Astra 3400/3450 Owner’s Manual Trademarks UMAX is a trademark of UMAX Technologies, Inc. Astra is a trademark of UMAX Technologies, Inc. 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 respective holders.
TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1. GETTING STARTED…………………………………………………………..4 INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………………..4 UNPACKING THE SCANNER………………………………………………………………4 Package Contents…………………………………………………………………………………..4 GETTING TO KNOW YOUR SCANNER…………………………………………………...4 SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS…………………………………………………………………5 INSTALLING THE SOFTWARE…………………………………………………………….6 Installing Adobe PhotoDeluxe on the PC……………………………………………………….
CREATING A CALENDAR WITH PHOTODELUXE…………………………………….45 CONVERTING SCANNED TEXT TO EDITABLE TEXT WITH OMNIPAGE………….47 Opening OmniPage LE…………………………………………………………………………..47 Converting Scanned Text with OmniPage LE…………………………………………………48 CHAPTER 6. HOW TO GET HELP………………………………………………………….50 USING ONLINE MANUALS……………………………………………………………….50 Accessing the UMAX VistaScan Online Manual……………………………………………...50 Accessing the Adobe PhotoDeluxe Online Manual…………………………………………..
CHAPTER 1. Getting Started Introduction Thank you for purchasing the UMAX Astra 3400 / 3450 scanner. This versatile unit is perfect for the home or office. Use this scanner to add variety and flair to your documents, or to help you share images with others. The Astra 3400 / 3450 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, G3, or G4).
System Requirements This section defines the minimum requirements necessary to operate either the Astra 3400 / 3450. Please refer to the section below that applies to your scanner and computer type. PC Requirements • • • • • • An IBM-compatible PC with Pentium processor or higher Microsoft® Windows 98 / 2000 USB interface connector At least 32 MB RAM memory CD-ROM drive 250 MB of available hard disk space Macintosh Requirements • • • • • • iMac or G3 or G4 USB-compatible Macintosh Macintosh OS 8.
Installing the Software The PhotoDeluxe installation procedure is different for Macintosh and PC computers. Therefore, we have provided two separate sets of instructions. Follow the set of instructions for your computer. Installing Adobe PhotoDeluxe on the PC NOTE: PhotoDeluxe is compatible with Windows 98, 95 and higher. Use the following steps to install your scanning software rather than using the add/remove programs to install the software. 1.
FOR MACINTOSH USERS: When the UMAX VistaScan window opens on your desktop, doubleclick on the UMAX CD Installer icon to begin the software installation. 2. Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the installation of Presto! PageManager, UMAX VistaScan, OmniPage LE, and the online User’s Guide. 3. Restart your computer as suggested by the onscreen instructions to complete the installation.
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 1. Locate the USB cable that is provided. Plug the wide end of the cable firmly into one if the available USB ports on your computer. 2. Plug the small end of the cable into the port marked “USB” located on the back panel of the scanner. Macintosh Users 1. Locate the USB cable that is provided.
2. Plug the UTC cable into the connector marked “OPTION” on the back panel of the scanner. Please be sure the small triangular arrow on the plug is facing toward the top of the scanner. Connecting the Power Adapter 1. Plug the scanner’s power cord into an electrical outlet. 2. Insert the other end of this cord into the power adapter receptacle marked “POWER” on the back panel of the scanner. The power indicator on the front panel of the scanner should now be illuminated. 3.
CHAPTER 2. Your First Scan Before you begin your first scan, you must install the scanner and the bundled software. Refer to the Quick Install Guide for installation. 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.
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. 15. In the Click to Scan section of the VistaScan Beginner window, click the icon that corresponds to the type of image you are scanning.
8. Lift the document cover and place the item face-down so the top center of the image aligns with the arrow at the back edge of the object glass. 9. Click the Preview button on the right side of the VistaScan Beginner window and the scanner begins a low-resolution scan. 10. When the preview scan is complete the preview image is displayed in the Preview window (on the left side of the VistaScan window).
CHAPTER 3. Scanning Basics VistaScan is the primary program or driver you use to scan with your Astra 3400 / 3450 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.
MagicMatch only functions when you are scanning in color mode. When you are using MagicMatch, it automatically disables the Level/Curve and Color Adjustment/Balance settings in the VistaScan Advanced window. 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 the Show Ruler checkbox turns off (removes the checkmark) and hides the ruler.
3. Enter the file name under which you want to store the scanned image files (such as TMP) in the File Name text box. 4. Select the file format in which you want to save scanned images from the File Format drop down list. Printer To specify which printer to use when printing scanned images: 1. Click on the Printer icon. The printer driver currently selected as the default appears to the right of the Scan To icon set. 2.
3. Enter the file name of the application executable in the File Name text box. If you are not sure of the directory path, click the Browse button to locate the correct path. 4. Select the image format in which you want to save scanned images from the Image Format drop down list. Scanner Information The Scanner Information tab displays important information about your scanner.
Scanning an item via the Beginner window consists of just a few steps: 1. Perform a preview scan of the item to be scanned by clicking the Preview button. The item is quickly scanned at low-resolution, and is displayed in the Preview window (on the left side of the VistaScan Beginner window). 2. Select what you want to do with the image after it is scanned using the Scan To icons. 3. Specify what kind of image you are going to scan, and start the final scan process using the Click To Scan icons.
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 the Magnifying Glass icon. Move your cursor into the Preview window and click. The image enlarges. To reduce the view size, press the shift key (the command key on the Macintosh) and click 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.
• • 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 are going to scan, click on the icon that represents the type of item you want to scan. Clicking on any of these icons automatically starts the final scan process using the pre-defined scan settings.
Changing the Original Document Source The Original Document Source setting identifies the item you want to scan. You can choose from the following settings: Flatbed Reflective: Scans paper originals (non-transparencies) e.g., photographs, documents, and brochures. UTA (Transmissive): (Astra 3450 only) Scans transparent objects through which light can pass (e.g., 35mm slides). Optimum quality is achieved by making sure your Frame (see Frame Tool p.
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 creates the smallest files. Fax: Scans at the appropriate resolution for faxing. OCR: Scans at the appropriate settings for optimal OCR recognition.
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 Image Size (dots per inch) Image Size 4x5 Image Size 5x7 8.5x11 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.
2. Enter the desired resolution setting (between 50 and 2400 dpi) in the Custom resolution #1 box. 3. Repeat step 2 to define the Custom resolution #2 and Custom resolution #3 settings. 4. Click OK. The settings you defined appear on the Resolution setting drop down menu, under the Custom heading. 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.
Custom – Opens the Custom Descreen window, which allows you to specify a custom line screen value. Refer to the Using Custom Descreen Settings section for information about how to set custom descreen values. Using Custom Descreen Settings 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.
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 for more information about specifying a custom scale factor. Using Custom Scale Settings You can specify custom scaling settings to use when you scan. To define the custom scaling settings: 1.
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 Preview button from the VistaScan Advanced window. 3. Select an area that you want to adjust using the Frame tool.
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: 1. After you have scanned an image in Preview scan mode, click on the Multiple Frame tool. 2.
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. Adjust the associated tones by dragging the slider in one of the bars to the left or 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 decreases the brightness.
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. Adjusting the Image Tones The Curve command is another way to make precise adjustments in the highlight, midtones, or shadow levels in your images.
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.
4. Click the Find/Refresh Scanner option to re-initialize the scanner. Click the Help option to view VistaAccess online help. Click the Exit option to remove the scanner icon from the Windows Task bar and close VistaAccess. To use VistaAccess from the Macintosh: 1. VistaAccess loads at startup. Click on the Finder in the upper right corner of the Desktop. A dropdown menu appears which contains: • • • • VistaScan Push Button Configuration Lamp On/Off Control Find/Refresh Scanner 2.
5. 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. 6. 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.
To use the copy utility: 1. Click on the Start bar. Click the Programs option. When the Programs pop-up menu appears, click the VistaScan option. The VistaScan pop-up menu appears. Click the UMAX Copy Utility selection to open the program. 2. The UMAX Copy Utility window appears. 3. Select your copy settings. Click the Copy button to make the copies, then click Exit when you are finished.
CHAPTER 4. Push Button Scanning The defining feature of the Astra 3400 / 3450 is its push button functionality. You can scan an image to email, perform OCR (optical character recognition), or even use the scanner as a copy machine by pushing one of the three buttons on the front panel of the scanner. You can increase your productivity by accessing all of the normal scanner functions without having to launch the software applications through the onscreen interface.
NOTE: There are three icons in the Push Button Configuration window. Each icon represents a separate scanner button function. Clicking on the icon displays a window with variables. Intelligent Image Process Engine (IIPE) Intelligent Image Process Engine (IIPE) automatically determines the document type, brightness, and optimum resolution for scanning your image on the Astra 3400. The Astra 3450, with its transparency cover, does not support IIPE.
5. Select the desired resolution by clicking on the arrow to the right of the Resolution field and choosing one of the resets from the drop-down menu. 6. Select a scanning intensity level (brightness) by clicking on the arrow to the right of the Brightness field and choosing the desired brightness level from the drop-down menu. 7. Indicates the type of material the original image is printed on. Select either Reflective or Transmissive by clicking the arrow to the right of the Original Field. 8.
Configuring the Custom Button Values 1. Click on the Custom icon to open the window that contains the variables you are adjusting. NOTE: The Custom icon controls the values for both the E-mail and FAX and OCR (optical character recognition) features. You configure the variables for each function separately. To configure the values for the e-mail function: 1. If the E-mail icon is not selected (enclosed in a red box), click the E-mail icon. 2.
8. Click the OK button to save the Custom E-mail push button configuration settings. The Custom setting is now configured to scan and send the scanned image to the selected e-mail application. To configure the Custom button to scan and OCR a document, refer to the To configure the values for the OCR (Optical Character Recognition) function section that follows. NOTE: You can also click the Default button to return the values in each field to the default settings.
To configure the values for the OCR (optical character recognition) function: 1. If the OCR icon is not selected (enclosed in a red box), click the OCR icon. 2. Select the text editing application to use by clicking on the arrow to the right of the OCR Destination field. Choose an application from the drop-down menu. 3. NOTE: You do not need to select values for Document Type, Resolution, Brightness, nor for Scan Area. 4. Original indicates the type of material the original image is printed on.
CHAPTER 5. SCANNING PROJECTS The UMAX Astra 3400 / 3450 scanner includes bundled software to help you with a variety of tasks. This chapter shows 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) b) c) Click on the Start bar. Click on the Programs option.
options for the best results. The image type selections include: Color photos, Text/lineart, Web Images, and Printed Matter settings. 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 Print button. 6. When the scan is complete, the image is printed on your printer.
The Get Photo drop-down menu appears. 3. Click the Scanners… option. The VistaScan software opens displaying the Beginner window. 4. Select an image you want to post on a web site (i.e., a picture, a postcard, etc.). 5. Lift the document cover and place the item face-down in the center of the object glass of the scanner. 6. Click the Preview button. The scanner begins a low-resolution scan of the image. The preview image displays in the Preview window. 7.
Refer to Chapter 2. Your First Scan for instructions on how to start PhotoDeluxe. 2. Place the item you would like to scan (i.e. a picture, a brochure, etc.) face-down so the top center of the image aligns with the arrow at the top of the object glass. 3. Click the Preview button on the right side of the VistaScan Beginner window. A window appears notifying you that the scanner is calibrating. 4.
11. Click the Web Page button. A new window appears allowing you to alter the image. • • • • Click the 1Trim tab to select the portion of the image you want to use. Click OK when finished. Click the 2Size tab to adjust the size of the image. Click the 3Reduce tab to convert the image to a lower resolution to make the image easier to download. Click the 4Choose tab to convert the image to either JPEG or GIF format. A Save window appears. Choose a location in which to save the image.
11. Click and drag the scanned form down to the PageType application icon. PageType opens and automatically displays the scanned form. 12. Fill in the form text desired using the PageType tools. 13. 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 with PhotoDeluxe You can create your own calendar using PhotoDeluxe. This process differs for PC and Macintosh users.
4. Click the Cards & More button. 5. Click the Calendars icon, and choose the Monthly Calendars option from the drop-down menu. 6. Follow the on-screen 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 Click to Scan area. 9.
11. Click the Save from the file menu to store the calendar page, or select Print to print the calendar page. 12. Repeat this process until all 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 templates. 2. Open PhotoDeluxe (refer to Chapter 2. Your First Scan for instructions on how to start PhotoDeluxe). 3. The PhotoDeluxe window appears. 4.
3. Select Caere Applications option. 4. Select OmniPage LE to launch the application. The OmniPage LE window appears. For Macintosh Users: 1. Double-click the Hard Drive icon. 2. Double-click OmniPage LE. 3. Double-click the OmniPage LE icon. An OmniPage toolbar appears. (If this toolbar does not appear, click on the Window menu and select Show Toolbar). 4. Click Select Scanner from the Settings menu. Select UMAX Astra Series then click OK. Converting Scanned Text with OmniPage LE 1.
4. Click Stop Scanning when you have scanned all the desired pages, and enter the file name, file directory, and file type (the format in which you want to save the file). 5. Click OK to save the recognized text. 6. Open your work processor application. Open the file that you just saved so you can review, edit, cut, or copy portions of the text. For Macintosh Users: 1. Select Scanner from the Settings menu. 2. Click Flatbed from the Select Scanner window. 3.
CHAPTER 6. HOW TO GET HELP The Astra 3400 / 3450 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.
For Macintosh Users: 1. Place the Adobe PhotoDeluxe CD in the CD-ROM drive. 2. Double-click the PhotoDeluxe CD icon on the desktop. 3. Double-click English. 4. Double-click Getting Started.pdf. (If you receive an error, please install Adobe Acrobat Reader 3.01. See “Installing Acrobat Reader” below for instructions.) Accessing the Presto! PageManager Online Manual For PC Users: 1. Click Start. 2. Click Programs. 3. Click Presto! PageManager Deluxe. 4. Click PageManager User’s Manual.
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 installation instructions below. 1. Place the Astra Scanners CD in the CD-ROM drive. 2. Double-click the UMAX VistaScan CD icon. 3. Double-click the Acrobat Reader Install folder. 4. Double-click the 3.0 folder. 5. Double-click the Reader folder. 6. Double-click the Install Acrobat 3.0 icon.
2. Connect the USB cable to the USB port on the back of the computer. NOTE: If you unplug the scanner’s power to turn it off, you must also disconnect the USB cable from the computer. To resume use of the scanner, reconnect the power cord, and then the USB Cable. Problem: Scanner is not present in the Device Manager. The scanner must be present in the Device manager. If there is no listing for it, the scanner will not work.
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 the computer.
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.
• Check out the UMAX Web site at www.umax.com/support • E-mail UMAX with your technical support question at: support@umaxcare.com • Contact your dealer or call the UMAX support line between 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. (CST), Monday – Friday at 214-739-1915.
APPENDIX A. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS The following table defines the technical specifications for the Astra 3400 / 3450 Scanner. Scanner Specifications Scanner Type 1-pass color flatbed Scanning Element Color CCD Optical Resolution 600 dpi x 1200 dpi Maximum Resolution 9600 dpi x 9600 dpi Color Density 42-bit color Light Source Cold Cathode Lamp Optics Enclosed Optical System Interface USB v1.1 Windows 98 / 2000, Mac OS 8.
