Astra 4000U 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 Corporations. 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 Astra 4000U Scanner Elements……………………………………………………………………..4 Astra 4000U Back Panel……………………………………………………………………………5 System Requirements……………………………………………………………………………………….
Creating an Album with Presto! PhotoAlbum…………………………………………………………...35 Opening PhotoAlbum……………………………………………………………………………...35 Creating a PhotoAlbum……………………………………………………………………………36 CHAPTER 5. HOW TO GET HELP………………………………………………………….38 Using Online Manuals……………………………………………………………………………………..38 Accessing the UMAX VistaScan Online Manual…………………………………………………38 Accessing the Adobe PhotoShop Online Manual…………………………………………………38 Accessing the Presto! PageManager Online Manual……………………………………………...
CHAPTER 1. GETTING STARTED Introduction Thank you for purchasing the UMAX Astra 4000U scanner. This high-resolution 1200 x 2400 dpi scanner is perfect for your many scanning needs. The Astra 4000U scanner is equipped with a USB connector that allows you to make a fast and easy connection to the USB port on your PC, or USB-equipped Macintosh computer (such as the iMac or blue and white G3). In addition to being easy to connect, this scanner is also easy to use.
Astra 400U Back Panel System Requirements This section defines the minimum system requirements necessary to operate the Astra 4000U scanner. Please refer to the section below that applies to your scanner and computer type.
7. Click on Setup.exe to highlight it, and click the OK button. The path to the Setup.exe file appears in the Open text box in the Run dialog box. 8. Click OK to launch the Setup file. Follow the screen prompts. 9. When the User Information dialog box appears, enter your personal information and the software serial number that appears in the upper right corner of the PhotoShop registration card. You can find the registration card in the CD-ROM case. 10.
About Scanner Connectors USB Connectors Many newer computers, both PC and Macintosh, rely on USB technology as the primary method of communication with computer peripherals. With this new USB “plug-and-play” technology your computer automatically configures itself to work with USB peripherals. If your computer has a USB port, you must make sure that this port is enabled in the system BIOS. Please refer to the troubleshooting section to learn more about enabling the USB port.
1. Locate the USB cable that is provided. First, plug one end of this cable firmly into the USB port on the back of the scanner. 2. Second, plug the other end of this cable into the port located on the back panel of the computer. Macintosh Connection 1. Locate the USB cable that is provided. Plug one end of it firmly into one of the USB ports. IMac computer ports are located on the right side of the computer, or at either side of the keyboard.
CHAPTER 2. YOUR FIRST SCAN Before you begin your first scan, you must install the scanner and the bundled software. Refer to the Quick Start Guide for installation and scanner test instructions. You can perform a basic scan using any of the software applications bundled with this scanner. For your first scan, we suggest using the PhotoDeluxe software. PCs and Macintosh have two different versions of the PhotoDeluxe software, so we have included two separate sets of instructions.
7. In the Click to Scan section of the VistaScan Beginner window, click the icon that corresponds to the type of image you are scanning. For example, to scan a color photograph, choose “Color Photo”. To scan text or a black and white drawing, choose “Text/Lineart”. The image is scanned and you return to the PhotoShop LE window. 8. NOTE: Choosing an icon in the “Click to Scan” area does tow things: it activates the scanner, and automatically sets the scanner settings to ensure the best scanning results.
CHAPTER 3. SCANNING BASICS VistaScan is the primary program or driver you use to scan with your Astra 4000U 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.
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. Clicking on the checkbox again turns the feature on (displays a checkmark) and shows the ruler. Tips Help The Tips Help option determines whether tips are displayed when you pause with your cursor over a VistaScan option.
Printer To specify which printer to use when printing scanned images: 1. Click on the Printer icon. The printer currently selected as the default appears to the right of the Scan To icon set. 2. If you want to change any of the printer settings, click on the Properties button. The standard Print Setup dialog box opens. Make any changes you want, and then click OK to return to the Preference settings. E-mail To specify which e-mail application to use when you e-mail scanned images: 1.
Scanner Information The Scanner Information tab displays information about your scanner. The information includes: • • • • • • Scanner Manufacturer Scanner Model Firmware Version VistaScan Version Maximum Scan Width and Length Maximum Resolution VistaScan Beginner Window Features The VistaScan Beginner window appears when you launch VistaScan. The features of the VistaScan Beginner window let you scan a wide variety of documents, photos, and graphics. Just click a button.
The image is quickly scanned and displayed in the Preview window. There are three Preview tools in the VistaScan Beginner window. 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 sift key (the command key on the Macintosh) and click in the Preview window.
Defining the Type of Image to Scan The Beginner window provides pre-defined scanning options so you can quickly and easily scan any of the following items: • • • • Color Photos – use this setting when you want to scan color or black and white photos Printed Matter – use this setting when you want to scan something that has been printed like a brochure, magazine, etc.
Flatbed Reflective: Scans paper originals (non-transparencies) e.g., photographs, documents, and brochures. Three other setting options appear onscreen that are available with this scanner: UTA Transmissive, UTA Negative, Automatic Document Feeder. Changing the Image Mode VistaScan can scan a wide variety of image types. True Color, RGB: Scans a full color photo or document. The RGB indicates the colors of Red, Green, and Blue. This setting creates larger files than the B/W Photo setting.
NOTE: Not all graphic applications support 36-bit graphic files. To determine whether the software you want to use is capable of working with 36-bit graphics, refer to your software documentation. Changing the Resolution Setting Scanning resolution is measured in dots per inch (DPI). Resolution determines the amount of information the scanner will capture in a scanned image. The higher the resolution, the finer the image detail, and the larger the file sizes.
NOTE: Choosing the True Color RGB 36-bit setting captures more data than the 24-bit setting. This means that the file sizes listed above will be larger if you scanned images using the True Color 36-bit RGB setting. Choosing the Best Resolution for Your Scanning Project To choose the best resolution for scanning, determine what you are going to do with the image once it is scanned.
To change the Descreen setting: 1. Click the Descreen option to display the drop down menu. 2. Choose one of the Descreen options: No Descreen – No Descreening. Magazine – Specifies 133 lines per inch. This option smoothes the fine dot pattern found in glossy magazines. Newspaper – Specifies 85 lines per inch. Smoothes the coarse grain pattern commonly found in newspaper images. Art Print – Specifies 175 lines per inch. Smoothes the fine dot pattern found in high quality art print.
VistaScan provides the following filter options: No Filter – Use this option when you do not want to sharpen or blur the image. Sharpen – Use this option to sharpen lines that may be fuzzy or not clean in the original image. Sharpen More – Use this option when you want to sharpen the image more than the standard Sharpen filter does. Blur – Use this option when you want to soften the edges of an image. Blur More – Use this option when you want to soften the edges more than the Blur filter does.
2. Enter the desired scale factor in either the Width or Height text box. When locked, width and height entries are identical. The width and height fields are dynamic, updating one field automatically changes the other field. If the scale output size is unlocked, you can se the width and height output dimensions individually. 3. To change the unit of measure, click on the down arrow next to Height and/or Width text boxes to display the possible settings.
Selecting the Scan to Device or Application To specify the device or application to which you want to send the scanned item: 1. Click the arrow above the Scan To text on the Scan Control Unit. The Scan Control Unit panel slides back to display the Scan To icons. Click on the icon that represents the device or application to which you want to send the scanned item. The icons include: File – stores the scanned image in a file using the file name specified in the VistaScan Preferences.
To remove a selected frame: 1. Click on the Job List button. Thumbnails of the selected frames appear in the job list window. 2. Click on the thumbnail of the frame you want to remove. A red box appears around the selected thumbnail. The frame in the Preview window associated with the thumbnail changes to a dashed outline. 3. Click on the X button, located in the bottom-left corner of the thumbnail, to remove the frame.
Using the Contrast Bar This setting controls the difference between light and dark areas in an image. Moving the slider on the scroll bar to the right increases the gray shades between light and dark areas. Moving it to the left decreases gray shades between light and dark areas. The default setting is zero (0). The maximum contrast setting is 100, the minimum setting is –100. Highlight Bar This setting defines the lightest (whitest) tones in the scanned image.
Click Reset to cancel the changes and return the value to the default setting. Adjusting the Color Balance The Color Adjustment feature controls the hue and saturation of a particular color. When you click on the Color Balance tab from the Color Adjustments panel, a continuous color spectrum wheel appears. When you click in the wheel the image tones are shifted to the particular hue that is represented in that area. Click the Reset button to cancel the changes and return the value to default setting.
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.
2. Click on one of the listed applications or utilities to launch the software. 3. 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 Finder area and close VistaAccess.
7. Click and drag any of the E-Card template elements to move them around, creating your own E-Card style. 8. Choose the Add text command from the Text menu (or click on the Text button from the left-hand column). The Text Setting window opens. 9. Enter the E-Card greeting text in the text box. 10.
3. Select your copy settings. Click the Copy button to make the copies, then click Exit when you are finished. UMAX Copy Utility Features Brightness: Lets you select the brightness levels to use when you print the copies of the scanned image. If the image is too dark, click the up arrow to lighten the copy. If the image is too light, click the down arrow to darken the copy. Original Image: Lets you specify the type of image to be copied – Color, Gray, or B/W.
CHAPTER 4. SCANNING PROJECTS The UMAX Astra 4000U scanner includes bundled software to help you with a variety of tasks. This chapter shows you how to scan and print images, and even turn a page of text into an online text document that you can edit. Using VistaScan to Scan and Print Images To perform your first scan: 1. Open the VistaScan software application. For PC Users: a. Click on the Start bar. Click on the Programs option. When the Programs pop-up menu appears, click the VistaScan option.
5. Click one of the four icons in the Click to Scan area of the VistaScan Beginner window. Your selection identifies the type of image you are about to scan and tells VistaScan how to set the scanner options for the best results. The image type selections include: Color Photos, Text/Lineart, Web Images, and Printed Matter settings. Once you click on the desired image type, the scanner starts scanning the image using the appropriate settings.
7. Lift the document cover and place the form you want to scan face-down in the center of the object glass of the scanner. 8. Click the Preview button. 9. Click the Text/Lineart icon in the Click to Scan area to begin the scan. 10. When the scan is complete, click the Exit button at the bottom of the window. The scanned image of your form appears in the PageManager Inbox window. 11. Click and drag the scanned form down to the PageType application icon.
Converting Scanned Text to Editable Text with OmniPage OmniPage lets you scan an image that contains text and convert it to editable text so you do not have to retype the text. The process differs slightly for PC and Macintosh users. Follow the appropriate instructions for the system that you are using. Opening OmniPage LE For PC Users: 1. Click the Start bar in the bottom-left corner of the screen. 2. Click Programs. 3. Select the Caere Applications option. 4.
2. From the OmniPage LE window, click the Scanner icon and select Flatbed. Click Done. For PC Users: 1. Choose Acquire Image from the File menu. Select Flatbed from the Paper Path field in the Load Scanner dialog box, then click Scan to scan the image. When the scan is complete, the text appears in the OmniPage window. 2. Click the OCR button to perform the character recognition. 3. A small dialog box appears. If you have additional pages to scan, click the Add Pages button and repeat steps 2 and 3.
d. Select Presto! PhotoAlbum. The PhotoAlbum window appears. For Macintosh Users: a. b. c. Double-click the Hard Drive icon. Double-click the Presto! PhotoAlbum application folder. Double-click the Presto! PhotoAlbum application icon to launch VistaScan. The PhotoAlbum window appears. Creating a PhotoAlbum 1. Click on the Create button, and then click on the Template button. 2. Choose an album template category by selecting one of the category icons in the column on the left. 3.
11. Click on the Color Photos icon in the Click to Scan area of the VistaScan Beginner window. The scanner performs the final, high-resolution scan. For PC Users: After the scan is complete, click the Exit button. 12. A thumbnail of the image you just scanned appears in the Photo Browser window. 13. Click and drag this image into the spaces that read, “Put Photo Here!” 14. Repeat this process by scanning more photos and inserting them in the blank cell photo frames until you have filled the whole album. 15.
CHAPTER 5. HOW TO GET HELP The Astra 4000U 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 PhotoShop LE CD in the CD-ROM drive. 2. Double-click the PhotoShop LE 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 VistaScan 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.
Later chipset versions include SIS, ALI, and both have fully functional chipsets as well as Intel’s 82371AB and 82371AB/EB. Solution: To determine your USB chipset type: 1. Click the My Computer icon using the right mouse button. A pop-up menu appears. 2. Click on Properties command using the left mouse button. This brings up the Device Manager. 3. The last item listed in the Device Manager should be Universal Serial Bus Controllers. 4. Click the + beside the Universal Serial Bus Controllers entry.
1. Click Start on the Windows taskbar. 2. Click Settings. 3. Click Control Panel. 4. Double-click the Add/Remove Software icon. 5. You should see a listing for “USB Supplement/OSR2”. 6. If you do not see the supplement listed, you must install it from the Windows95 CD. Problem: IRQ steering is disabled. For USB to function properly, IRQ Steering must be enabled. Solution: The IRQ Steering setting is located in the Device Manager.
4. If it is not present, insert the UMAX VistaScan CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive and reinstall VistaScan. 5. Unplug the scanner cable from the back of the computer, and then plug it back into the USB port. 6. Verify there is power to the scanner. 7. If the scanner does not show up, and there is no change in the Device Manager, try another USB port. If the scanner still does not appear, contact your computer manufacturer. Problem: Your system resources are low.
Solution: If you are having problems installing or using the Astra 4000U scanner, ensure that Macintosh OS 8.0 or higher is installed on your computer. Problem: The system takes too long to scan. Solution: Disable virtual memory, reboot your computer with the extensions disabled (hold down the SHIFT key during re-boot) and try again. Booting with the shift key still loads the UMAX scanner extension required for scanning. Problem: Your system goes to the Finder when you try to acquire the scanner.
Problem: The following error message appeared: “Scanner not found” or “Unable to control scanner” Solution: Follow this procedure: 1. Confirm the scanner is plugged into the computer’s USB port. 2. Go to the Apple System Profiler, listed under the Apple menu. 3. Go to the Devices & Volumes tab. Verify the scanner is listed under the USB tree as: Class: 0 Product ID: 16 Vendor ID: 5638 4. If not, disconnect the USB cable from the computer. 5. Go to Command, Update All Information (Command + U). 6.
• The printer and model that you are using (if applicable) • The application software packages that you are using • Error codes or messages seen • A description of what you were doing at the time of the malfunction so that the problem can be recreated • Other observations that may aid the technician in identifying the problem and solution When you call, please be in front of your computer. You will need to have your scanner and the computer turned on.
APPENDIX A. TECHINICAL SPECIFICATIONS The following table defines the technical specifications for the Astra 4000U Scanners. Scanner Specifications Scanner Type 1-pass color flatbed Scanning Element Color CCD Optical Resolution 1200 dpi x 2400 dpi Maximum Resolution 9600 dpi x 9600 dpi Color Density 36-bit color, up to 42-bit output Light Source Cold Cathode Lamp Optics Enclosed Optical System Interface Astra 4000U - USB Astra 4000U - Windows 95, 98, Mac OS 8.
