Printed on recycled paper with at least 10% post-consumer content i
Copyright Notice All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of SEIKO EPSON Corporation. No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained herein. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.
Contents Introduction System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to Use This Manual. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cautions, Tips, and Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Where to Get Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Electronic Support Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 4 Using Special Effects Modifying the TWAIN Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2 Using the Image Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3 Adjusting the Tone Correction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6 Adjusting Colors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8 Setting the Gray Balance Intensity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Scanner Setting Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-12 Judging Image Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-18 Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
vi
Introduction The EPSON® Scanning Utilities let you perform the following functions with your EPSON scanner: ❏ Read images in color, grayscale, or black-and-white, and save the scanned images to disk as a file ❏ Convert the image files to various formats so you can use them with your application software ❏ Calibrate your scanner to your monitor and your printer ❏ Capture scanned images from within your application ❏ Automatically locate, expose, and scan an image ❏ Adjust individual settings and preview the
The Scanning Utilities include two integrated programs: ❏ EPSON Scan! II32 and EPSON TWAIN32 (for 32-bit scanning with Microsoft® Windows® 95 or Windows NT®) ❏ EPSON Scan! II and EPSON TWAIN (for 16-bit scanning with Windows 3.1). Note: This guide refers to the 32-bit programs as EPSON Scan! II and EPSON TWAIN to reduce confusion. EPSON Scan! II calibrates your scanner with your monitor and color printer to produce images whose colors match the originals.
System Requirements For the EPSON Scanning Utilities to work properly, your system must have at least the following configuration: ❏ One of the following EPSON scanners: ES-600C ES-800C ES-1000C ES-1200C Expression™ 636 ActionScanner™ II Some features are not available or are restricted for some scanners. ❏ A 486-based (or higher) IBM® compatible computer or an IBM PS/2 ® ❏ DOS 5.0 or higher ❏ Microsoft Windows 95, Windows 3.1x, Windows for Workgroups 3.1x, or Windows NT 3.
❏ If you do not have Windows 95 or Windows NT and you are using an Adaptec SCSI adapter, you need to install the Adaptec EZ-SCSI software, as described in your Adaptec documentation. ❏ Video Graphics Array (VGA) or higher monitor Note: The quality of color or tone reproduction depends on the display capability of your computer system, including the video controller, monitor, and software.
Cautions, Tips, and Notes This manual displays important information as follows: c Cautions should be followed carefully to ensure your scanner operates correctly. r Tips contain helpful ideas for using these utilities. Notes contain important information about these utilities. Where to Get Help EPSON provides customer support and service through a network of Authorized EPSON Customer Care Centers.
You can purchase manuals, accessories, or parts from EPSON Accessories at (800) 873-7766 (U.S. sales only). In Canada, please call (800) 463-7766 for dealer referral. If you need help using software with an EPSON product, see the documentation for that program for technical support information.
EPSON Fax-on-Demand Service You can access EPSON’s technical information library by calling (800) 442-2110 or (800) 922-8911 and selecting the appropriate phone option. You must provide a return fax number to use Faxon-Demand. EPSON Forum on CompuServe® Members of CompuServe can type GO EPSON at the menu prompt to reach CompuServe’s Epson America Forum.
8 Introduction
Chapter 1 Installing Your Software The EPSON Scanning Utilities come with installer software that makes them easy to install with Windows 95 or Windows 3.1. Getting Ready to Install Your Software Before you install the EPSON Scanning Utilities, make sure you have set up your scanner and connected it to your computer as described in the User’s Guide that comes with your scanner.
Installing the Scanning Utilities Follow the steps below to install the EPSON Scanning Utilities for Windows 95, Windows NT, Windows 3.1, or Windows for Workgroups 3.1. The installer program automatically detects your operating system and installs 32-bit or 16-bit files as necessary. Note: For Windows NT 4.X, follow the Windows 95 instructions. For Windows NT 3.5X and Windows for Workgroups, follow the Windows 3.1 instructions. 1. Start Windows 95 or Windows 3.1.
Choose Do not install a driver and click OK. You do not need to install EZ-SCSI, even if you are using an Adaptec SCSI card, if the card is already set up. See your Adaptec documentation for instructions on how to set up this card. If you are using a bidirectional card, you only need to install the card—no software configuration is needed. 2. Insert the EPSON Scan! II program diskette 1 in a diskette drive. 3. From Windows 95, click Start and then Run. From the Windows 3.
9. After a few moments, you see the EPSON Scanner Setup dialog box. From the Interface pull-down menu, choose SCSI if your scanner is connected to a SCSI interface or BiD Parallel if it is connected to a bidirectional parallel interface. 10. If necessary, select the port ID of the interface board from the Port ID pull-down menu. Normally, you do not need to change the default port ID setting. If the scanner is connected to a SCSI interface, the port ID is selected automatically.
12. Click the Test button. If the scanner, interface, and EPSON Scanning Utilities are set up correctly, the scanner scans the image. After a few moments, you see the image in the EPSON Scanner Setup dialog box, as shown below. Photograph by Claire Bergen 13. Click OK to close the EPSON Scanner Setup dialog box. 14. Remove the EPSON Scan! II program diskette from the drive. 15. If you are using Windows 3.1, exit Windows and then restart it.
1-6 Installing Your Software
Chapter 2 Calibrating Your System Sometimes the colors of your original image do not match the colors you see on your screen and in the final printed output. This is because of the different color processes your scanner, monitor, and printer use to produce color. The scanner and the monitor both create a range of colors by adding red, green, and blue in different proportions and intensities (an additive color process).
Performing Screen Calibration Follow these steps to perform a screen calibration: 1. From Windows 95, click the Start button, point to Programs, point to EPSON Scanner, and then click EPSON Screen Calibration. From the Windows 3.1 Program Manager, double-click the EPSON Screen Calibration icon in the EPSON Scanner program group. You see this screen: 2. Look at the display from a distance and adjust the slide bar until the separate rows have the same basic color intensity.
4. Click OK. Your setting is automatically saved as a new screen calibration profile. If you use a different monitor or change your video display resolution, calibrate your screen again. Enabling Screen Calibration Once you have calibrated your screen, you need to make sure screen calibration is enabled. Follow these steps: 1. Start EPSON Scan! II, if necessary. 2. From the File menu, choose Acquire. You see the TWAIN screen.
Calibrating Your Printer to Your Scanner If you print color images, you must choose or create a calibration profile for each color printer you use. Using printer calibration profiles ensures that printed colors closely match the colors of the original image.
You see the Print Chart dialog box. 2. Select the printer you want to calibrate from the drop-down menu. Note: You must generate a specific profile for each of your printer’s settings. For example, the profile for your printer’s coated paper setting and for its plain paper setting may not be the same. To change the printer settings, click the Setup button before printing the calibration chart. 3. Click the Print button to print the calibration chart.
4. You see a message box. Click OK when the chart is printed. 5. Place the printed calibration chart on your scanner, as shown by the illustration on the screen. Align the guide mark on the upper left corner of the chart with the triangular origin mark on your scanner’s document table. Then close the scanner’s cover. Note: Make sure the calibration chart is not skewed on the bed of the scanner; if it is, the scanner cannot scan the chart. 6.
7. Click the Scan button. The scanner scans the chart and the calibration utility sends the profile to EPSON TWAIN. When calibration is finished, the message Calibration profile completed appears on the screen. 8. Click OK to exit the calibration utility. The profile data is saved with the filename you entered, and the description is added to the Calibration list in EPSON TWAIN’s Destination dialog box, described on page 3-12.
4. Click Destination to display the Destination dialog box. 5. In the Destination Name field, select the name of your output device. If you have one of the EPSON Stylus printers listed on page 2-4, select the printer from the Destination Name menu. The Calibration description is assigned automatically. Go to step 8. If you created a custom calibration profile for your printer, type a unique name for the profile in the Destination Name field. Go to step 6. 6.
Chapter 3 Capturing Images From Within Applications When you scan an image from within an application using EPSON TWAIN, you follow these basic steps: 1. Turn on your scanner. 2. Access TWAIN from your application’s File menu. 3. Choose either the easy or advanced TWAIN screen. 4. Select the correct image type and destination settings. 5. Preview the image and select the scan area (advanced screen only). 6. Scan the image. 7. Close TWAIN and edit the image in your application.
Note: If your application does not support TWAIN, you can use EPSON Scan! II to scan an image and export it in a format your image editing software can use. See Chapter 5 for more information. Accessing EPSON TWAIN Follow these steps to access EPSON TWAIN from within your application: 1. Turn on your scanner and place a document on the scanner’s document table. Note: If you start the software before turning on your scanner, the software may not be able to detect the scanner. 2. Select your scanner.
The easy screen allows you to select the document source (if available), type, and destination of your image. When you scan with this screen, your entire image is captured and scanned. The advanced screen lets you select the same basic settings as the easy screen, plus you can modify, add to, or delete these settings. The advanced screen also lets you set the image resolution, size, or scale, preview your image, and select the portion of it you want to scan.
Note: To close an active TWAIN window, click the Close button. Using the Easy Screen The following basic settings are available on the TWAIN easy screen: ❏ Document source ❏ Image type ❏ Destination. You must select the appropriate option for each of these settings as described in this section to successfully scan your image. Then see “Scanning the Image” on page 3-20 to scan your image.
Selecting the Document Source If you have the optional automatic document feeder (ADF) or transparency unit installed on your scanner, you can select the option you want to use from the Document Source pull-down menu. Otherwise, leave the Document Source set to Flatbed.
If you haven’t changed any of the settings for these options, the image type you select uses the default settings listed in Appendix A. To add a new Image Type option or modify any existing settings, see “Using the Advanced Screen” on page 3-7. To scan text, select OCR (for Optical Character Recognition) from the Image Type pull-down menu. Leave the Image Type settings for the OCR option at their defaults, listed in Appendix A.
Using the Advanced Screen The TWAIN advanced screen allows you to select the same basic settings as the easy screen, and also to add new options and modify existing ones. In addition, you can select calibration profiles, enable the text enhancement technology or automatic area segmentation features, preview an image, and alter it before you scan. Note: For information about using the basic settings, see “Using the Easy Screen” on page 3-4.
You see the Image Type dialog box: For the default settings for the predefined image types, see Appendix A.
Not all options in the Image Type dialog box are available with all scanners, image types, or Pixel Depth settings. See page 3-11 for more information on when the Pixel Depth settings are available. The table below describes the Image Type advanced options.
Image Type advanced options (continued) Category Option Function Dropout None Includes all color values in a monochrome scan Red Drops out reds so red areas are white in a monochrome scan Green Drops out greens so green areas are white in a monochrome scan Blue Drops out blues so blue areas are white in a monochrome scan Draft & fast Provides faster scanning at a lower resolution Best & de-screening Produces the best quality scan and, on some scanners**, removes unwanted moiré (interference)
The following table identifies the options available with each Pixel Depth setting. Since both the Draft & fast and Best & de-screening Quality options are available with all the Pixel Depth settings, the table does not include these options. The table also does not include the Text Enhancement Technology and Auto Area Segmentation options; these are available only when Pixel Depth is set to Black & White.
Saving and deleting an image type To modify an existing image type, select it from the Image Type Name menu and change the necessary settings. Click Save and then click OK. To add a new image type, select an existing type that closely resembles the one you want to create. Then delete the existing name from the Image Type Name field and type a new name. Change the displayed Image Type settings as necessary. Click Save and then click OK.
To modify the Destination settings, click the Destination button. You see the Destination dialog box: The Destination Name menu lists the names of the predefined and custom destination output devices. For the default settings for the predefined destination output devices, see Appendix A. Selecting resolution settings Use the Resolution pull-down menus to select scanning resolutions that produce the best results for your image type and output device.
The best resolution setting for your image depends on the type of image you are scanning and your final output device, as well as the capabilities of your scanner. The following table shows the best scanning resolutions for most needs.
r Tip: As a rule of thumb for any image except line art, use scanning resolutions that are one third of your output resolution. For example, use a scanning resolution of up to 110 with a 300 dpi laser printer and up to 170 with a 600 dpi laser printer. For the color EPSON Stylus printers, choose a resolution from 100 to 240 dpi for 720 dpi output and from 100 to 150 dpi for 360 dpi output.
In addition to the calibration profiles provided with the Scanning Utilities, you can create your own calibration profiles for any output device you use. For more information, see Chapter 2. Note: The scanner uses the calibration profile you select only when the Pixel Depth is set to 8 Color, 256 Color, or 16 Million Colors, and the Scanning Sequence is set to 1 pass. For more information on the Pixel Depth and Scanning Sequence settings, see “Modifying an Image Type” on page 3-7.
The TWAIN advanced screen provides two icons that allow you to preview your image: the Preview icon and the Zoom Preview icon: Preview icon Zoom Preview icon Click the Preview icon to preview the entire document table in the preview window. Click the Zoom Preview icon to preview an area you have selected with the mouse. See the next section for instructions on selecting the preview area. If you click the Zoom Preview icon before you select an area, the preview includes the entire document table.
To define a specific area, position the mouse pointer at a corner of the area; the pointer changes to a +. Hold down the mouse button as you drag the pointer across the image. When you release the mouse button, a rectangle on the screen identifies the scan area. To adjust the size of your selected area, move the mouse pointer to the edge of the selection rectangle; the pointer changes to a double arrow. Hold down the mouse button and drag the edge of the rectangle to the new location.
As you modify your selection area or other image settings, you see the file size of the image change in the Target field. The Target Width and Height values change as well. You can also type new values in the Target Width and Height fields to specify the size of the output image. To keep specific values in the Target Width and Height fields, select the Lock icon. Click the Lock icon once to lock the values in place; the Lock icon shows a closed lock. Click it again to unlock the values.
Note: ❏ The range of possible Scale settings varies depending on the current Resolution setting. ❏ For ES 600C, ES 800C, and ES 1200C scanners, the possible Scale settings are limited to this range: half the normal size (50%) to twice the normal size (200%). The Scale setting does not depend on the Resolution setting. ❏ The Scale setting is closely related to the Resolution and image size settings. If you change them arbitrarily, the resulting image may not be what you expected.
Note: ❏ You cannot scan an image that exceeds available memory or disk space. ❏ Before you start scanning, you should calibrate your scanner, monitor, and printer as described in Chapter 2. ❏ After you scan an image, be sure to save it. For information on saving and exporting image files, see Chapter 5. Scanning Text For best results when scanning text, use EPSON’s Text Enhancement Technology.
3-22 Capturing Images From Within Applications
Chapter 4 Using Special Effects The EPSON TWAIN advanced screen gives you many options for editing images before you scan them. If you have image editing software, you can achieve all of the special effects described in this chapter—and more—using that software.
Modifying the TWAIN Configuration When you click the Configuration button on the TWAIN advanced screen, you see the following dialog box: If you have performed a screen calibration (as described in Chapter 2), you can enable it by selecting the Enable Screen Calibration option. To save the preview image so it reappears in the preview window when you next open the advanced screen, select the Save Preview Image and Settings option.
Using the Image Controls The image controls available when you click the Image Controls icon, , let you adjust the following options: ❏ Exposure changes the intensity of light ❏ Gamma determines the gradation between highlights and shadows ❏ Highlight adjusts the lightest areas ❏ Shadow adjusts the darkest areas ❏ Sharpness adjusts the focus ❏ Threshold adjusts the point at which the gray values change to either black or white.
2. Click the Image Controls icon.
3. Adjust the settings until you are satisfied with the appearance of the image in the preview window. See the following table for guidelines on changing these settings. * Method Description Value fields Type the value you want for the current option. Slide bars Move the slide bar until the preview looks correct. Comparison icons Click the Comparison icon next to the slide bar to display 3 or 5 comparison samples using different settings.
Adjusting the Tone Correction Adjusting the tone levels lets you change the pixel brightness in the midtones, highlights, and shadows of an image without dramatically changing it. This modifies the contrast in image tones so they reproduce with greater detail. To adjust the tone correction, click the Tone Correction icon, , from the advanced screen when the preview window displays your image. You see the following dialog box: Tone curve You can adjust the tone values by dragging points on the tone curve.
Each Output checkbox corresponds to the point next to it on the tone curve. When you click the checkbox for a specific point, you can move that point, but it is not affected by the movement of other points. If the box is not checked, the point moves depending on the movement of the other points. If you modify the tone correction setting, you can save it for future use by choosing the Save button.
Adjusting Colors After you have previewed the image, click the Color Adjustment icon, . You see the following dialog box: Comparison icons Note: If the Image Type is set for grayscale or black-and-white images, the Color Adjustment icon is dimmed and cannot be selected. The Color Adjustment dialog box lets you change the following settings: ❏ Gray Balance Intensity ❏ Saturation ❏ Color Filter.
Setting the Gray Balance Intensity Neutral shades of gray are produced by mixing the three colors in the image in approximately equal proportions. Sometimes, however, the resulting gray shades are not truly neutral. To create a more neutral gray, adjust the Gray Balance Intensity setting. Click the left Color button below the Gray Balance Intensity slide bar; the mouse pointer changes to an eyedropper. Select the color in the preview image you want to neutralize.
Using Color Filters Color filters can help eliminate color tinges (or an undesirable overall color tone) that exist in the original. You can also use filters to give your image a specific color effect. Click any point in the Color Filter wheel to increase that color in the image. Numerical values for the amount of red, green, and blue are shown to the right of the color wheel. You can also click the radio button for a color (red, green, or blue) to set the value of that color to zero.
Using Automatic Features The TWAIN advanced screen offers two automatic features: ❏ Auto Exposure, which automatically adjusts the exposure of an image and sets the Highlight and Shadow settings ❏ Auto Locate, which locates and selects the target image in the preview window. Note: When you scan using the easy screen, these automatic features are always in effect.
4-12 Using Special Effects
Chapter 5 Using EPSON Scan! II You can always scan an image using your TWAIN-compliant image editing application. However, if your application is not TWAIN-compliant, you can use EPSON Scan! II to scan the image and export it in a format your application can open. You can also copy all or part of your image to the clipboard and resize the displayed image for easier viewing. Saving a Scanned Image Before you export an image, you need to save it in its original EPSON Scan! II format.
5. Choose Save As from the File menu. You see the following dialog box: 6. Choose the drive and directory where you want to save the image. 7. Type a filename for your image in the File Name field. Make sure to use the file extension .org. 8. Click OK. The image is saved in the EPSON Scan! II file format. You can now open this file in EPSON Scan! II and export it in a different format, as described below.
Follow these steps to export a scanned image from EPSON Scan! II: 1. Choose Export from the File menu. You see the following dialog box: 2. Choose the drive and directory where you want to save the image. 3. Type a filename for your image in the File Name field. 4. You can choose one of these formats from the File Format pull-down menu: DIB, EPSF, TIFF5.0, TIFF6.0, JPEG, and PCX. (For a description of these file formats, see the Term Glossary.) Note: You can select the TIFF6.
5. If you selected the TIFF6.0 or JPEG format, EPSON Scan! II allows you to choose the image quality. Since JPEG uses a Lossy compression scheme, selecting higher quality gives you less compression. To choose the image quality, move the Quality slide bar to the desired setting. 6. Click OK. The image is saved in the selected file format. You can now import this file into your application software; see your software manual for instructions.
3. Click Scan. You see the following dialog box: 4. Choose the directory and drive where you want to save the exported image. 5. Type a filename for your image in the File Name field. 6. You can choose one of these formats from the File Format pull-down menu: DIB, EPSF, TIFF5.0, TIFF6.0, JPEG, and PCX. (For a description of these file formats, see the Term Glossary.) Note: You can select the TIFF6.
8. Click OK. The image is scanned and exported in the selected file format. You can now import this file into your application software; see your software manual for instructions. Copying an Image You can copy all or part of an image to the clipboard. Follow these steps: 1. Select the area of the image to be copied by defining it with the mouse or by choosing Select All from the Edit menu. 2. Choose Copy from the Edit menu. You can now paste the copied image into other software.
Exiting EPSON Scan! II To exit EPSON Scan! II, make sure you have saved or exported your image file. Then choose Exit from the File menu.
5-8 Using EPSON Scan! II
Chapter 6 Troubleshooting If you have problems using the EPSON Scanning Utilities, or with the quality of your printed or scanned images, check the two sections in this chapter for possible solutions. Problems Using the EPSON Scanning Utilities Note: You cannot select dimmed settings in EPSON TWAIN; these settings are not available because of your scanner’s capabilities or your choice of other settings. When you select a TWAIN data source, EPSON Scanners is not listed.
The EPSON TWAIN data source file, or the SCSI support software may not be installed correctly. Reinstall the EPSON Scanning Utilities from your installation diskettes; see Chapter 1 for instructions. You may have selected the wrong port number or SCSI ID during setup. Check the settings for your scanner and any other SCSI devices you may have. Then reinstall the EPSON Scanning Utilities.
The system fails or an error message appears when you choose Acquire from your application software. You may have more than one TWAIN screen open at once. Reset your computer and use only one active TWAIN screen. Your scanned image may be too big. Reset your system and reduce the size of the scanned image or install more memory. The EPSON Scanning Utilities do not start. Make sure you are using a system with the minimum requirements for the EPSON Scanning Utilities. See the Introduction in this manual.
The scanner does not start scanning. See that the scanner’s READY light is on. Reinstall the EPSON Scanning Utilities and be sure to select the correct interface port and settings; see Chapter 1 for instructions. Also make sure the interface board on your computer is properly installed. If you connected the scanner with the SCSI interface, see that the termination switch and SCSI ID are correctly set up.
The size of your image increases after scanning it into your image editing application. Your image editing software may be converting the image to full 24-bit data, which requires more disk space. See your application software manual for more information. An error in the scanner or a paper jam in the Automatic Document Feeder causes an error message. Remove the jammed paper or reset the scanner to clear the error condition; then try scanning again.
Auto Locate does not work when scanning two or more originals. Make sure none of the documents are touching one another on the document table. If you have multiple images on a page, Auto Locate selects the whole page. When you scan a monochrome image, the scanned image is reversed like a negative image. If your application has an invert function, use it to reverse the image, or use the Invert feature on the TWAIN advanced screen.
The application software displays an error message, freezes, or fails after scanning. Make sure you close the TWAIN screen before switching to your application software. (Do not use the Windows Minimize button.) The image you scanned may be oversized. Try reducing its file size by changing its resolution or dimensions; then scan it again. If you selected 16 Gray as the Pixel Depth setting, change to 256 Gray and try scanning again.
The rows in the screen calibration dialog box never seem to match closely enough. Try adjusting your monitor’s brightness and contrast settings. The TWAIN screen changed its color settings after a preview scan. Increase the number of colors or decrease the resolution your monitor displays using Windows 3.1 Setup or Windows 95 Display. The colors in the Color Filter wheel do not reflect the graduated “rainbow” spectrum of colors.
After closing the EPSON TWAIN screen, a partial image of an application window appears over the scanned image. Use the Up or Down arrow or the mouse to scroll the application’s frame and clear the partial image. Check the application software to see if it has viewing or window size options. After you select a part of an image to scan, the scanner does not scan the image correctly. Scan the whole image instead of a portion of it.
Part of the image is distorted or blurred. Part of the original may be wrinkled, warped, or not in contact with the document table. Be sure the document is flat. c Caution: Do not place heavy objects on the document table. The edges of the document are not scanned. The document table has non-readable areas around the edges. Adjust your document’s position so that the image fits inside the readable area. Color is patchy or distorted at the edges of the document.
Check your monitor’s brightness and contrast settings. The image is too dark and without details. When the Pixel Depth setting is Black & White or 8 Color, check that the halftone mode is selected in the Image Type dialog box. Adjust the Exposure, Tone Correction, and Shadow settings to lighter values and scan the image again. Also check your monitor’s brightness and contrast settings. Check that the Destination output device is set correctly. If it is set to Screen, output on the printer may be too dark.
A line of dots is always missing on the scanned image. If this happens on your printed image, your printer or its print head may have a problem or need cleaning; see your printer manual. If this happens on both your screen and printout, the scanner’s sensor may be malfunctioning. Consult your dealer. Using halftoning, textured dot patterns appear in the image. This is normal.
The colors on your printout seem different from those of the original image. Check that you have correctly performed the printer calibration process in EPSON Scan! II using the correct printer profile. Recalibrate and then try scanning your image again. (See Chapter 2 for calibration instructions.) The colors in the printed image may not match the colors of the original image exactly because the scanning and printing processes use two different color interpreting technologies.
Images cannot be scanned at all or only a few dots appear in the scanned image. Try different EPSON TWAIN settings. Be aware that some settings disable others. Also, depending on your scanner, some features may not be available. Set the Exposure, Highlight, or Tone Correction to darker settings and scan the image again. If you selected Line Art as the Image Type setting and any setting other than Screen as your Destination setting, try increasing the Threshold setting to a higher value.
The image appears upside down and truncated in your application software after scanning. Before you scan the image, reduce its file size to less than 1MB (for line art) or less than 5MB (for color) by adjusting the settings on the TWAIN advanced screen. When you select 256 Color for the Pixel Depth setting, the scanned image does not match the preview image. Select Color Photo as the Image Type and try scanning again. Select 16 Million Colors for Pixel Depth and try scanning again.
You are scanning a transparency or slide using the transparency unit, and the scanned image is all black. If the reflective document mat is in place, remove it; lift up the transparency unit and slide the mat up and out of the slots on the transparency unit. The transparency unit is installed, you are scanning a normal reflective (paper) document, and the scanned image is a picture of the document table.
Appendix A Default Settings This appendix lists the default settings for the Image Type and Destination options in EPSON TWAIN. It also provides the ranges of settings available for the TWAIN Image Controls.
Default Destination settings (continued) Destination Default setting Thermal Printer 360 dpi resolution for line drawings and halftone images, 120 dpi resolution for photos, and calibration for thermal printers Inkjet Printer 360 dpi resolution for line drawings and halftone images, 120 dpi resolution for photos, and calibration for inkjet printers Laser Printer 300 dpi resolution for line drawings and halftone images, 100 dpi resolution for photos, and calibration for laser printers Laser 600dpi 6
Default Destination settings (continued) Destination Default setting Stylus COLOR 500 800 dpi resolution for line drawings and halftone images, 240 dpi resolution for photos, and calibration for EPSON Stylus COLOR 500 printers Stylus COLOR 200 800 dpi resolution for line drawings and halftone images, 240 dpi resolution for photos, and calibration for Stylus COLOR 200 printers Calibration Profile 180 dpi resolution for line drawings, halftone images, and photos, with general calibration Image Control
A-4 Default Settings
Appendix B Expression 636 Scanner Settings This appendix contains technical information about the various image processing functions built into the Expression 636 scanner. All functions must be controlled from the scanner software, and most functions can be combined with others to produce a variety of effects. The table below summarizes the scanner functions and the settings available on your scanner. Each of them is explained in the following pages.
You may need to do some trials by yourself to find out your preferred settings because the original images and the output methods you use can vary greatly. Resolution The output resolution determines how many pixels are used for scanning and reproducing an image. Resolution is measured in units of dpi (dots per inch), spi (samples per inch), or ppi (pixels per inch). All are equivalent units of measure. As the resolution value increases, the image is read and reproduced in finer detail.
The scale function affects the number of dots scanned. An image scanned at 180 dpi and 200% has the same number of dots as an image scanned at 360 dpi and 100%. To enlarge or reduce the image size, use the scanner’s scale function through your software at the time of scanning. Avoid increasing the image size after scanning because the image quality deteriorates. The default scale value is 100%. Data Format The data format specifies the number of bits used to represent the tone of a pixel.
The scanner can read up to 12 bits/pixel/color. Above 8 bits/pixel/color the scanner converts the image data to 8 bits/pixel/color and sends it to the computer. This gives much higher quality.
Brightness You can choose one of seven brightness levels for scanning. Medium is the normal setting. It is better to use darker settings for line art or faint original images, and to use lighter settings for darker original images. The brightness can be combined with any other function. The graph below shows the differences between the brightness settings when the gamma correction is set for the CRT Display A setting.
❏ Color page sequence reading The scanner scans the document three times (one each for green, red, and blue), and produces three pages of image data that combine to give full color image data. Since the image data can be divided into three sets, a computer with limited memory or processing speed can handle it more easily. ❏ Color line sequence reading The scanner scans the document with one pass of the carriage, reading green, red, and blue for every line. This yields more accurate color separation.
Photographs have an almost infinite number of tones, with an almost infinite number of colors for color photographs, but printing uses only individual single-color dots. Black and white images use black dots, and color images use only four colors of dots: cyan (blue-green), magenta, yellow, and black. The size and spacing of these dots is varied to simulate photographic continuous tones. In some halftoning, the dots are quite noticeable.
❏ Halftoning mode A This is the standard halftoning mode. The image is converted into a hard tone to produce a distinct image, and is suitable for most purposes. (1 and 2 bits/pixel/color) ❏ Halftoning mode B With this mode, the image is converted into a softer tone. This mode is suited for images which contain large areas of similar tones. (1 bit/pixel/color) ❏ Halftoning mode C With this mode, the image is represented in a way similar to the screen commonly used for newspaper photographs.
❏ Dither pattern A Halftone is expressed in 4 by 4 bayer dither pattern. ❏ Dither pattern B Halftone is expressed in 4 by 4 spiral pattern. ❏ Dither pattern C Halftone is expressed in 4 by 4 net screen dither pattern. ❏ Dither pattern D Halftone is expressed in 8 by 8 net screen dither pattern. Dither pattern A Dither pattern B Dither pattern C Dither pattern D Note: Changing the size of a halftone-processed image with your application software may degrade the image.
Gamma Correction Gamma, or tone, correction, adjusts the light intensity ratio between the original image and the output data. It brings out more detail in areas of both highlight and shadow. When the image is reproduced on certain types of output devices, the tones of the image will be closer to those of the original. The term “gamma” (γ) means the shape and slant of the line on the graph that shows the ratio, as shown below.
❏ CRT Display B This setting is suited for analog-input CRT displays which can display an image with multiple levels of tones of more than 1 bit/pixel/color (γ = 1.8). This is usually the best setting. ❏ Printer Output A This setting is suitable for high-density printers, such as 24-dot printers and some page printers. The image is converted into a lighter image to compensate for the higher (darker) density of such printers. The image looks faint when viewed on a CRT display.
This function processes the image data so that the data will be most suited for the characteristics of the color output device used. ❏ CRT displays This setting compensates colors for the characteristics of color CRT displays. ❏ Impact dot-matrix printers This setting compensates colors for the characteristics of impact dot-matrix color printers. ❏ Thermal transfer printers This setting compensates colors for the characteristics of thermal transfer color printers.
✔ Image Type or Mode For the best and most efficient scans, you need to know which type of images you are scanning: drawings, black and white photographs, or color photographs. The corresponding terms used by scanning software are line art, grayscale, and color. ❏ Line art This is the setting for drawings, including all drawings or pictures made up of black and white only, with no gray tones.
Printing or display methods The best resolution to use depends on what type of output or printing method you will be using. The usual printing methods for scanned images fall into the following categories: ❏ Black and white printers (laser, inkjet, or dot matrix) are good to excellent for text and line art but are not as good for grayscale images. These printers can be used for reproducing photographs in documents like newsletters that do not require the highest quality.
❏ Computer screens require lower resolutions than most printers. If your scanned image will be viewed only on a computer monitor or screen and will never be printed, you can use lower scanning resolutions for top-quality work. Remember that the scanner can read and save up to 16 million colors. If your computer can display only 16 or 256 colors, you will not be able to see all of the quality of the scanned image.
The resolution that you use to scan an image (input resolution) does not have to match the dots per inch of your printer (output resolution). Input and output resolution are two quite different measurements. Just follow the guidelines below.
Note: For color or grayscale images, ignore the dpi (dots per inch) of your printing device. Even though your service bureau may use an imagesetter with a 2400 dpi resolution, a scan resolution of only 150 to 350 dpi will produce the highest quality grayscale or color images the imagesetter can print. Similarly, even though your laser printer may have a 300 dpi resolution, a scan resolution of only 80 to 110 dpi gives the best quality grayscale images it can print.
✔ Color Correction Use the default or CRT display. ✔ Gamma Correction Use the default or CRT Display B. Note: Your software may have different settings for Brightness, Color correction, and Gamma correction. ✔ Cropping If you know you are going to use only part of an original, use your software’s cropping tools before you scan (if possible) to select only the part of the image that you will use. This will make your image file smaller.
Equipment Your present equipment may be sufficient for your scanning needs, but if you are not satisfied with the quality of the images on your monitor or with the speed of image processing, read this section. While it does not contain specific recommendations, it describes various possibilities for improving your scanning system. For further information, see your dealer or an experienced scanner user.
File compression software Many different programs are available to make image files smaller for storage or transmission. For example, they can enable you to store a 3MB image file on a floppy disk. Some compression software can compress images and restore them with no loss of data or quality; others compress images more, but the restored file is not exactly the same as the original. The difference between the original and restored files is, however, not always noticeable.
Icon Glossary This glossary describes the TWAIN icons. If you want to know what a specific icon does, locate the icon in this glossary; then read its description. Some icons open dialog boxes which contain more icons. Clicking a comparison icon displays three or five samples with different settings in the preview window. To choose a sample, click the one that most closely reflects the image you want.
Lock and Unlock. Locks or unlocks the current width, height, or scale settings for an image. The default setting is unlock. Image Controls. Opens the Image Controls dialog box, which contains the options described under “Image Controls Icons” on page 3 of this glossary. Tone Correction. Opens the Tone Correction dialog box, which contains options for adjusting tone levels when you want to alter the midtones, highlights, and shadows in an image.
Image Controls Icons Exposure Comparison. Allows you to compare three or five image samples of varying brightness. The middle sample reflects the current exposure setting. Gamma Comparison. Allows you to compare three or five image samples with different gradations between highlights and shadows. The middle sample reflects the current gamma setting. Highlight Comparison. Allows you to compare three or five image samples of varying highlight intensity or color.
Color Adjustment Icons Gray Balance Comparison. Allows you to compare three or five varying casts of gray in image samples so you can select the most neutral gray. Saturation Comparison. Allows you to compare three or five image samples of varying color saturations so you can select the paleness or richness of a color in an image. Three-pass scanning ignores saturation settings. Color Filter Comparison.
Term Glossary Application Program A software program designed to perform a specific task, such as word processing, image editing, or spreadsheet functions. Additive Primary Colors Primary colors that produce white when mixed in a certain proportion. These are red, green, and blue. AAS Automatic area segmentation. A feature that separates text from graphics so that grayscale images are clearer and text recognition is more accurate.
Brightness The amount of black or white mixed with a color. Byte A unit of information consisting of eight bits. A byte can represent a control code or character. Calibration A process that adjusts the color or black and white values in the scanned image file to compensate for the effects that software programs, printers, and monitors have on the image. Calibration produces a final output that more closely reflects the original.
Destination A set of resolution and calibration settings that match the characteristics of the scan to the final output device. EPSON TWAIN provides several predefined Destination settings that allow you to adjust your scanned image to suit the output device you intend to use. You can also define your own Destination settings. Device A piece of computer equipment that performs a specific task, such as a disk drive, a monitor, a printer, or a scanner. Also called a peripheral.
EPSF Encapsulated PostScript File. An industry-standard file format supported by most applications. ESC/I Abbreviation for EPSON Standard Code for Image scanners. A system of commands to control image scanners with software. ESC/P Abbreviation for EPSON Standard Code for Printers. A system of commands to control printers with software. Exposure An EPSON TWAIN option that sets the intensity of light in an image. File Format The manner in which a graphic image is stored on the disk.
Highlight An EPSON TWAIN option that lets you adjust the lightest portions of an image. The range between highlight and shadow determines the range and the color differentiation of the image. Home Position The position at the back of the scanner where its carriage rests before a scanning operation. Image Type The way an image will be scanned or reproduced.
Line Sequence A type of color scanning that separates primary colors line by line. The carriage makes only one pass. Lossy A data compression system that intentionally discards (or loses) some data from the original image. Midtone The tonal value of a dot, located approximately halfway between the highlight value and the shadow value. Moiré An unwanted interference pattern that can occur when a halftone image is scanned or when it is scaled in an application after it has been scanned.
Plain Bi-level Bi-level image data without the halftoning process. Port An interface channel through which data is transmitted between devices. Resolution Indication of how finely an image is resolved into pixels. Measured in dots per inch (dpi), pixels per inch (ppi), or sometimes samples per inch (spi). RLE Compression Run-Length Encoding. A type of data compression. Saturation The amount of color in a specific hue. Unsaturated colors tend to be pale. Saturated colors tend to be rich and vibrant.
Sharpness An EPSON TWAIN option that lets you adjust the measure of enhanced detail (focus) in an image. Subtractive Primary Colors Primary colors that produce black when mixed in a certain proportion. These are cyan, magenta, and yellow. In printing, black is often added to give more definition because mixing of actual inks cannot produce pure black. TET Text enhancement technology.
Transparency Unit A scanner accessory which allows the scanner to use materials such as transparencies and slides. TWAIN An open industry interface allowing you to acquire image data directly from external sources without leaving your current application. Zoom The ability to enlarge a portion of an image.
10 Term Glossary
Index A C Accelerator boards, B-19 Acquire and Export option, 5-4 to 5-6 Acquire option, 3-2, 5-1, 6-1 to 6-3 Add New Hardware option, 1-2 Additive color process, 2-1 Advanced screen accessing, 3-3, 3-7 Destination settings, 3-12 to 3-16 Image Type settings, 3-7 to 3-10 preview features, 3-16 to 3-19 scanning using, 3-20 special effects, 4-1 to 4-11 using, 3-7 to 3-20 All Dots 1:1 command, 5-6 Auto Area Segmentation option, 3-10 to 3-11 Auto Exposure, 4-11 Auto Locate, 4-11, 6-6 Automatic document feeder,
Color adjustment, 4-8 to 4-10, 6-8 buttons, 4-5 correction, 4-8 to 4-10 correction, Expression 636 scanner, B-11 filter, see Color Filter option mode, Expression 636 scanner, B-5 optimum resolution, 3-14, B-16 problems, 6-8, 6-10, 6-12, 6-13 processes, 2-1, 6-13 removing, 4-9 resolution, 3-15, 6-12 sample, 2-5 saturation, see Saturation separation, 2-5 settings, 4-8 to 4-10 Color correction, Expression 636 scanner, B-18 Color Filter option, 3-11, 4-10 Color Filter wheel, 4-10, 6-8 Color Photo option, 3-5, 6
EPSON Scan! II acquiring and exporting images, 5-4 to 5-6 copying images, 5-6 exiting, 5-7 exporting images, 5-2 to 5-4 file format, Intro-2, 5-1 to 5-2 resizing images, 5-6 saving images, 5-1 to 5-2 using, 5-1 to 5-7 EPSON Scanner program group, 2-2, 2-4 EPSON Scanning Utilities, problems, 6-1 to 6-9 EPSON TWAIN, see TWAIN ES-600C scanner, restrictions, 6-4 Expansion cards, 6-4 Exporting images, 5-2 to 5-6 Exposure, 4-3, 4-11, 6-10, 6-14 Expression 636 scanner settings, B-1 to B-20 G Gamma correction, Exp
Image Control icon, 4-3 settings, 4-3 to 4-5, A-3 Image editing software, 3-2, 3-20, 4-1 Image Type advanced screen options, 3-7 to 3-10 default settings, 6-6, A-1 easy screen options, 3-5 Expression 636 scanner, B-13 optimum scanning resolutions, 3-14, B-16 selection matrix, 3-11 Installation, Scanning Utilities, 1-1 to 1-5 Interface Bidirectional parallel, Intro-3, 1-4 problems, 6-2 to 6-4 SCSI, Intro-3, 1-4 Internet, Intro-6 Interrupt setting, 6-4 Invert feature, 4-10, 6-6 N Number of Comparison Samples
Resolution color, 3-14, 6-12, B-16 defining, 3-13 to 3-15 Expression 636 scanner, B-2, B-13, B-15 grayscale, 3-14, B-16 limitations, 6-4, 6-7 to 6-8, 6-12 line art, 3-14, B-16 monitor, B-19 optimum scanning, 3-14 to 3-15, B-16 to B-17 output devices, 3-14, B-16 video display settings, see Video display Rulers setting, 3-18 S Samples comparison, 4-2, 4-5 printing press, 2-5 Saturation, 3-11, 4-9 Save Preview Image and Settings option, 4-2 Scale setting, 3-19, 6-14, B-2, B-17 Scanned image, saving, 5-1 to 5-
V Variation between samples option, 4-2 VGA, Intro-4 Video cards, B-19 Video display, 3-17, 6-8 to 6-9, 6-12, 6-15 W Width setting, 3-18, 6-7 Windows 3.
