67

Using VistaScan to Scan a Photo to E-mail......................................... 69

Using VistaScan with PhotoDeluxe to Create Web-ready Images..... 70

Using Presto! PageManager to Scan a Form and Edit it with

PageType................................................................................................. 75

Creating a Calendar with PhotoDeluxe................................................ 77

Converting Scanned Text to Editable Text with OmniPage............... 81

Opening OmniPage LE ........................................................................ 81

Converting Scanned Text with OmniPage LE......................................83

Creating an Album with Presto! PhotoAlbum.................................... 84

Opening PhotoAlbum:.......................................................................... 84

Creating a Photo Album....................................................................... 85

CHAPTER 5. HOW TO GET HELP............................89

Using Online Manuals............................................................................ 89

Accessing the UMAX VistaScan Online Manual ................................ 89

Accessing the Adobe PhotoDeluxe Online Manual ............................. 90

Accessing the Presto! PageManager Online Manual............................91

Accessing the Caere OmniPage Online Manual................................... 91

Installing Acrobat Reader for Macintosh Users................................... 92

Troubleshooting...................................................................................... 92

General Problems and Solutions .......................................................... 92

Astra 2000U (Windows 98/95 OSR2) Problems and Solutions........... 93

Astra 2000U (Macintosh version) Problems and Solutions..................97

Astra 2000P (Windows 98/95 OSR2) Problems and Solutions.......... 100

UMAX Astra 2000U/P Owner’s Guide

Contacting Technical Support.............................................................103

Maintenance..........................................................................................104

Static Electricity Precautions...............................................................104

Cleaning.................................................................................................105

APPENDIX A. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS.......107

Scanner Specifications..........................................................................107

GLOSSARY.............................................................. 109

FCC DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY................. 115

WARRANTY.............................................................116

INDEX....................................................................... 117

UMAX Astra 2000U/P Owner’s Guide

ABOUT TH I S M ANU AL

This is the Owner’s Guide for the UMAX Astra 2000U and the Astra 2000P scanners. It will provide information you will need to operate your scanner, as well as show you how to use the software that comes with it.

This manual assumes you have a basic knowledge of personal computers, and scanning terms and functions. However, a glossary of scanner terms is included at the end of this guide to explain the scanning terms used throughout this guide.

The information in this manual is organized as follows:

Chapter 1. Getting Started

Chapter 1 introduces you to the Astra 2000 series scanner and tells you how to install the scanner hardware and software.

Chapter 2. Your First Scan

Chapter 2 steps you through the basic procedures to use the scanner. These steps include scanning an im ag e, and saving an image to a specified location.

Chapter 3. Scanning Basics

Chapter 3 describes the VistaScan software and other scanning utilities that have been included with the scanner to provide worryfree scanning. The VistaScan software includes several features that make scanning images and text easier than ever.

Chapter 4. Scanning Projects

Chapter 4 explains how to use this scanner with the bundled software applications. It shows you how to use the scanner for creative projects like making photo albums and calendars, sending scanned images via e-mail, and using the text recognition program to scan a document into your word processor.

Chapter 5. How to Get Help

Chapter 5 contains information you can refer to when you need assistance with the scanner or the bundled software. The information includes: how to access the online m anua ls for all the bundled software, troubleshooting guidelines, and how to contact the manufacturer for additional assistance.

Glossary

Includes definitions of common scanning terminology.

UMAX Astra 2000U/P Owner’s Guide

CHAPTER 1. Getting Started

Introduction

Thank you for purchasing the UMAX Astra 2000U or Astra 2000P scanner. These versatile units are perfect for the home or office. Use these scanners to add variety and flair to your documents, or to help you share images with others.

The hardware connection is the only difference between the two scanners. The Astra 2000U scanner is equipped with a USB connector that allows you to make a fast and easy connection to the USB port on your PC, or USB-equipped Macintosh computer (such as the iMac or G3). The Astra 2000P scanner uses a parallel connector that simply plugs in to the parallel (printer) port on your Windows PC. Throughout this guide the scanners will be referred to as the Astra 2000 scanner unless specified otherwise.

In addition to being easy to connect, these scanners are also easy to use. Simply follow the instructions in this guide and you’ll be scanning in no time. With the powerful software included with your scanner, you can create an archive of scanned images, e-mail or fax images to friends or clients, or create your own web site gallery. Get ready to unleash your creativity with the UMAX Astra 2000 scanner.

Unpacking the Scanner

Your scanner package includes the cables and software you need to get the scanner up and running. The scanner package should contain all of the items listed below. If you do not find all of the listed items, contact the retailer from whom you purchased the scanner, or contact UMAX. For information about contacting UMAX directly, refer to

Chapter 5. How to Find Help

Astra 2000U Package Contents

UMAX Astra 2000U Flatbed scanner

•

USB Interface Cable

•

Quick Start Guide and Owner’s Manual

•

Power Adapter

•

Adobe

PhotoDeluxe® Home Edition 3.0 CD-ROM (PC

version)

•

Adobe

PhotoDeluxe® 2.0 CD-ROM (Macintosh version)

UMAX Scanner CD-ROM which contains:

UMAX VistaScan

•

VistaAccess

•

VistaShuttle (PC only)

•

Caere NewSoft NewSoft NewSoft

OmniPage® LE OCR

Presto! PageManager

Presto! PhotoAlbum™ (PC only)

Presto! Type™ (PC only)

UMAX Copy Utility (PC only)

Astra 2000P Package Contents

UMAX Astra 2000P Flatbed scanner

•

Parallel Interface Cable

•

Quick Start Guide and Owner’s Manual

•

Power Adapter

•

Adobe

PhotoDeluxe® Home Edition 3.0 CD-ROM

UMAX Scanner CD-ROM which contains:

UMAX VistaScan

•

VistaAccess

•

VistaShuttle

•

Caere NewSoft NewSoft NewSoft

OmniPage® LE OCR

Presto! PageManager™

Presto! PhotoAlbum™

Presto! Type™

UMAX Copy Utility

UMAX Astra 2000U/P Owner’s Guide

Getting to Know Your Sca nner

To gain a complete understanding of the information contained in this manual, it is important that you become familiar with your scanner. The graphics below identify the key scanner components.

The plastic cover that protects the

object glass

Object Glass

The glass surface on which

documents or images are

placed.

Astra 2000U and Astra 2000P Scanner Elements

Document Cove

4-Pin USB Connector

Astra 2000U Backpanel

Power Indicator

Illuminates to indicate that the scanner is powered on.

Power Adapter Receptacle

Parallel Interfa c e Connector ”TO PC”

There are two parallel ports on the Astra 2000P scanner. This allows your printer and your scanner to communicate with your computer using the parallel connector. The first parallel port is used to connect the scanner to your computer. You attach your printer cable to the second parallel port, which acts as a pass-through port.

Parallel Interfa c e Connector ”TO Printer”

Astra 2000P Backpanel

System Requirements

This section defines the minimum system requirements necessary to operate either the Astra 2000U or Astra 2000P scanner. Please refer to the section below that applies to your scanner and computer type.

Astra 2000U Scanner

PC Requirements

An IBM-compatible PC with 80486, Pentium processor or

•

higher Microsoft

•

USB interface connector

•

At least 16 MB RAM memory (32 MB recommended)

•

CD-ROM drive

•

170 MB of available hard disk space

•

Windows 98, 95 OSR 2, or higher

UMAX Astra 2000U/P Owner’s Guide

Macintosh Requirements

iMac or USB-compatible Macintosh

•

Macintosh OS 8.1 or higher

•

USB interface connector

•

At least 16 MB RAM memory (32 MB recommended)

•

CD-ROM drive

•

170 MB of available hard disk space

•

Astra 2000P Scanner

An IBM-compatible PC with 80486, Pentium processor or

•

higher Microsoft

•

Parallel interface conn ec tor

•

At least 16 MB RAM memory (32 MB recommended)

•

CD-ROM drive

•

170 MB of available hard disk space

•

Windows 98, 95 OSR 2, NT 4.0 or higher

Installing the Hardware

After you have removed the scanner from the box and verified that all of the package contents have been included, please check to make sure that your computer is compatible with the scanner’s connectors.

About Scanner Connectors

USB Connectors

Many newer computers, including most PCs, the Apple iMac, and USB capable Macintosh computers rely on USB technology as the primary method of communication between the computer and its peripherals. With this new USB “plug-and-play” technology, your computer automatically configures any recently attached peripherals (such as a mouse or a scanner) as soon as you reboot the computer.

If your computer has a USB port, you must make sure that this port is enabled in the system BIOS. Please refer to the troubleshooting section to learn more about enabling the USB port.

Parallel Port Connectors

Another common communication interface is the parallel port. The parallel port interface is the standard method for connecting a printer to a PC computer. In order to use the Astra 2000P scanner, you must make sure that the mode of your parallel port is set correctly. Please refer to the troubleshooting section of this manual to learn how to correctly set the port mode.

Checking Your Computer’s Connectors

To use your scanner you need to understand what type of connectors you have on your computer. To determine the connector type, look at the back panel of your computer:

A USB port is a small slot ½” long and ¼” wide.

•

A Parallel port is about 1 ½” long and ¼” wide, with two rows

•

of tiny holes (25).

NOTE:

your computer's operating system supports USB. The following factory-installed operating systems support USB: Microsoft Windows 95 OSR2, 98 or higher, and Mac OS8.1.

If your computer has a USB port, check to make sure that

Setting Up – General Information

Find a suitable location near your computer to place the

•

scanner.

UMAX Astra 2000U/P Owner’s Guide

CAUTION:

Make sure the surface is flat. Operating your scanner on an uneven surface can damage the internal components.

Turn your computer off. Unplug the computer’s power cable

•

from the electrical outlet.

Connecting the Hardware Interface Cables

If your computer has a USB port, follow the instructions in the “

Connecting the USB Cable

computer.

If your computer has a parallel port, follow the instructions in the “

Connecting the Parallel Cable

your computer.

Connecting the USB Cable

The instructions for connecting the hardware interface cable are different for PC and Macintosh users. Refer to the section below that applies to your computer type.

PC Connection

” section to connect the scanner to your

” section to connect the scanner to

1. Turn off your computer and unplug the power cord.

2. Locate the USB cable that is provided. Plug one end of this cable firmly into the USB port on the back of the computer.

USB Connector Port

3. Plug the other end of this cable into the port located on the back panel of the scanner.

Macintosh Connection

1. Turn off your computer and unplug the power cord.

2. Locate the USB cable that is provided. Plug one end of it firmly into one of the USB ports. iMac computer ports are located on the right side of the computer, or at either side of the keyboard. The USB port on other Macintosh computers is located on the back panel of the computer, or on a USB interface card.

3. Plug the other end of this cable into the port located on the back panel of the scanner.

Connecting the Parallel Port Cable

1. Turn off your computer and unplug the power cord.

2. Locate the parallel cable included with your scanner. Connect the 25-pin parallel interface cable to your PC’s parallel port.

UMAX Astra 2000U/P Owner’s Guide

NOTE:

If you have a printer connected to your computer’s parallel port, disconnect the printer and plug it into the “To Printer” port located on the back of the scanner. Plug the scanner cable into the parallel port. This provides a passthrough connection so you can use the printer of the scanner.

3. Plug the other end of this cable into the port located on the back panel of the scanner.

Connecting the Power Adapter

1. Plug the scanner’s power adapter into an electrical outlet.

2. Insert the other end of this cable into the power adapter receptacle on the rear panel of the scanner. The power indicator on the front panel of the scanner should now be illuminated.

3. Plug your computer’s power cable into an electrical outlet.

4. Turn your computer on.

Installing the Software

Now that you have made the physical connection between the Astra 2000U/P scanner and your computer, the next step is to install the software that allows the two devices to communicate with one another.

Because the Macintosh and PC installation procedures are different for PhotoDeluxe, the installation instructions for that software is divided into PC and Macintosh software installation sec tions.

Installing PhotoDeluxe on Your PC

NOTE:

higher. Use the following steps to install your scanning software rather than using the add/remove programs to install the software.

PhotoDeluxe is compatible with Windows 98, 95 and

Insert the CD-ROM labeled “PhotoDeluxe” into your computer’s CD-ROM drive. Your computer should automatically read the disc and display a series of screens regarding product licensing. Follow the onscreen instructions.

NOTE:

ROM after insertion, click on the “Start bar” and select “Run…” A dialog box appears. Type “d:\autoplay.exe” in the open text box. If your CD-ROM is designated with another letter, substitute the appropriate letter for the drive.

A Licensing Agreement window appears. Enter the country where you are currently located in and click

Read the licensing agreement and then click

A PhotoDeluxe Install window appears. Click the button. Follow the onscreen instructions.

If your computer does not automatically read the CD-

Next.

Agree.

Install

When you get to the Setup Type window, choose

Typical

Fill in the user information.

UMAX Astra 2000U/P Owner’s Guide

10.

11.

NOTE:

select “Programs,” and then select “Adobe.” A cascading file appears with “Read Me” information and other selections to choose from. For information about setting up desktop shortcuts, refer to your Microsoft Windows documentation.

Click installing PhotoDeluxe Home Edition 3.0, Adobe Acrobat Reader 3.01, Adobe ATM 4.0 and Microsoft Internet Explorer

4.01. Follow the onscreen instructions.

After Adobe Acrobat Reader 3.01 has been installed, a ReadMe file appears. When you have read the ReadMe, select the File menu.

The Adobe Type Manager window appears. Click the button. Follow the onscreen instructions.

When the Adobe Product Registration window appears, enter the relevant information and continue following the onscreen instructions.

When a screen appears asking if you want to restart your computer to finish the installation procedure, select click the OK button.

in the Start Copying Files window to begin

Exit

Install

Yes

and

To access these files you must click on the “Start” bar,

from

Installing PhotoDeluxe on Your Macintosh

Insert the CD-ROM labeled “PhotoDeluxe” into your computer’s CD-ROM drive. Your computer should automatically read the disc and display the folders contained on the CD-ROM.

Double-click on the Adobe PhotoDeluxe Installer icon. Follow the onscreen instructions.

An Adobe ReadMe file appears. After reading the text, click

Continue.

A PhotoDeluxe Installer window appears. Click the button. Follow the onscreen instructions.

Complete the product registration form and click

Install Now

the your computer by clicking the restarts, re-insert the PhotoDeluxe CD- ROM.

Double-click on the ATM application fold er ins ide the PhotoDeluxe CD-ROM window. Double-click on the Font and Utilities folder, then Double-click on the Installer icon. Click

Install

the after the installation is comple te.

button. After installation is complete, restart

Restart

icon to install the ATM files. Restart your system

button. After the system

Install

. Click

Install VistaScan Drivers, Presto! PageManager, Presto! PhotoAlbum, Presto! PageType, OmniPage LE and Online Manuals

Insert the UMAX Scanner CD into your computer’s CD-ROM after you have finished installing the software on the PhotoDeluxe CD.

FOR PC USERS

begin installing the programs contained on this disc after inserting it into the CD-ROM, click on the “Start bar,” select “Run…” A dialog box appears. Type “d:/setup” in the dialog box. If your CD-ROM is designated with another letter, substitute the appropriate let ter for the dr iv e.

If your computer does not automatically

Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the installation of Presto! PageManager, UMAX VistaScan, OmniPage LE, MagicMatch Profile Pack and the online User’s Guide

Restart your computer as suggested by the onscreen instructions to complete the ins ta lla tion.

UMAX Astra 2000U/P Owner’s Guide

CHAPTER 2. Your First Scan

Before you begin your first scan, you must install the scanner and the bundled software. Refer to the and scanner test instructions.

You can perform a basic scan using any of the software applications bundled with this scanner. For your first scan, we suggest using the PhotoDeluxe software.

PCs and Macintosh have two different versions of the PhotoDeluxe software, so we have included two separate sets of instructions. Please follow the proper set of instructions for your system.

Quick Start Guide

Opening the PhotoDeluxe Software

Open the PhotoDeluxe software application.

For PC Users:

for installation

1. Click the

2. Click

3. Select

4. Select

5. Click

6. The PhotoDeluxe screen appears. Click the tab. A row of icons appears.

7. Click the

Scanners…

screen. Click the

Start

bar in the bottom-left corner of the screen.

Programs

Adobe

PhotoDeluxe Home Edition 3.0

Adobe PhotoDeluxe Home Edition 3.0

Get Photo

option. A tabbed bar appears at the top of the

icon. A drop-down list appears. Click the

Scanner

tab.

Get & Fix Photo

NOTE:

You only need to select the device driver once in

PhotoDeluxe and your selection will be saved.

8. Click the

Choose Scanner

click OK. Click the

icon. Click on the

Mode

tab. Click the

VistaScan,

Custom

and

icon. The VistaScan window opens. VistaScan software controls the various functions of the scanner and provides a communication path between the scanner and the PhotoDeluxe software.

NOTE:

Before using your scanner for the first time, use the Scanner Test utility to verify that the scanner is able to communicate with the computer. A test window appears the first time you launch the VistaScan software after installing the scanner.

9. Click the window opens. Click the

Scanner Test

, and the UMAX Scanner Test Program

Test

button to test the scanner.

10. If the scanner passes, “Scanner Link Successful,” appears in the status box. Click OK. If the scanner test fails, check your connections and try the test again.

11. Click the

Custom

icon.

UMAX Astra 2000U/P Owner’s Guide

Scanning an Image From the PC

1. Select an item you would like to scan (a picture, a drawing, etc.).

2. Lift the document cover and place the item facedown so it aligns with the arrow (∇) at the back edge of the object glass.

3. Click the

Preview

button on the right side of the VistaScan Beginner window. The scanner begins a low-resolution scan of the item.

4. When the preview scan is complete the preview image is displayed in the Preview window (on the left side of the VistaScan window).

You can change the view of the Preview image using the “Zoom Tool,” or select a scanning region using the “Frame Selection Tool.” To find out more about how to use these tools, click on the user tips text that appears when your cursor pauses over the tool.

NOTE:

You must have a browser installed in order to view the

VistaScan online help.

5. In the

Click to Scan

section of the VistaScan Beginner window, click the icon that corresponds to the type of image you are scanning.

For example, if you are scanning a color photograph, choose “Color Photo.” To scan text or a black and white drawing, choose “Text/Lineart”. The image is scanned and you are returned to the PhotoDeluxe window.

NOTE:

Choosing an icon in the “Click to Scan” area does two things: it activates the scanner, and automatically sets the scanner settings. This ensures you get the best scanning results for the item you are scanning.

6. A pop-up message appears on the right side of the screen indicating that you should click the

7. Click the

Done

tab. A

Save as

Done

tab.

window opens. Enter a file name for the scanned image. Indicate which fold er or direct ory yo u want to save the image file to, and specify in what file format you want to save the image.

NOTE:

If you do not assign a file name, the computer automatically assigns a name that consists of the date, and a two-digit reference number.

8. Enter a graphic title for the image that will appear in the My Photos window.

9. Click on the down menu. Click the

Save & Send

Save

icon. Choose save from the drop-

button to save the image.

10. Close the VistaScan window by clicking

Exit

For Macintosh Users:

1. Double-click the

2. Double-click the

3. Double-click the

Hard Drive

icon.

Adobe PhotoDeluxe 2.0 Adobe PhotoDeluxe

application icon to

folder.

launch PhotoDeluxe. The PhotoDeluxe screen appears.

UMAX Astra 2000U/P Owner’s Guide

4. Click the

5. Click the

6. Click the sources. Select

Get Photo

Get Photo Scanner

button.

tab.

button to display a menu of available input

UMAX VistaScan

, then click OK. The

VistaScan Beginner window appears.

NOTE:

You only need to select the device driver once in PhotoDeluxe. It will remember your selection the next time you use the application.

Scanning an Image From the Macintosh

1. Select an item you would like to scan (a picture, a brochure, etc.).

2. Lift the document cover and place the item facedown so it aligns with the arrow (∇) at the back edge of the object glass.

3. Click the

Preview

button on the right side of the VistaScan

Beginner window and the scanner begins a low-resolution scan.

4. When the preview scan is complete the preview image is displayed in the Preview window (on the left side of the VistaScan window).

You can change the view size of the Preview image before scanning the final image using the “Zoom Tool,” or select a region to scan using the “Frame Selection Tool.” To find out more about how to use these tools, click on the user tips text that appears when your cursor pauses over the tool.

NOTE:

You must have a browser installed in order to view the

VistaScan online help.

5. In the

Click to Scan

section of the VistaScan Beginner window, click the icon that corresponds to the type of image you are scanning.

6. When the scan is complete, a window appears requesting that you save the document. Type a name in the field that appears to the right of “Save this document as:”

NOTE: Acquire

By default the image is saved as “untitled - #” in the

section of the floating gallery window. You can also choose to save the image in the hard drive or on the desktop by clicking on the arrow to the right of the My Photos box at the top of this window.

7. After a moment the image appears in the My Photos gallery window. Double-click the thumbnail to view a full-size, highresolution scan of the image in the work area.

8. Exit PhotoDeluxe by selecting

Quit

from the File menu.

UMAX Astra 2000U/P Owner’s Guide

Turning the Scanner Lamp On a nd Off

For PC Users Only:

You can turn the scanner lamp on and off using the Astra 2000’s built-in Power Saving utility. The lamp remains on whenever the scanner has power, unless you turn it off using the UMAX Power Saving utility. Turning off the scanner lamp when you are not scanning prolongs the life of the lamp.

The Power Saving utility window appears whenever you close VistaScan.

It appears in the bottom-right corner of your desktop by default. The window displays an image of the scanner with the lamp illuminated.

To turn the scanner lamp off:

Click on the image of the scanner in the Power Saving utility window. After a second or two, the light in the scanner image goes out, and your scanner lamp is turned off.

To turn the scanner lamp on:

Open the VistaScan software, or simply click on the scanner image in the Power Saving utility window.

NOTE:

The scanner lamp is different from the Power Indicator light. The Power Indicator light is the very small, green light located directly above the UMAX logo on the front panel of the scanner. This indicator remains ON whenever the scanner is plugged into an electrical outlet (regardless of whether the Power Saving utility is engaged).

UMAX Astra 2000U/P Owner’s Guide

CHAPTER 3. Scanning Basics

VistaScan is the primary program or "driver" that you will use to scan with your Astra 2000 scanner. It is a "TWAIN-compliant" program, which means that it can be run from other programs that support scanning, like PhotoDeluxe, OmniPage, and others. It is also a "stand-alone" program, which allows you to scan images for a variety of uses, even without launching another program first.

Setting VistaScan Preferences

Preferences control scanner settings that you generally do not modify every time you use the scanner. The Preference settings are used as the default settings for several of the scan settings.

To access the VistaScan Preferences, click the the upper right corner of the VistaScan window.

The Preferences cover three areas:

General

•

Scan Destination

•

Scanner Information

•

A tab at the top of the Preferences window indicates each VistaScan preference group. To view the Preference settings for an area, click on the associated tab.

Preferences

icon in

General

The General tab contains preference settings that control color matching and color correction, and whether to display the ruler and tips.

Color Matching/Correction

Color Matching allows you to fine-tune the colors of scanned images so that they emulate the colors of your original source documents as closely as possible. This is accomplished using MagicMatch.

When you click on the MagicMatch checkbox (so a checkmark appears) the Profile List displays. A profile is a list of applicable calibration profiles, which MagicMatch uses to render a final output image. If a printer or calibration profile is not chosen, MagicMatch will calibrate the image to optimize its display on a monitor.

MagicMatch only functions when you are scanning in color mode. When you are using Magic Match you need to disable the Level/Curve and Color Adjustment/Balance settings in the VistaScan Advanced window.

UMAX Astra 2000U/P Owner’s Guide

Show Ruler

The Show Ruler command displays or hides the rulers that border the top and left sides of the Preview window. These rulers correspond to the rulers on your scanner's object glass. Clicking on

Show Ruler

the

checkbox turns off (removes the checkmark) and hides the ruler. Clicking on the checkbox again turns the feature on (displays a checkmark) and shows the ruler.

Tips Help

The Tips Help option determines whether tips are displayed when you pause with your cursor over a VistaScan option. Click on the

Tips Help

box to enable tips (displays a checkmark). When a checkmark appears, clicking the checkbox disables the tips and removes the checkmark.

Scan Destination

The options in this Preferences tab specify how scanned images are stored, printed, faxed, transferred to another application, or transmitted via e-mail.

File

To set the location for your stored images:

Click on the the Scan To icon set.

Enter the directory in which you want to store the scanned image file, in the File Directory text box. If you are not sure of the directory path, click the directory.

Enter the file name under which you want to store the scanned image files (such as TMP) in the

Select the file format in which you want to save scanned images from the

Printer

To specify which printer to use when printing scanned images:

Click on the default appears to the right of the Scan To icon set.

File

icon, the file preferences appear to the rig ht of

File Format

Printer

Browse

icon, the printer currently selected as the

button to locate the desired

File Name

drop down list.

text box.

If you want to change any of the printer settings, click on the

Properties

Make any changes you want, and then click OK to return to the Preference settings.

button. The standard Print Setup dialog box opens.

UMAX Astra 2000U/P Owner’s Guide

E-mail

To specify which e-mail application to use when you e-mail scanned images:

Click on the right of the Scan To icon set.

Click on the button next to the e-mail software you are using (Microsoft Exchange or Lotus cc:Mail).

Select the image format you want to use when you attach scanned images to your email application from the

Format

Fax

Click on the driver is not selected) currently selected as the default appears to the right of the Scan To icon set.

E-mail

drop down list.

Fax

icon, the e-mail preferences appear to the

icon, the fax driver (or printer driver if a fax

Image

If you want to change any of the settings, click on the

Properties

Make any changes you want, and then click OK to return to the Preference settings.

button. The standard Print Setup dialog box opens.

Application

Click on the appear to the right of the Scan To icon set.

Enter the application name to which you want to send the scanned image files (such as Presto! PageManager) in the

Application Name

Enter the file name of the application executable in the

Name

Browse

the

Select the image format in which you want to save scanned images from the

Application

text box. If you are not sure of the directory path, click

button to locate the correct path.

Image Format

icon, the application preferences

text box.

File

drop down list.

Scanner Information

The Scanner Information tab displays important information about your scanner.

UMAX Astra 2000U/P Owner’s Guide

The information includes:

Scanner Manufacturer

•

Scanner Model

•

Firmware Version

•

VistaScan Versio n

•

Maximum Scan Width and Length

•

Maximum Resolution

•

VistaScan Beginner Window Features

The VistaScan Beginner window appears when you open VistaScan.

The Beginner window features allow you to scan a wide variety of documents, photos, and graphics by clicking just a few buttons.

Scanning an item using the Beginner window options consists of just a few steps:

Perform a preview scan of the item to be scanned by clicking

Preview

on the resolution, and is displayed in the Preview window (on the left side of the VistaScan Beginner window).

Select what you want to do with the image after it is scanned using the Scan To icons.

Specify what kind of image you are going to scan, and start the final scan process using the Click To Scan icons.

Performing the Preview Scan

The Preview feature lets you scan an item at low-resolution so you can define the specific area to be scanned when you scan at higher resolution.

To preview the item you are going to scan:

Place the item you want to scan facedown on the object glass, under the inverted triangle that appears in the center of the rear ruler.

button. The item is quickly scanned at low-

Click the window.

The image is quickly scanned and displayed in the Preview window.

Preview

button on the right side of the Beginner

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There are three Preview tools in the VistaScan Beginner window.

Zoom Tool

Frame Tool

Move Tool

Zoom tool

– Lets you enlarge or reduce the view of the image in

the Preview window. To use the Zoom tool:

Once the preview image appears in the Preview window, click on

Magnifying Glass

the

icon.

Move your cursor into the Preview window and click. The image enlarges. To reduce the view size, press the shift key and click in the Preview window.

Frame tool

– Lets you select the portion of the image displayed in

the Preview window you want scanned in the final scan step.

You can size the selection frame by clicking on the

Frame

tool and placing your cursor over one of the four edges of the frame (which changes the cursor shape to a two-headed arrow), drag the Frame inward to reduce the size, or outward to increase the siz e.

You can also move a selected frame by positioning the cursor inside the frame (which changes the cursor shape to a four-direction arrow), and dragging the frame to another location in the Preview window.

Move tool

you can see portions that are not visible because the image is too large to display completely. Click on the inside the Preview window (which changes the cursor shape to a hand). Scroll the image view by clicking and dragging the cursor.

Selecting the Scan to Device or Application

To specify which device or application to which you want to send the scanned item:

Click on the icon that represents the device or application to which you want to send the scanned item.

The icons include:

File

specified in the VistaScan Preferenc es.

– Lets you move an image in the Preview window so

Move

tool. Put the cursor

– stores the scanned image in a file using the file name

– prints the scanned item on the default printer.

Fax

– faxes the scanned item using your fax driver.

Application

specified in the VistaScan Preferenc es.

E-mail

Microsoft Exchange or Lotus cc:Mail e-mail application.

– sends the scanned item to the applications

– sends the scanned item as a graphic file to your

UMAX Astra 2000U/P Owner’s Guide

Defining the Type of Image your are Going to Scan

The Beginner window provides you with pre-defined scanning options so you can quickly and easily scan any of the following items:

Color Photos – use this setting when you want to scan color or

•

black and white photos Printed Matter – use this setting when you want to scan

•

something that has been printed like a brochure, magazine, etc. Text/Lineart documents – use this setting when you want to

•

scan the text contained in a document, or when you want to scan simple lineart graphics Web Images – use this setting when you want to scan graphics

•

and then use them on the web

To specify the type of image you going to scan, click on the icon that represents the type of item you want to scan.

Text/Lineart Settings icon

Printed Matter Settings icon

Web Image Settings icon

Clicking on any of these icons automatically starts the final scan process using the pre-defined scan settings. The scanned image is saved, or is sent to the device or application you specified by clicking on the Scan To icon.

VistaScan Advanced Features

The VistaScan Advanced window gives you the ability to adjust the scan setting individually so you can customize the settings for the type of document you are going to scan. If you are a novice computer user, you may want to use the VistaScan Beginner window until you are more familiar with VistaScan and the scanning process. The Beginner window options are preset to provide a quick and easy way to scan images.

If you are an experienced computer user with some scanning experience, you can use the features contained in the Advanced window to optimize the scan process for the specific item you are going to scan.

The Advanced window contains the following tools and features you can use to scan documents:

Original Document Source Settings

•

Image Mode Settings

•

Resolution Settings

•

Descreen Settings

•

Filter Settings

•

Scaling Options

•

Auto Adjustment Setting

•

Scan Control Unit

•

Multiple Scan Mode Settings

•

Color Adjustment Feature Panel

•

Changing the Original Document Source

The Original Document Source setting identifies the item you want to scan.

UMAX Astra 2000U/P Owner’s Guide

You can choose from the following settings:

Flatbed Reflective:

Scans paper originals (non-transparencies) e.g.,

photographs, documents, and brochures.

Three other setting options appear onscreen that are not available with this scanner: UTA Transmissive, UTA Negative, Automatic Document Feeder.

Changing the Image Mode

VistaScan can scan a wide variety of im ag e types.

True Color, RGB:

Scans a full color photo or document. The RGB indicates the colors of Red, Green and Blue. This setting creates larger files than the B/W Photo setting.

True Color, CMYK:

Converts RGB (video) color data into CMYK (printed) color data using a special color transformation process. When scanning is completed the CMYK image is ready for printing on a CMYK color printer.

NOTE:

256 Colors

Most ink jet printers use RGB rather than CMYK printing.

: Scans color images using 256 colors. The 256 color images take up less memory and hard disk space than the True Color RGB option.

Web Photo:

Scans an image at the appropriate resolution for

display on the monitor.

B/W Photo:

Scans black and white photos using 256 shades of gray (ranging from white to black) so you get smooth shade transitions in your scanned image.

B/W Document:

Scans text documents, black and white line art, and other black and white documents. This selection creat es the smallest files.

FAX:

OCR:

Scans at the appropriate resolution for faxing.

Scans at the appropriate settings for optimal OCR

recognition.

True Color 36-bit RGB:

Scans a full color photo or document using 36-bits of information to define each pixel. The RGB indicates the colors of Red, Green and Blue. This setting creates larger files than the True Color RGB setting.

NOTE

: Not all graphic applications support 36-bit graphic files. To determine whether the software you want to use is capable of working with 36-bit graphics, refer to your software documentation.

B/W Photo, 12-bit:

Scans a black and white photo using 12-bits of data to define each pixel. This setting produces m ore gray shade accuracy than the B/W Photo option, but also produces larger file sizes.

UMAX Astra 2000U/P Owner’s Guide

Changing the Resolution Setting

Scanning resolution is measured in dots per inch (DPI). Resolution determines the amount of information the scanner will capture in a scanned image. The higher the resolution, the finer the image detail, and the larger the file sizes.

VistaScan lets you choose from the following resolution settings:

Higher – this option opens a drop down menu that contains

•

higher resolution settings which include 9600, 8400, 7200, 6000, 4800, 3600, 2400, 1800, and 1600 dpi selections. 1200

•

800

•

600

•

400

•

300

•

200

•

150

•

100

•

The table below gives you an idea of the file sizes you can expect based on the original image size and the resolution setting you specify. These values are based on scanning images in 24-bit, True Color RGB mode. Image sizes shown below are given in MegaBytes.

Table 1. Resolution/File-Size Guidelines

Resolution (dots per inch)

72 0.30 0.53 1.39 100 0.58 1.00 2.68 200 2.29 4.01 10.70 300 5.15 9.01 24.10 400 9.16 16.00 42.80 600 20.60 36.10 96.30 800 36.60 64.10 171.20 1200 82.40 144.20 385.20

NOTE

: Choosing the True Color RGB 36-bit setting captures more

Image Size: 4x5

Image Size: 5x7

Image Size:

8.5x11

data than the 24-bit setting. This means that the file sizes listed above will be larger if you scanned images using the True Color 36bit RGB setting.

Choosing the Best Resolution for Your Scanning Project

To choose the best resolution for scanning, determine what you are going to do with the image once it is scanned. Matching your scanning resolution to the image use will give you the best image for that purpose and will keep the file sizes to the minimum needed.

Table 2. Recommended Resolutions

Image Use Recommended Resolution

Printing 300 – 600* Viewing on the Screen 72 Viewing on the Web 72 OCR, B/W 300 Pre-Press 600 Enlarging or reducing 600

* Depending on the resolution of your printer

UMAX Astra 2000U/P Owner’s Guide

Using Custom Resolution Settings

You can also specify custom resolution settings that you can use when you scan. The maximum custom resolution setting you can define is 2400 dpi. To define the custom resolution settings:

Choose the Custom… option from the Resolution drop down menu. The Custom Resolution window opens.

Enter the desired resolution setting (between 50 and 2400 dpi) in the Custom resolution #1 text box.

Repeat step 2 to define the Custom resolution #2 and Custom resolution #3 settings.

Click OK. The settings you defined appear on the Resolution setting drop down menu, under the Custom heading.

UMAX Astra 2000U/P Owner’s Guide

Changing the Descreen Feature

The Descreen option helps eliminate the patterns that can appear when you scan printed images found in magazines, brochures, catalogues, etc. (half-tone images). This is accomplished by changing the number of lines that appear in every inch (lines per inch) of the scanned image.

The Descreen feature is unavailable when you have chosen the B/W Document, Fax or OCR resolution settings.

To change the Descreen setting:

Click the Descreen option to display the drop down menu.

Choose one of the descreen options:

No Descreen

Magazine

— No Descreening.

— Specifies 133 lines per inch. This option

smoothes the fine dot pattern found in glossy magazines.

Newspaper

— Specifies 85 lines per inch. Smoothes the coarse

grain pattern commonly found in newspaper images.

Art print

dot pattern found in high quality art prints.

— Specifies 175 lines per inch. Smoothes the fine

Custom

you to specify a custom line screen value. Refer to the Using Custom Descreen Settings section that follows for information about how to set custom descreen values.

sing Custom Descreen Settings

U You can also specify custom descreen settings that you can use

when you want to change the lines per inch setting to eliminate patterns that are generated while scanning printed images. You can enter custom settings that range from 35 to 400 lines per inch. To define the custom descreen settings:

Choose the Custom… option from the Descreen drop down menu. The Custom Descreen window opens.

Enter the desired lines per inch setting (between 35 and 400 lpi) in the Custom descreen lpi #1 text box.

Repeat step 2 to define the Custom descreen #2 and Custom descreen #3 settings.

Click OK. The settings you defined appear on the Descreen setting drop down menu, under the Custom heading.

– Opens the Custom Descreen window, which allows

Changing the Filter Setting

Image filters are used to soften or sharpen edges and boundaries of an image.

UMAX Astra 2000U/P Owner’s Guide

VistaScan provides the following filter options:

No Filter

– Use this option when you do not want to sharpen or

blur the image.

Sharpen

– Use this option to sharpen lines that may be fuzzy or not

clean in the original image.

Sharpen More

– Use this option when you want to sharpen the

image more than the standard Sharpen filter does.

Blur

– Use this option when you want to soften the edges of an

image.

Blur More

– Use this option when you want to soften the edges

more than the Blur filter does.

Changing the Scale Factor

Scaling lets you automatically enlarge or reduce an image from its original size (100%) as it is scanned. The scale factor affects the size of the scanned image and the printed scan output.

You can scale the image using any of the scale factors listed below:

200%

•

150%

•

100%

•

50%

•

25%

•

10%

•

Custom

•

You can also specify a custom scale factor by choosing the Custom option from the Scaling drop down menu. See the Using Custom Scaling Settings section that follows for more information about specifying a custom scale factor.

Using Custom Scale Settings

You can specify custom scaling settings that you can use when you scan. To define the custom scaling settings:

Choose the Custom… option from the Scaling drop down menu. The Custom Scaling window opens.

UMAX Astra 2000U/P Owner’s Guide

Enter the desired scale factor in either the Width or Height text box. These are dynamic fields, updating one field automatically changes the other field.

To change the unit of measure, click on the down arrow next to Height and/or Width text boxes to display the possible settings. You can choose from Inch, Centimeter, Pixel or Percent.

Click OK.

Using the Auto Adjustment Feature

Auto Adjustment provides a simple way to adjust the light and dark values of a color or grayscale image you want to scan.

To automatically adjust the light and dark values:

1. Place the item you want to scan on the scanner object glass.

2. Click the window.

3. Select an area that you want to adjust using the

You can edit the image using the “Zoom Tool” and the “Frame Selection Tool.” To find out more about how to use these tools, click on the user tips text that appears when your cursor pauses over the tool.

NOTE

installed on the system.

4. Click the adjusted and the preview image repaints displaying the results you can expect when you perform the final scan.

Preview

: To use VistaScan online help you must have a browser

Auto Adjustment

button from the VistaScan Advanced

Frame

Preview image

before scanning the final

check box. The selected area is

tool.

Using the Scan Control Unit

The Scan Control unit contains the Preview and Scan buttons, and the Scan To options.

Selecting the Scan to Device or Application

To specify the device or application to which you want to send the scanned item:

Click on the arrow above the Scan To text on the Scan Control unit. The Scan Control unit panel slides back to display the Scan To icons.

Click on the icon that represents the device or application to which you want to send the scanned item. The icons include:

File

– stores the scanned image in a file using the file name

specified in the VistaScan Preferenc es.

– prints the scanned item on the default printer.

Fax

– faxes the scanned item using your fax driver.

UMAX Astra 2000U/P Owner’s Guide

Application

– sends the scanned item to the applications

specified in the VistaScan Preferenc es.

E-mail

– sends the scanned item as a graphic file to your

Microsoft Exchange or Lotus cc:Mail e-mail application.

Using the Multiple Scan Mode

You can select multiple portions of the image you scanned in Preview mode using the Multiple Frame tool.

The Multiple Frame tool allows you to create two or more selection frames in the Preview Window.

To create more than one selection frame:

After you have scanned an image in Preview scan mode, click

Multiple Frame

on the

tool.

Select the area you want contained in the first frame by clicking on the point at which you want to begin the frame, and then dragging the tool diagonally until the area of interest is contained in the marquis box.

Click outside of a selected area to save the frame. To create other frames, repeat steps 1 and 2 until you have created all the desired frames. After you create a frame, the Single Frame tool is automatically selected so you can resize or move the frame you just created.

To select one of the frames you created, double-click on the desired frame. The frame border of the active frame changes to a marquis style frame (dotted lines). Once a frame is selected, double-click on a frame to display the Job Information window for that image, which contains the image information.

To remove a selected frame:

Click on the frames appear in the job list window.

Click on the thumbnail of the frame you want to remove. A red box appears around the selected thumbnail. The frame in the Preview window associated with the thumbnail, changes to a dashed outline.

Click on the “X” button, located in the bottom-left corner of the thumbnail, to remove the frame.

Using the Color Adjustment Features

Job List

button. Thumbnails of the selected

The Color Adjustment features allow you to make adjustments to the colors and/or tones in an image. The following lists the color adjustment settings you can modify:

Brightness, contrast, highlights, shadows, and gamma curve

•

Image tones

•

Color balance

•

Rotation

•

UMAX Astra 2000U/P Owner’s Guide

Adjusting Image Brightness, Contrast, Highlights and Shadows

When you click on the Brightness/Contrast tab from the Color Adjustment panel a series of slide bars appear. You adjust the associated tones by dragging the slider in one of the bars to the left or the right.

Using the Brightness Bar

This setting determines the overall intensity level (gray level) of an image. Moving the slider on the scroll bar to the right increases the brightness. Moving it to the left decrease s the brig htne ss. The default setting is zero 0. The maximum brightness setting is 100, the minimum setting is –100.

Using the Contrast Bar

This setting controls the difference between light and dark areas in an image. Moving the slider on the scroll bar to the right increases the gray shades between light and dark areas. Moving it to the left decreases gray shades between light and dark areas. The default setting is zero 0. The maximum contrast setting is 100, the minimum setting is –100.

Highlight Bar

This setting defines the lightest (whitest) tones in the scanned image. If you broaden the range that includes the highlight points, the pixels within the newly specified range are be remapped allowing you to see more details in a color/gray image.

Moving the slider on the scroll bar to the left increases the brightness. Moving it to the right decr eas es the brig htne ss. The default setting is 255. The maximum highlight setting is 255; the minimum is 1 (which is White).

Shadow Bar

The Shadow bar defines the darkest tones in the scanned image. Moving the slider on the scroll bar to the left increases the brightness in shadowed areas. Moving it to the right decr ease s the brightness in shadowed areas. The default setting is 0. The maximum shadow setting is 254 (which is Black), the minimum is

Gamma Bar

The gamma bar alters the mid-range gray tones in the scanned image. All optical devices, such as monitors and scanners, have some variance in their light sensitivity characteristics. To get a scanned image with good results, VistaScan provides Gamma adjustment capabilities so you can compensate for this variance in your scanner.

Moving the slider on the scroll bar to the right increases the brightness of the mid-range gray tones. Moving it to the left decreases the brightness of the mid-range gray tones. The default setting is 1.2.

Reset Button

Click the

Reset

button to cancel the changes and return the value to

the default setting.

UMAX Astra 2000U/P Owner’s Guide

Adjusting the Image Tones

The Curve command is another way to make precise adjustments in the highlight, midtones, or shadow levels in your images. Using this feature corrects the gray/color values in an image. You change the values by altering the shape of the curve that represents the brightness values of pixels.

Click Reset to cancel the changes and return the value to the default setting.

Adjusting the Color Balance

The Color Adjustment feature controls the hue and saturation of a particular color.

When you click on the Color Balance tab from the Color Adjustments panel a continuous color spectrum wheel appears.

When you click in the wheel the image tones are shifted to the particular hue that is represented in that area.

Click the

Reset

button to cancel the changes and returns the value

to default setting.

Rotating an Image

You can rotate an image clockwise or counter clockwise, and you can flip images 180 degrees vertically or horizontally.

UMAX Astra 2000U/P Owner’s Guide

The following lists the possible rotate and flip selections:

Flip/Rotate Horizontally – flips the image horizontally and

•

rotates it 90 degrees counter clockwise. Flip Horizontal – flips the image horizontally.

•

Rotate 90 CCW – rotates the image 90 degrees counter

•

clockwise. Rotate 90 CW – rotates the image 90 degrees clockwise.

•

Normal – does not rotate or flip the image.

•

Flip Vertical – flips the image vertically.

•

Rotate 180 – rotates the image 180 degrees clockwise.

•

Inverts an image – changes all the dark tones in an image to

•

light tones, and all of the light tones to dark tones. This option can NOT be reversed using the Edit menu Undo command.

Clicking on the image that shows the desired orientation rotates or flips the image. Clicking the Reset button cancels the rotate or flip action and returns the image to the original orientation.

Using VistaAccess – Direct Access

VistaAccess is a utility that provides instant access to several VistaScan applications. When VistaAccess is open, it allows you to open any of the listed applications with a few clicks of your mouse.

To use VistaAccess from the PC:

Click on the the Programs pop-up menu appears, click the option. The VistaScan pop-up menu appears. Click the

VistaAccess

Task bar (near the time display in the lower right corner of the window).

Click the scanner icon in the Task bar using your right mouse button. A pop-up menu appears which contains:

VistaScan

•

VistaShuttle

•

Start

bar. Click on the

option to display the scanner icon in the Windows

Programs

option. When

VistaScan

Copy Utility

•

Scanner Test

•

Power Saving On/Off Control

•

Find/Refresh Scanner

•

Help

•

Exit

•

Click on one of the listed applications or utilities to launch the software.

Click the scanner. Click the help. Click the Windows Task bar and close VistaAccess.

To use VistaAccess from the Macintosh :

Click on the control strip in the lower left corner of the Desktop. A drop down menu appears which contains:

•

Click on one of the listed applications or utilities to launch the software.

Click the scanner. Click the help. Click the Finder area and close VistaAccess.

Find/Refresh Scanner

Help

option to view VistaAccess online

Exit

option to remove the scanner icon from the

VistaScan Power Saving On/Off Control Find/Refresh Scanner

Find/Refresh Scanner

Help

option to view VistaAccess online

Exit

option to remove the scanner icon from the

option to re-initialize the

UMAX Astra 2000U/P Owner’s Guide

Using VistaShuttle

The VistaShuttle is a PC-based application that provides an easy way for you to create greeting cards, wallpaper for your computer desktop, a screen saver for your computer, e-cards (e-mail greeting cards), and more.

NOTE

To use VistaShuttle to create an E-Card (electronic greeting card you send via e-mail):

: VistaShuttle is not a Macintosh compatible application.

Click on the the Programs pop-up menu appears, click on the option. Click on the program. The VistaShuttle Main window appears.

Start

bar. Click on the

VistaShuttle

Programs

application icon to open the

option. When

VistaShuttle

Click on the E-Card icon. The VistaScan Beginner window opens so you can scan an item to include in your electronic greeting card.

Lift the scanner’s document cover and place your document facedown in the center of the scanner’s object glass.

Preview

Click Preview image before scanning the final image using the “Zoom Tool” and the “Frame Selection Tool.” To find out more about how to use these tools, click on the user tips text that appears when your cursor pauses over the tool.

to preview the scanned item. You can edit the

NOTE:

VistaScan online help.

Click the icon that most closely represents the item you are going to scan in the Click To Scan area of the VistaScan Beginner window.

The item is scanned, and VistaScan automatically closes. After a moment the VistaShuttle E-Card window appears with the scanned item in the default E-Card template.

Click on the scanned item to display the image handles. Drag one of the image handles outward to enlarge the image, or inward to reduce the image.

You can customize the E-Card template frame that surrounds the scanned item, the stamp graphic or the paper type by clicking the desired option from the buttons in the left column.

You must have a browser installed in order to view the

Click and drag any of the E-Card template elements to move them around, creating your own E-Card style.

UMAX Astra 2000U/P Owner’s Guide

Choose the Add text command from the Text menu (or click on the Text button from the left-hand column). The Text Setting window opens.

Enter the E-Card greeting text in the text box.

10.

You can modify the font type, font size, font style (bold, italic, underlined), text alignment (left, right or centered), and text color by selecting an option from the dropdown lists or by clicking on the associated icon from the button bar at the top of the E-Card window.

11.

Click the

12.

Click the Text Setting window. You can move the text box around the ECard until you find the right spot. Click outside the text box to anchor the text to the chosen spot.

13.

Click the Mail button from the E-Card window. The Send dialog box appears.

14.

Choose your e-mail application from those listed, and click the Send button to open the application and attach your E-Card to the message.

15.

Send your e-mail message.

Finish

button to place the text on the card..

button in the upper right corner to close the

Using the UMAX Copy Utility

The UMAX Copy utility is a PC-based application that lets you scan and automatically print copies of an image.

NOTE

: The UMAX Copy Utility is not Macintosh compatible.

To use the copy utility:

Click on the the Programs pop-up menu appears, click on the option. The VistaScan pop-up menu appears. Click on the UMAX Copy Utility selection to open the program.

The UMAX Copy Utility window appears.

Start

bar. Click on the

Programs

option. When

VistaScan

Select your copy settings. Click the copy button to make the copies, then click Exit when you are finished.

UMAX Copy Utility Features

Brightness:

print the copies of the scanned image. If the image is too dark, click the up arrow to lighten the copy. If the image is too light, click the down arrow to darken the copy.

Lets you select the brightness levels to use when you

UMAX Astra 2000U/P Owner’s Guide

Original Image:

Lets you specify the type of image to be copied — Color, Gray or B/W. The Single Photo option automatically crops unnecessary white space around the image (no matter where the image is placed), reducing memory storage space and speeding up the scanning.

Printout Qualit y:

Choose Normal for draft quality, or choose Best

for high quality images.

B/W images

•

— Selecting Best or Normal produces the same

output.

Gray images

•

— Selecting Best uses an enhanced filter to

improve image quality but slows down the print speed.

Color image

•

Selecting Normal uses an enhanced filter

—

to improve color quality; selecting Best uses the MagicMatch function to produce the best image quality

Printer Setup

Reset

— Returns any settings you have modified to the default

settings.

Exit

— Returns you to the desktop window.

— Opens the Printer Setup dialog box.

Numeric Buttons

— Lets you specify the number of copies by

clicking on the desired number. The number appears to the left.

Scaling

— Sets the printout size of your scanned image; the default

is 100%.

Copy/Stop

— Copy your scanned image by clicking the Copy button. When copying begins the button text changes to read Stop. To stop printing copies, click the Stop button.

UMAX Astra 2000U/P Owner’s Guide

CHAPTER 4. Scanning Projects

The UMAX Astra 2000 scanners include bundled software to help you with a variety of tasks. In this chapter, we will show you how to make a personalized calendar, create Web-ready images, and even turn a page of text into an online text document that you can edit.

Using VistaScan to Scan and Print Images

To perform your first scan:

1. Open the VistaScan software application.

For PC Users:

a. Click on the

screen.

b. Click

c. Select

d. Click

For Macintosh Users:

a. Double-click the

b. Double-click the

c. Double-click the

Programs

VistaScan

launch VistaScan.

Start bar

in the bottom-left corner of the

Hard Drive

UMAX VistaScan

icon.

folder.

application icon to

2. The VistaScan Beginner window appears. Lift the scanner’s document cover and place your document facedown in the center of the scanner’s object glass.

3. Click the

Preview

button to preview the scanned item. You can edit the Preview image before scanning the final image using the “Zoom Tool” and the “Frame Selection Tool.” To find out more about how to use these tools, click on the user tips text that appears when your cursor pauses over the tool.

NOTE:

This feature is only available if you have a browser

installed.

4. Click the

Printer

icon in the “Scan to” control panel to indicate

that you want to scan and print the image.

5. Click one of the four icons in the

Click to Scan

area of the VistaScan Beginner window. Your selection identifies the type of image you are about to scan and tells VistaScan how to set the scanner options for the best results. The image type selections include: Color photos, Text/lineart, Web Images and Printed Matter setting s.

Once you click on the desired image type, the scanner starts scanning the image using the appropriate settings.

For Macintosh Users:

After the scan is complete, a print window appears. Verify that the destination settings are correct and then click the button.

6. When the scan is complete, the image is printed on your printer.

UMAX Astra 2000U/P Owner’s Guide

Using VistaScan to Scan a Photo to E-mail

Scanning an image to e-mail is almost the same procedure as described in the Using VistaScan to Scan and Print Images section earlier in this guide. Follow steps 1 – 3 as listed in the Scan and Print instructions, and then proceed with the following steps:

1. Click on the values for scanning an image to E-mail.

NOTE:

the VistaScan Beginner window. For information about setting preferences, refer to earlier in this guide.

2. Click on the VistaScan Beginner window. The scanner starts scanning the image using the appropriate settings for web images.

3. When the scanner has completed scanning the imag e, a Microsoft Exchange or Lotus cc:Mail e-mail window appears with an icon representing the scanned image embedded in the message area of the window.

NOTE

or Lotus cc:Mail refer to the user documentation that came with the application.

4. Fill out the rest of the standard E-mail information (address, subject, etc.) as you ordinarily would. Send the E-mail.

E-mail

You may need to adjust the destination preferences in

Web Image

: For more information about using Microsoft Exchange

icon to set the scanner settings to the best

Setting the VistaScan Preferences

icon in the

Click to Scan

section

area of the

Using VistaScan with PhotoDeluxe to Create Web-ready Images

Add flair to your Web pages by importing scanned photos.

The version of PhotoDeluxe is different for PC and Macintosh users. Follow the appropriate set of instructions based on the type of system you are using.

For PC Users:

Open the PhotoDeluxe application. For detailed instructions on how to start PhotoDeluxe, refer to steps 1-5 from

Your First Scan

The PhotoDeluxe screen appears. Click on the Get & Fix Photo tab in the upper-left corner, and then select the Get Photo button.

Chapter 2.

Get Photo Button

The Get Photo drop down menu appears.

UMAX Astra 2000U/P Owner’s Guide

Click the displaying the Beginner window.

Select an image you want to scan to be posted on a web site (i.e., a picture, a postcard, etc.).

Lift the document cover and place the item you have selected facedown in the center of the object glass of the scanner.

Click the scan of the image.

The preview image displays in the Preview window.

Click on the the VistaScan window.

After the image is scanned, VistaScan automatically closes and you are returned to the PhotoDeluxe window. The scanned image appears in the PhotoDeluxe work area. Click the tab.

10.

A thumbnail of the image you just scanned appears in the

Photos

Scanners…

Preview

Web Image

window on the left side of the PhotoDeluxe window.

option. The VistaScan software opens

button. The scanner begins a low-resolution

icon in the

Click to Scan

section of

Done

Open

11.

Click on the

12.

Choose the down menu.

13.

Follow the onscreen instructions for trimming, sizing, reducing, and specifying the file format (either GIF or JPEG compressed formats).

Save & Send

To the World Wide Web…

icon.

option from the drop-

If you choose the GIF format:

a. An

b. An

If you choose the JPEG format:

a. A

14.

Select the location where you want to save the image by clicking on the arrow to the right of the displays your folder or directory structure. Choose a location by clicking on it.

15.

Enter the name you would like to save the file as in the

name

16.

Click the the destination you specified.

For Macintosh Users:

Open the PhotoDeluxe application. The PhotoDeluxe window appears.

Export Options

will convert the photo to the GIF format. Click OK.

Export GIF

numbered step.

Save

window appears. Go to the next numbered step.

field. Click the

Done

Save

tab. Your Web-ready image is now located in

window appears notifying you it

window appears. Go to the next

Save in

button.

field. This

File

UMAX Astra 2000U/P Owner’s Guide

Refer to start PhotoDeluxe.

Place the item you would like to scan (a picture, a brochure, etc.) facedown so it aligns with the arrow (∇) at the back edge of the object glass.

Click the Beginner window. A window appears notifying you that the scanner is calibrating.

The preview image should now be displayed in the Preview window area on the left side of the VistaScan window.

You can edit the image using the “Zoom Tool” and the “Frame Selection Tool.”

Click on the the VistaScan Beginner window. The image is scanned and then you are returned to the PhotoDeluxe window.

NOTE:

things: it activates the scanner, and automatically sets all of the scanner settings to ensure you get the best scanning results.

Chapter 2. Your First Scan

Preview

Choosing an icon in “Click to Scan” area does two

button on the right side of the VistaScan

Preview image

Web Image

icon in the

for instructions on how to

before scanning the final

Click to Scan

section of

When the scan is complete, a window appears requesting that you save the document. Type a name in the field that appears to the right of “Save this document as:”

NOTE: Acquire

choose to save the image in the hard drive or on the desktop by clicking on the arrow to the right of the My Photos box at the top of this window.

10.

After a moment the image appears in the My Photos gallery window. Double-click the thumbnail to view a full-size, highresolution scan of the image in the work area.

By default the image is saved as “untitled - #” in the

section of the floating gallery window. You can also

11.

Click the

Send

button.

12.

Click the

13.

Click the you to alter the image.

•

To the Internet

Web Page

Click the want to use. Click OK when finished. Click the Click the resolution to make the image easier to download. Click the or GIF format. A Save window appears. Choose a location in which to save the image. Click the OK button in the window that appears to continue converting the image to the format you chose.

tab.

button. A new window appears allowing

1Trim

2Size 3Reduce

4Choose

tab to select the portion of the image you

tab to adjust the size of the image.

tab to convert the image to a lower

tab to convert the image to either JPEG

14.

15.

Click the

Quit

Select

5Done

tab to finish.

from the File menu to exit PhotoDeluxe.

UMAX Astra 2000U/P Owner’s Guide

Using Presto! PageManager to Scan a Form and Edit it with PageType

NOTE:

application. The following procedure is for PC users only.

Presto! PageType is not a Macintosh compatible

Click on the

Click

Select

The Presto! PageManager window appears.

Start

bar in the bottom-left corner of the screen.

Programs

Presto! PageManager

Choose choose VistaScan Beginner window appears.

Select Source

VistaScan

. Select

from the File menu. A window appears,

Acquire

from the File menu. The

Lift the document cover and place the form you want to scan facedown in the center of the object glass of the scanner.

Click the

Click on the begin the scan.

10.

When the scan is complete, click window. The scanned image of your form appears in the PageManager Inbox window.

11.

Choose

12.

Select the location where you want to save the image by clicking on the arrow to the right of the displays your folder or directory structure. Choose a location by clicking on it.

13.

Enter the name you would like to save the file as in the

name

14.

Choose to save the image. (PageType can only open certain format styles).

Preview

Save As

field. Click the

bitmap (BMP)

button.

Text/Lineart

from the Presto! PageManager File menu.

icon in the

Save

button.

as the format style in which you want

Click to Scan

Exit

at the bottom of the

Save in

area to

field. This

File

15.

Choose

16.

Click on the

17.

Click

18.

Select

Exit

from the File menu to close Presto! Page Manager.

Start

bar in the bottom-left corner of the screen.

Programs

Presto! PageManager

UMAX Astra 2000U/P Owner’s Guide

19.

20. Choose

Presto! PageType

Select appears.

Open

from the

. The Presto! PageType window

File

menu. Enter the name of the image you saved. The image appears in the client space. Fill in the form text desired using the PageType tools.

21. Save the image when you have finished editing the form by selecting

Save As

from the File menu and entering the

relevant information.

Creating a Calendar wit h PhotoDeluxe

You can create your own calendar using PhotoDeluxe. This process differs for PC and Macintosh users. Follow the appropriate instructions for the system that you are using.

For PC Users:

1. Insert the PhotoDeluxe CD in your CD-ROM drive.

NOTE:

The PhotoDeluxe CD must be loaded in the CD-ROM

drive to access the calendar temp lates.

2. Open PhotoDeluxe (refer to

Chapter 2. Your First Scan

instructions on how to start PhotoDeluxe).

3. The PhotoDeluxe window appears.

4. Click the

Cards & More

button.

for

5. Click the

Calendars

icon, and choose the

option from the drop-down menu.

Monthly Calendars

UMAX Astra 2000U/P Owner’s Guide

6. Follow the onscreen instructions through step 5, then click the Add tab and choose the scanner icon. The VistaScan Beginner window opens automatically.

7. Click the

Preview

button to perform a low resolution scan.

8. Click on the icon that most closely matches the item you are going to scan in the

9. The

Open Photos

Click to Scan

area.

dialog box displays a thumbnail version of

the image you scanned.

10. Drag the thumbnail from the Acquire section of the My Photos dialog box to the desired location on the calendar.

select

Save

from the File menu to store the calendar page, or

to print the calendar page.

11. Click

12. Repeat this process until all the calendar pages are complete.

For Macintosh Users:

1. Insert the PhotoDeluxe CD in your CD-ROM drive.

NOTE:

The PhotoDeluxe CD must be loaded in the CD-ROM

drive to access the calendar temp lates.

2. Open PhotoDeluxe (refer to

Chapter 2. Your First Scan

instructions on how to start PhotoDeluxe).

3. The PhotoDeluxe window appears.

4. Click the

5. Click the

Cards & Calendars

Calendars

button and follow the onscreen

tab.

instructions:

a. Click the

1Calendar

tab. Click the

Month

button. Choose

a month, and then click OK. b. Click the c. Click the

2Year

tab and select the appropriate year.

3Layout

tab. Click the

Choose layout

Several layouts appear after the com puter has had time to

read the information from the CD. Select a layout from the

Template floating window. d. Click the

4Style

tab. Click the

Choose Style

button. Double-click one of the styles that appear in the Templates window.

e. Click the

5Add

tab. Click the

Scanner

button to launch the

VistaScan Beginner window.

f. Click the

Preview

button, then click one of the icons from

the Click to Scan section.

g. A window appears requesting that you save the document.

Type a name in the field that appears to the right of “Save this document as:”

for

button.

UMAX Astra 2000U/P Owner’s Guide

NOTE:

the can also choose to save the image in the hard drive or on the desktop by clicking on the arrow to the right of the My Photos box at the top of this window.

h. After a moment the image appears in the My Photos gallery

window. Double-click the thumbnail to view a full-size, high-resolution scan of the image in the work area.

i. Click the

6. Drag the thumbnail from the Acquire section of the My Photos dialog box, to the area on the calendar where you wish to place the photograph.

7. Select

By default the image is saved as “untitled - #” in

Acquire

Save As

to print the calendar page.

section of the floating gallery window. You

Done

tab.

from the File menu to store the calendar page,

Converting Scanned Text to Editable Text with OmniPage

OmniPage lets you scan an image that contains text and convert it into editable text so you don’t have to retype the text. The process differs slightly for PC and Macintosh users. Follow the appropriate instructions for the system that you are using.

Opening OmniPage LE

For PC Users:

1. Click on the

2. Click

3. Select the

4. Select LE window appears.

Start

bar in the bottom-left corner of the screen.

Programs

OminPage LE

Caere Applications

to launch the application. The OmniPage

option.

For Macintosh Users:

1. Double-click the

2. Double-click

3. Double-click the

Hard Drive

OmniPage LE

icon.

icon. An OmniPage toolbar appears. (If this toolbar does not appear, click on the menu and select

4. Click

Select Scanner

Astra Series

Show Toolbar

from the Settings menu. Select

then click OK.

Window

UMAX

UMAX Astra 2000U/P Owner’s Guide

Converting Scanned Text with OmniPage LE

1. Position the image you want to scan facedown on the scanner’s object glass.

2. From the OmniPage LE window, click the select Flatbed. Click

For PC Users:

Choose from the Load Scanner dialog box. Then click image. When the scan is completed, the text appears in the OmniPage window.

Click the

If you have additional pages to scan, click repeat steps 2 and 3.

Click pages, and enter the file name, file directory and file type (the format in which you want to save the file).

Click OK to save the recognized text.

For Macintosh Users:

Acquire Image

OCR

Stop Scanning

Done

from the File menu. Select

button to perform the character recognition.

when you have scanned all the desired

Scanner

Scan

Add Pages

icon and

Flatbed

to scan the

and

Save

Click

Choose

Open your word processor application. Open the file that you just saved so you can review, edit, cut or copy portions of the text.

to save the converted text.

Exit

from the

File

menu to close OmniPage LE.

Creating an Album with Presto! PhotoAlbum

A variety of templates are included in Presto! PhotoAlbum that you can use for albums. You can also save an album you create and use it later as a template for creating another albums. This process differs for PC and Macintosh users. When a step is different for PC or Mac users, a note gives platform-specific instructions.

Opening PhotoAlbum:

Open the Presto! PhotoAlbum program.

For PC Users:

a. Click on the

screen. b. Click c. Select d. Select

For Macintosh Users:

a. Double-click the b. Double-click the c. Double-click the

Programs

Presto! Pho to A lb um Presto! Pho to A lb um

appears.

launch VistaScan. The PhotoAlbum window appears.

Start

bar in the bottom-left corner of the

. . The PhotoAlbum window

Hard Drive Presto! PhotoAlbum Presto! PhotoAlbum

icon.

application icon to

application folder.

Creating a Photo Album

UMAX Astra 2000U/P Owner’s Guide

1. Click on the

Create

button, and then click on the

Template

button.

2. Choose an album template category by selecting one of the category icons in the column on the left.

3. Display the available template outlines by clicking on the template thumbnail. Browse through the template thumbnails using the scroll bar.

NOTE

: Clicking on the thumbnail displays a description of the layout. The description includes information when the layout was originally created and how many pages are contained in the layout.

4. When you have chosen a template, click OK. After a moment the template appears.

5. Click on the

Command

icon in the upper-left corner of the floating Photo Browser window. If this window is not displayed, click on the Photo Browser button, located on the left side of the row of three icons on the bottom of the screen.

6. Choose Choose

7. Click on the Photo Browser window and then click

Select TWAIN Source VistaScan,

then click the

Acquire

to activate the scanner and launch

from the drop-down menu.

Select

button.

Command

icon again,

VistaScan. The VistaScan Beginner window opens.

8. Lift the document cover and place the image you want to scan facedown in the center of the object glass of the scanner.

9. Click on the

Preview

button to perform a preliminary lowresolution scan of the photo you want to include in the album. .

10. Specify the area to be scanned in the final scan using the VistaScan

Click on the

11.

Frame

Tool.

Color Photos

icon in the

Click to Scan

area of the VistaScan Beginner window. The scanner performs the final, high-resolution scan.

For PC Users:

After the scan is complete, click the

Exit

button.

12. A thumbnail of the image you just scanned appears in the Photo Browser window.

13. Click and drag this image into the spaces that read, “Put Photo Here!”

UMAX Astra 2000U/P Owner’s Guide

14. Repeat this process by scanning more photos and inserting them in the blank cell photo frames until you have filled the whole album.

15. Choose the

Save As

command from the

Album

menu. Enter the file name and directory location in which you want to store the album. Click OK to save the album.

UMAX Astra 2000U/P Owner’s Guide

CHAPTER 5. How to Get Help

The Astra 2000 series scanners have been designed to be reliable, easy-to-install, and easy-to-use. If you encounter any problems while installing or using your scanner, please follow the solutions outlined below.

Consult the online manual.

•

Read the troubleshooting section below.

•

Contact UMAX directly.

•

Using Online Manuals

All bundled software comes with online help, which essentially is an online manual. Read the following information to find out how to access the manuals for each individual software application.

Accessing the UMAX VistaScan Online Manual

For PC Users:

If the VistaScan application is already open, you can locate the manual by clicking on the user tips that pop up when your mouse scrolls over a tool. If VistaScan is not open, follow the instructions below.

1. Click

2. Click

3. Click

4. Click

Start

Programs VistaScan

VistaScan User’s Guide

launch the VistaScan User’s Guide.

. Your Internet browser should

For Macintosh Users:

If the VistaScan application is already open, you can locate the manual by clicking on the ? icon located in the upper right corner. If VistaScan is not open, follow the instructions below.

1. Double-click the

2. Double-click the

3. Double-click the should launch the VistaScan User’s Guide.

Hard Drive

UMAX VistaScan VistaScan Help

icon on the desktop.

. Your Internet browser

folder.

Accessing the Adobe PhotoDeluxe Online Manual

For PC Users:

1. Place the PhotoDeluxe CD in the CD-ROM drive. (If the install screen automatically launches, skip to step 4.)

2. Double-click

3. Right-click the

4. Click

For Macintosh Users:

ReadMe & Guide

best suited to your needs.

My Computer

CD-ROM drive

. From here, you can select the manual

and select

AutoPlay.

1. Place the Adobe PhotoDeluxe CD in the CD-ROM drive.

2. Double-click the

3. Double-click

4. Double-click please install Adobe Acrobat Reader 3.01. See “Installing Acrobat Reader” below for instructions.)

PhotoDeluxe CD

English.

Getting Started.pdf

icon on the desktop.

. (If you receive an error,

UMAX Astra 2000U/P Owner’s Guide

Accessing the Presto! PageManager Online Manual

For PC Users:

1. Click

2. Click

3. Click

4. Click

For Macintosh Users:

1. Double-click the

2. Double-click the

3. Double-click

Start.

Programs

Presto! PageManager Deluxe.

PageManager User’s Manual.

install Adobe Acrobat reader 3.01. See “Installing Acrobat Reader” below for instructions.)

Hard Drive

Presto! PageManager 2.31.02

User’s Guide.pdf.

icon on the desktop.

(If you receive an error, please

folder.

Accessing the Caere OmniPage Online Manual

For PC Users:

1. Click

Start.

2. Click

3. Click

5. Click

For Macintosh Users:

1. Double-click the

2. Double-click the

Programs.

Caere Application

English Documentation

Hard Drive

OmniPage LE

icon on the desktop.

folder.

3. Double-click please install Adobe Acrobat Reader 3.01. See “Installing Acrobat Reader” below for instructions.)

OmniPage Ltd.pdf

. (If you receive an error,

Installing Acrobat Reader for Macintosh Users

To read the OmniPage LE online manual you need to use Adobe Acrobat Reader. If it is not already installed on your computer, follow the installtion instructions below.

1. Place the VistaScan CD in the CD-ROM drive.

2. Double-click the

3. Double-click the

4. Double-click the

5. Double-click the

6. Double-click the

UMAX VistaScan CD

Acrobat Reader Install folder.

3.0 folder

Reader folder.

Install Acrobat 3.0

icon.

Troubleshooting

This scanner is designed to be reliable and easy to install. If you have any problems with your scanner, please read the notes that follow to find out probable causes of the problem.

General Problems and Solutions

Problem:

The scanner lamp fails to light, flickers or dims

Solution:

The scanning lamp is failing or has failed and needs to be changed. Please contact your dealer or UMAX Technical Support.

UMAX Astra 2000U/P Owner’s Guide

Problem:

The scanner text failed. The scanner text utility is a PC-based utility. Macintosh users will not encounter this problem.

Solution

Make sure the interface cable (parallel or USB) is properly connected to the USB connector port, or to the parallel printer port (not the RS-232 port) on your computer.

Astra 2000U (Windows 98/95 OSR2) Problems and Solutions

Problem:

Your computer does not recognize your USB scanner

USB support must be installed and enabled or the scanner will not work. Different USB chipsets have different levels of USB compliance. The initial USB chipset that was released was the INTEL82371SB. It supports most low draw devices such as mice and joysticks, but high draw devices such as scanners might have trouble functioning on the “SB” chipset.

Later chipset versions include SIS, ALI, and both have many fully functional chipsets as well as Intel’s 82371AB and 82371AB/EB.

Solution:

To determine your USB chipset type:

Click on the “My Computer” icon using the right mouse button. A pop-up menu appears.

Click on Properties command using the left mouse button. This brings up the Device Manager.

The last item listed in the Device Manager should be Universal Serial Bus Controllers.

Click the + beside the Universal Serial Bus Controllers entry. Two items display, (your chipset) PCI to USB Open Host Controller and Root Hub.

If a yellow exclamation point appears, or if one or both of them are not present, please contact your computer manufacturer. If the USB section does not show up we recommend you contact your computer manufacturer to enable USB.

Problem:

IRQ steering is disabled. For USB to function properly, IRQ Steering must be enabled.

Solution:

The IRQ Steering setting is located in the Device Manager. Follow the steps below to find out if the IRQ steering is enabled:

Click on the “My Computer” icon using the right mouse button. A pop-up menu appears.

Click on Properties command using the left mouse button. This brings up the Device Manager.

In the Device Manager click the + symbol beside the System Devices item.

Double-click the PCI Bus to display the PCI Bus Properties.

Click on the tab labeled IRQ Steering.

The bottom half of this tab displays the IRQ Routing Status. Look for the following items:

IRQ Routing enabled

•

IRQ read from (where it is read from)

•

IRQ Mini-port loaded successfully

•

IRQ Mini-port data processed successfully

•

UMAX Astra 2000U/P Owner’s Guide

If you see these items as listed above, IRQ Steering is enabled. If you do not see the information, contact your computer manufacturer. USB will not function properly without IRQ Steering.

Problem:

Scanner is not present in the Device Manager. The scanner must be present in the Device Manager. If there is no listing for the it, the scanner will not work.

Solution:

Follow the steps below to determine if the scanner is present in the Device Manager.

Click on the “My Computer” icon using the right mouse button. A pop-up menu appears.

Click on Properties command using the left mouse button. This brings up the Device Manager.

The scanner should be listed under the heading of Imaging Device.

If it is not present, insert the UMAX VistaScan CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive.

Unplug the scanner cable from the back of the computer, and then plug it back into the USB port.

If the scanner does not show up, and there is no change in the Device Manager, try the another USB port. If the scanner still does not appear, contact your computer manufacturer.

Problem:

Your system resources are low. Your system resources are the amount of free resources your system can call on at a given time. This should be at 90% or above to run a scanner. Anything under 60% will cause system freezes or link fails when you attempt to access the scanner.

Solution:

Follow the steps below to determine if your system resources are too low to operate the scanner.

Click on the “My Computer” icon using the right mouse button. A pop-up menu appears.

Click on Properties command using the left mouse button.

Click the Performance tab (the fourth tab under System Properties).

Look in the System Resources area (the second section). This number should be above 90%.

If not, Press and hold down the CTRL+ALT keys and tap the Delete key once. This brings up the Close Programs window.

You need to end all tasks running except the EXPLORER and SYSTRAY items. To end a task, highlight an item in the Close Programs window and click the step for each task you want to end.

End Task

Button. Repeat this

UMAX Astra 2000U/P Owner’s Guide

Astra 2000U (Macintosh version) Problems and Solutions

Problem:

When I daisy chain the scanner with other USB capable devices, I get a scanner error.

Solution:

Many Macintosh computers have at least two USB ports. We recommend that you connect your scanner directly to one of these ports. Daisy-chaining the scanner, or running the scanner through a hub can cause the signal to be lost before it is communicated to your computer.

To make the troubleshooting process easier, disconnect your scanner from other USB capable devices or hubs when troubleshooting.

Problem:

I cannot get the scanner to install properly, or it does not run once it is installed.

Solution:

If you are having problems installing or using the Astra 2000U scanner, be sure that Macintosh OS 8.1 or higher is installed on your computer.

Problem:

The system takes too long to scan.

Solution:

Disable virtual memory, reboot your computer with the extensions disabled (hold down the SHIFT key during re-boot) and try again. Booting with the shift key still loads the extension.

Problem:

Your system goes to the Finder when you try to acquire the scanner.

Solution:

Plug the scanner into its own power outlet. If still does the same thing, please call UMAX Technical Support.

Problem:

The following error message appeared:

“Error: Not Enough

Power to Function”

Solution:

The Macintosh OS generates this message if:

A device draws too much power from the USB bus

•

One or more devices plugged into a hub require more power

•

than is available You attached a self-powered device (such as a printer or floppy

•

drive) to your computer without plugging it into an electrical outlet.

Remove all other devices from the USB chain, so the scanner is the only device on the USB chain. Make sure that the scanner power adapter is plugged directly into the wall, not into a power strip.

Problem:

The following error message appeared: “Error: No Driver Found”

Solution:

The Macintosh OS generates this message if it could not find a driver in the System Folder for the USB device you just connected. You may have forgotten to install the software that came with the device, or you may have put the device driver (i.e., the software that allows Macintosh to recognize and communicate with the USB device) in the wrong place in your System Folder.

UMAX Astra 2000U/P Owner’s Guide

Re-install the software driver from the VistaScan CD-ROM. Make sure the extension is loaded and on.

Problem:

The following error message appeared: "Scanner not found" or "Unable to control scanner"

Solution:

Follow this procedure:

1. Isolate, and plug the scanner in a USB port by itself.

2. Go to the Apple System Profiler, listed under the Apple menu.

3. Go to the Devices & Volumes tab (Command + 2). Is the scanner listed under the USB tree as:

Class: 0 Product ID: 16 Vendor ID: 5638

4. If no, disconnect the USB cable from the computer.

5. Go to Command, Update All Information (Command + U).

6. Reconnect the scanner, and Update All Information again. Is the scanner listed? If yes, you can begin scanning. If no, please call UMAX Technical Support.

Try the following solutions, if you are still experiencing scanning problems:

1. Plug the scanner power adapter directly into the wall outlet and not in a surge protector.

2. If using a USB hub, plug the scanner directly into the Macintosh USB port.

3. If you are using a Macintosh computer other than the iMac, do not run the scanner off the keyboard. The keyboard has two ports. Those ports are for right or left-handed people so they can plug the mouse in where it is better for them.

4. Download all updates for your Macintosh for USB from the Apple’s Web site http://www.apple.com

Astra 2000P (Windows 98/95 OSR2) Problems and Solutions

Problem:

An Anti-Virus program was running while you installed the driver. Anti-Virus programs by their protective nature automatically think anything making changes to the system folder is a Virus and takes appropriate action. In other words it re-writes the data being installed to ensure it does not infect your system. Normally this is fine, but if the anti-virus software re-writes the VistaScan driver file, it does not operate properly.

Solution:

Following these steps to correct the problem:

Delete the VistaScan folder from your hard drive along with the TWAIN, TWAIN32, and Twain_32 folders stored in your Windows folder.

Now you need to shutdown (or End Task) all the background programs running on your computer. Background programs are applications that you do not usually see running.

Press and hold down the CTRL+ALT keys and tap the Delete key once. This brings up the Close Programs window.

100

Umax ASTRA 2000U User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

Astra 2000U/P

Using VistaScan to Scan and Print Images

To perform your first scan: