decent scanning software (Epson scan is rubbish)

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I've just bought an Epson 2480 scanner. Scanner itself seems fine, but
as usual, the bundled manufacturer written software isn't very good.
The main points of contention so far are:

1) you can adjust the levels of the image after a preview but it won't
show you what the resulting effect will be on the scan! Am I supposed to
fully scan it 5 times, adjusting levels settings each time, until the
levels look ok?

2) to be able to set the DPI of the scan, you have to enabled full-on
advanced settings, and the useful automatic functionality that detects
the media to be scaned etc. is gone, you have to set it all manually.
This is ludicrous! I just want to specify the DPI, not every nit-picking
detail and option that the software otherwise detects quite well.

So, what alternatives are there? Can anyone recommend any good programs?
I've googled but not found much...
thanks,
alex
 
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Silverfast is a commertial software for most brands of decent scanners.
AFAIK there's no better in scanning quality and adjustment possibilities.
BUT if you complain about advanced mode in Epson Scan, here's even more
complicated. And even more difficult ViewScan with not so nice UI. Anyway,
look at these two.
 
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AS wrote:
> Silverfast is a commertial software for most brands of decent scanners.
> AFAIK there's no better in scanning quality and adjustment possibilities.
> BUT if you complain about advanced mode in Epson Scan, here's even more
> complicated. And even more difficult ViewScan with not so nice UI. Anyway,
> look at these two.
>
>

thanks for that!
alex
 
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In article <l0qVc.234504$a8.144975@fe2.news.blueyonder.co.uk>, Alex
Hunsley <lard@tardis.ed.ac.molar.uk> writes
>I've just bought an Epson 2480 scanner. Scanner itself seems fine, but
>as usual, the bundled manufacturer written software isn't very good.

Which software? The Twain interface or the image editing bundle. The
latter is disposable junk with almost every hardware product.

>The main points of contention so far are:
>
>1) you can adjust the levels of the image after a preview but it won't
>show you what the resulting effect will be on the scan!

Yes it will - if you are using the Twain interface every single
adjustment is visible in its effect on the previewed image.

> Am I supposed to fully scan it 5 times, adjusting levels settings each
>time, until the levels look ok?
>
No, but you might want to preview it after setting the adjustments you
want. Adjustments made on a preview at another setting are just
indications of the final effect. This is true of *all* scanner
software.

>2) to be able to set the DPI of the scan, you have to enabled full-on
>advanced settings, and the useful automatic functionality that detects
>the media to be scaned etc. is gone, you have to set it all manually.
>This is ludicrous! I just want to specify the DPI, not every
>nit-picking detail and option that the software otherwise detects quite
>well.

Auto is as auto does. Manual is as manual does.

Some have suggested that auto does not automate enough.

Others have suggested that manual does not provide enough user control
over scanner functions.

You are unique in suggesting we need schizophrenic scanning software
where auto provides full manual control and manual provides full auto
control, according your mood of the moment!
>
>So, what alternatives are there? Can anyone recommend any good
>programs?

None at the moment. But if you find a good application that can read
your mind and foretell the future, do let the community know - forget
scanning with it, it should be damned useful at the race track!
--
Kennedy
Yes, Socrates himself is particularly missed;
A lovely little thinker, but a ah heck when he's pissed.
Python Philosophers (replace 'nospam' with 'kennedym' when replying)
 
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Scanout 1.4 is quite an easy tool for that kind of job:
http://www.autumna.com



"Kennedy McEwen" <rkm@nospam.demon.co.uk> escreveu na mensagem
news:TsQVWJLvmyJBFwWj@kennedym.demon.co.uk...
> In article <l0qVc.234504$a8.144975@fe2.news.blueyonder.co.uk>, Alex
> Hunsley <lard@tardis.ed.ac.molar.uk> writes
> >I've just bought an Epson 2480 scanner. Scanner itself seems fine, but
> >as usual, the bundled manufacturer written software isn't very good.
>
> Which software? The Twain interface or the image editing bundle. The
> latter is disposable junk with almost every hardware product.
>
> >The main points of contention so far are:
> >
> >1) you can adjust the levels of the image after a preview but it won't
> >show you what the resulting effect will be on the scan!
>
> Yes it will - if you are using the Twain interface every single
> adjustment is visible in its effect on the previewed image.
>
> > Am I supposed to fully scan it 5 times, adjusting levels settings each
> >time, until the levels look ok?
> >
> No, but you might want to preview it after setting the adjustments you
> want. Adjustments made on a preview at another setting are just
> indications of the final effect. This is true of *all* scanner
> software.
>
> >2) to be able to set the DPI of the scan, you have to enabled full-on
> >advanced settings, and the useful automatic functionality that detects
> >the media to be scaned etc. is gone, you have to set it all manually.
> >This is ludicrous! I just want to specify the DPI, not every
> >nit-picking detail and option that the software otherwise detects quite
> >well.
>
> Auto is as auto does. Manual is as manual does.
>
> Some have suggested that auto does not automate enough.
>
> Others have suggested that manual does not provide enough user control
> over scanner functions.
>
> You are unique in suggesting we need schizophrenic scanning software
> where auto provides full manual control and manual provides full auto
> control, according your mood of the moment!
> >
> >So, what alternatives are there? Can anyone recommend any good
> >programs?
>
> None at the moment. But if you find a good application that can read
> your mind and foretell the future, do let the community know - forget
> scanning with it, it should be damned useful at the race track!
> --
> Kennedy
> Yes, Socrates himself is particularly missed;
> A lovely little thinker, but a ah heck when he's pissed.
> Python Philosophers (replace 'nospam' with 'kennedym' when
replying)
 
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In article <41422c02$0$4890$a729d347@news.telepac.pt>, Robert Drake
<TESTE@mail.pt> writes
>"Kennedy McEwen" <rkm@nospam.demon.co.uk> escreveu na mensagem
>news:TsQVWJLvmyJBFwWj@kennedym.demon.co.uk...
>> In article <l0qVc.234504$a8.144975@fe2.news.blueyonder.co.uk>, Alex
>> Hunsley <lard@tardis.ed.ac.molar.uk> writes
>>
>> >So, what alternatives are there? Can anyone recommend any good
>> >programs?
>>
>> None at the moment. But if you find a good application that can read
>> your mind and foretell the future, do let the community know - forget
>> scanning with it, it should be damned useful at the race track!

>Scanout 1.4 is quite an easy tool for that kind of job:
>http://www.autumna.com

Will it really foresee which dog will win the next race? It certainly
isn't much use as a scanner application.
--
Kennedy
Yes, Socrates himself is particularly missed;
A lovely little thinker, but a ah heck when he's pissed.
Python Philosophers (replace 'nospam' with 'kennedym' when replying)
 
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Kennedy McEwen <rkm@nospam.demon.co.uk> wrote in message news:<XEafTfB0LkQBFwcs@kennedym.demon.co.uk>...
> In article <41422c02$0$4890$a729d347@news.telepac.pt>, Robert Drake
> <TESTE@mail.pt> writes
> >"Kennedy McEwen" <rkm@nospam.demon.co.uk> escreveu na mensagem
> >news:TsQVWJLvmyJBFwWj@kennedym.demon.co.uk...
> >> In article <l0qVc.234504$a8.144975@fe2.news.blueyonder.co.uk>, Alex
> >> Hunsley <lard@tardis.ed.ac.molar.uk> writes
> >>
> >> >So, what alternatives are there? Can anyone recommend any good
> >> >programs?
> >>
> >> None at the moment. But if you find a good application that can read
> >> your mind and foretell the future, do let the community know - forget
> >> scanning with it, it should be damned useful at the race track!
>
> >Scanout 1.4 is quite an easy tool for that kind of job:
> >http://www.autumna.com
>
> Will it really foresee which dog will win the next race? It certainly
> isn't much use as a scanner application.


>>>>Why waste hard drive space...???Use an image editing program. I
can use Picture-it, or Adobe Elements, or most any grphics program
that will import data or pics from a scanner dierectly into the
editing program!
 
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Well it depends on what you need to do.
I personally use this simple software tool to directly convert documents to
pdf for archival purposes with my flatbed scanner. What's the point of
having a scanner laying on your desk and keep having tons of papers
around?.. my phone bills, electricity bills, incoming mail, etc.. all of
these, day by day start to take unnecessary space. I just create a weekly
routine to keep it all organized and make it digital so that I just won't
end up with tons of paper again to thrash out or take to the garage with all
the other piles of stuff to keep "just in case" I need it... Obviously no
problem can read my mind yet and predict my needs...



"Michael P Gabriel" <axipolti@yahoo.com> escreveu na mensagem
news:a20043.0409120455.132e95d9@posting.google.com...
> Kennedy McEwen <rkm@nospam.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:<XEafTfB0LkQBFwcs@kennedym.demon.co.uk>...
> > In article <41422c02$0$4890$a729d347@news.telepac.pt>, Robert Drake
> > <TESTE@mail.pt> writes
> > >"Kennedy McEwen" <rkm@nospam.demon.co.uk> escreveu na mensagem
> > >news:TsQVWJLvmyJBFwWj@kennedym.demon.co.uk...
> > >> In article <l0qVc.234504$a8.144975@fe2.news.blueyonder.co.uk>, Alex
> > >> Hunsley <lard@tardis.ed.ac.molar.uk> writes
> > >>
> > >> >So, what alternatives are there? Can anyone recommend any good
> > >> >programs?
> > >>
> > >> None at the moment. But if you find a good application that can read
> > >> your mind and foretell the future, do let the community know - forget
> > >> scanning with it, it should be damned useful at the race track!
> >
> > >Scanout 1.4 is quite an easy tool for that kind of job:
> > >http://www.autumna.com
> >
> > Will it really foresee which dog will win the next race? It certainly
> > isn't much use as a scanner application.
>
>
> >>>>Why waste hard drive space...???Use an image editing program. I
> can use Picture-it, or Adobe Elements, or most any grphics program
> that will import data or pics from a scanner dierectly into the
> editing program!
 
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In article <a20043.0409120455.132e95d9@posting.google.com>, Michael P
Gabriel <axipolti@yahoo.com> writes
>Kennedy McEwen <rkm@nospam.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
>news:<XEafTfB0LkQBFwcs@kennedym.demon.co.uk>...
>> In article <41422c02$0$4890$a729d347@news.telepac.pt>, Robert Drake
>> <TESTE@mail.pt> writes
>> >"Kennedy McEwen" <rkm@nospam.demon.co.uk> escreveu na mensagem
>> >news:TsQVWJLvmyJBFwWj@kennedym.demon.co.uk...
>> >> In article <l0qVc.234504$a8.144975@fe2.news.blueyonder.co.uk>, Alex
>> >> Hunsley <lard@tardis.ed.ac.molar.uk> writes
>> >>
>> >> >So, what alternatives are there? Can anyone recommend any good
>> >> >programs?
>> >>
>> >> None at the moment. But if you find a good application that can read
>> >> your mind and foretell the future, do let the community know - forget
>> >> scanning with it, it should be damned useful at the race track!
>>
>> >Scanout 1.4 is quite an easy tool for that kind of job:
>> >http://www.autumna.com
>>
>> Will it really foresee which dog will win the next race? It certainly
>> isn't much use as a scanner application.
>
>
>>>>>Why waste hard drive space...???Use an image editing program. I
>can use Picture-it, or Adobe Elements, or most any grphics program
>that will import data or pics from a scanner dierectly into the
>editing program!

That is exactly the point I am making - it isn't much use as a scanning
program, indeed it uses the same Twain interface that the OP was
objecting to.
--
Kennedy
Yes, Socrates himself is particularly missed;
A lovely little thinker, but a ah heck when he's pissed.
Python Philosophers (replace 'nospam' with 'kennedym' when replying)
 
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In article <4144c719$0$2502$a729d347@news.telepac.pt>, Robert Drake
<TESTE@mail.pt> writes
>Well it depends on what you need to do.
>I personally use this simple software tool to directly convert documents to
>pdf for archival purposes with my flatbed scanner. What's the point of
>having a scanner laying on your desk and keep having tons of papers
>around?.. my phone bills, electricity bills, incoming mail, etc.. all of
>these, day by day start to take unnecessary space. I just create a weekly
>routine to keep it all organized and make it digital so that I just won't
>end up with tons of paper again to thrash out or take to the garage with all
>the other piles of stuff to keep "just in case" I need it...
>
But *any* image creation application will do that - and most will do it
a lot better than this waste of space!

All this "package" does is put a pdf wrapper around a jpeg image of the
entire page stored in JFIF format. You get nothing more than you would
achieve by archiving the original jpeg! If you worked with the jpeg
directly you would at least have complete flexibility and control over
the amount of compression and image quality loss that you were prepared
to tolerate for reduced storage space. A proper OCR package would
create the page with single bytes representing each of the text
characters and the images retained, resulting in even more compact
files.

A test A4 page saved a PDF file at 1.3Mb, whilst the entire document
could easily be read from a jpg that was 5 times smaller, while an OCR'd
Word document of the scanned page, including coloured graphics, was 16x
smaller still.

Why replace all of that reliable paper with unreliable CDs - since your
hard drive will soon fill with the inefficient PDF files that this
application creates?

In addition, it doesn't even do what the OP asked about since it *still*
requires the Twain scanner interface of the scanner manufacturer, in his
case Epson.
--
Kennedy
Yes, Socrates himself is particularly missed;
A lovely little thinker, but a ah heck when he's pissed.
Python Philosophers (replace 'nospam' with 'kennedym' when replying)
 
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What is the purpose of OCR'ing your bills and incoming documents? correct
document management is done by keeping an intact image copy of physical
documents. You can be using TIFF format for archiving purpose but PDF is the
best way to archive if you want to maintain page size and easy printing
capabilities, besides indexing and additional embedded info for each
document.

My twain driver requires that I reset every setting for EACH page I scan. By
using this program, this is bypassed and all I have to do is feed page after
page until I'm done. I guess it's better than having to buy a new scanner.

How can paper be more "reliable" than digital format? The opposite is the
reason why every company is now turning to digital document management
resources. For my personal use, I think the kind of tools such as this one
can suit perfectly well my basic personal document management needs. I think
that hard disk space is not even an issue as disk space is growing and
growing proportionally inverse to its cost. It seems that we might well
reach a point where burning to CD or DVD might even be unnecessary as it
will all perfectly fit on tera-sized drives soon...

If something doesn't fit you does it mean it doesn't fit anyone else?

"Kennedy McEwen" <rkm@nospam.demon.co.uk> escreveu na mensagem
news:0rsn4+VogORBFwTb@kennedym.demon.co.uk...
> In article <4144c719$0$2502$a729d347@news.telepac.pt>, Robert Drake
> <TESTE@mail.pt> writes
> >Well it depends on what you need to do.
> >I personally use this simple software tool to directly convert documents
to
> >pdf for archival purposes with my flatbed scanner. What's the point of
> >having a scanner laying on your desk and keep having tons of papers
> >around?.. my phone bills, electricity bills, incoming mail, etc.. all of
> >these, day by day start to take unnecessary space. I just create a weekly
> >routine to keep it all organized and make it digital so that I just won't
> >end up with tons of paper again to thrash out or take to the garage with
all
> >the other piles of stuff to keep "just in case" I need it...
> >
> But *any* image creation application will do that - and most will do it
> a lot better than this waste of space!
>
> All this "package" does is put a pdf wrapper around a jpeg image of the
> entire page stored in JFIF format. You get nothing more than you would
> achieve by archiving the original jpeg! If you worked with the jpeg
> directly you would at least have complete flexibility and control over
> the amount of compression and image quality loss that you were prepared
> to tolerate for reduced storage space. A proper OCR package would
> create the page with single bytes representing each of the text
> characters and the images retained, resulting in even more compact
> files.
>
> A test A4 page saved a PDF file at 1.3Mb, whilst the entire document
> could easily be read from a jpg that was 5 times smaller, while an OCR'd
> Word document of the scanned page, including coloured graphics, was 16x
> smaller still.
>
> Why replace all of that reliable paper with unreliable CDs - since your
> hard drive will soon fill with the inefficient PDF files that this
> application creates?
>
> In addition, it doesn't even do what the OP asked about since it *still*
> requires the Twain scanner interface of the scanner manufacturer, in his
> case Epson.
> --
> Kennedy
> Yes, Socrates himself is particularly missed;
> A lovely little thinker, but a ah heck when he's pissed.
> Python Philosophers (replace 'nospam' with 'kennedym' when
replying)
 
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In article <4145c722$0$4767$a729d347@news.telepac.pt>, Robert Drake
<TESTE@mail.pt> writes
>What is the purpose of OCR'ing your bills and incoming documents?

For the same purpose as you suggest scanning them in the first place -
less space and clutter, in this case on the disk.

> correct
>document management is done by keeping an intact image copy of physical
>documents.

If you are really concerned about intact images of your documents then
you can scan at high resolutions and store in lossless formats -
something that this application does not do at all. So it actually
fails in your first requirement!

> You can be using TIFF format for archiving purpose but PDF is the
>best way to archive if you want to maintain page size and easy printing
>capabilities,

Not at all. JPG and TIF are equally capable of being printed - indeed
all your PDF file contains is a jpeg image!

> besides indexing and additional embedded info for each
>document.

No additional information need be stored - indeed no additional
information is stored in the PDF file other than the PDF wrapper itself,
as examination of the files demonstrate. Just save the file with the
scanned resolution in jpeg format at the compression ratio of your
choice and you can get just as much data retention just as conveniently
from any imaging package including most scanner software itself.
>
>My twain driver requires that I reset every setting for EACH page I scan. By
>using this program, this is bypassed and all I have to do is feed page after
>page until I'm done. I guess it's better than having to buy a new scanner.
>
If you read the subject line you will note that it is Epson that is
under discussion, and Epson software does not need to be reset for each
page - in fact I don't know any software which does. Still, if you read
the subject then you would never have posted this rubbish in the first
place.

>How can paper be more "reliable" than digital format?

Simple really - how many of documents survive from Ancient Egypt?
Ancient Greece? Rome? They all have paper relics but how many of your
CD's will still be around or hard drives still spinning, let alone the
technology available to access them in 5000 years time?

>The opposite is the
>reason why every company is now turning to digital document management
>resources.

For true archival purposes no company is trusting digital document
management. The reason it is used is because true archiving is rarely
necessary in a transient business environment. I am quite happy that
the title deeds to my property are archived on paper and would have no
intention of transferring them to digital media for archiving even if it
were legally acceptable.

>For my personal use, I think the kind of tools such as this one
>can suit perfectly well my basic personal document management needs. I think
>that hard disk space is not even an issue as disk space is growing and
>growing proportionally inverse to its cost. It seems that we might well
>reach a point where burning to CD or DVD might even be unnecessary as it
>will all perfectly fit on tera-sized drives soon...
>
>If something doesn't fit you does it mean it doesn't fit anyone else?
>
No but just because you find something useful for one purpose, don't
throw it around as a solution for another problem entirely. This
application, if that is what you want to call it, does not address the
question raised by the original poster, or any subsequent poster, in
this thread.
--
Kennedy
Yes, Socrates himself is particularly missed;
A lovely little thinker, but a ah heck when he's pissed.
Python Philosophers (replace 'nospam' with 'kennedym' when replying)
 
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I wish you luck with your attitude problem...


"Kennedy McEwen" <rkm@nospam.demon.co.uk> escreveu na mensagem
news:1sxXpRJdqeRBFwTD@kennedym.demon.co.uk...
> In article <4145c722$0$4767$a729d347@news.telepac.pt>, Robert Drake
> <TESTE@mail.pt> writes
> >What is the purpose of OCR'ing your bills and incoming documents?
>
> For the same purpose as you suggest scanning them in the first place -
> less space and clutter, in this case on the disk.
>
> > correct
> >document management is done by keeping an intact image copy of physical
> >documents.
>
> If you are really concerned about intact images of your documents then
> you can scan at high resolutions and store in lossless formats -
> something that this application does not do at all. So it actually
> fails in your first requirement!
>
> > You can be using TIFF format for archiving purpose but PDF is the
> >best way to archive if you want to maintain page size and easy printing
> >capabilities,
>
> Not at all. JPG and TIF are equally capable of being printed - indeed
> all your PDF file contains is a jpeg image!
>
> > besides indexing and additional embedded info for each
> >document.
>
> No additional information need be stored - indeed no additional
> information is stored in the PDF file other than the PDF wrapper itself,
> as examination of the files demonstrate. Just save the file with the
> scanned resolution in jpeg format at the compression ratio of your
> choice and you can get just as much data retention just as conveniently
> from any imaging package including most scanner software itself.
> >
> >My twain driver requires that I reset every setting for EACH page I scan.
By
> >using this program, this is bypassed and all I have to do is feed page
after
> >page until I'm done. I guess it's better than having to buy a new
scanner.
> >
> If you read the subject line you will note that it is Epson that is
> under discussion, and Epson software does not need to be reset for each
> page - in fact I don't know any software which does. Still, if you read
> the subject then you would never have posted this rubbish in the first
> place.
>
> >How can paper be more "reliable" than digital format?
>
> Simple really - how many of documents survive from Ancient Egypt?
> Ancient Greece? Rome? They all have paper relics but how many of your
> CD's will still be around or hard drives still spinning, let alone the
> technology available to access them in 5000 years time?
>
> >The opposite is the
> >reason why every company is now turning to digital document management
> >resources.
>
> For true archival purposes no company is trusting digital document
> management. The reason it is used is because true archiving is rarely
> necessary in a transient business environment. I am quite happy that
> the title deeds to my property are archived on paper and would have no
> intention of transferring them to digital media for archiving even if it
> were legally acceptable.
>
> >For my personal use, I think the kind of tools such as this one
> >can suit perfectly well my basic personal document management needs. I
think
> >that hard disk space is not even an issue as disk space is growing and
> >growing proportionally inverse to its cost. It seems that we might well
> >reach a point where burning to CD or DVD might even be unnecessary as it
> >will all perfectly fit on tera-sized drives soon...
> >
> >If something doesn't fit you does it mean it doesn't fit anyone else?
> >
> No but just because you find something useful for one purpose, don't
> throw it around as a solution for another problem entirely. This
> application, if that is what you want to call it, does not address the
> question raised by the original poster, or any subsequent poster, in
> this thread.
> --
> Kennedy
> Yes, Socrates himself is particularly missed;
> A lovely little thinker, but a ah heck when he's pissed.
> Python Philosophers (replace 'nospam' with 'kennedym' when
replying)
 
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In article <41473fc8$0$3040$a729d347@news.telepac.pt>, Robert Drake
<TESTE@mail.pt> writes
>I wish you luck with your attitude problem...
>
And best of luck to you in your continued ignorance of basic facts.
--
Kennedy
Yes, Socrates himself is particularly missed;
A lovely little thinker, but a ah heck when he's pissed.
Python Philosophers (replace 'nospam' with 'kennedym' when replying)