LaserSoft Imaging

Hello,
Don't quite get the difference on which one I should d/l to try.
I have a Nikon LS-2000 w/ adaptec 2902 scsi card.

I was looking at the SilverFast SE for XP. (to poor for any of the others!)
There are two choices.:
* SilverFast Application (with PhotoShop Plug-in Option)
* Twain

What is the difference between these two ?
If I get twain is it not still useable in photshop with the twain selection in photoshop ?
And if I get twain i can use it in any application that supports twain ?
Can I only use silverfast as a twain acquire if I get that one ???
IS either one a standalone ?
so confused.

Thanks
Mark

Dear Mark

you can use either of the two. You can even have them installed both on the same system.

TWAIN is a standard technology providing general access to image aquisition devices, but not very high quality. A TWAIN plugin can be started from most graphics manipulation software, if this adheres to the TWAIN standard as well as SilverFast does.

However, the usage of the Photoshop plugin is - for use with Photoshop - preferable. TWAIN lacks full support of CMS, e.g.

The Photoshop Plugin installer automatically installs a small little programme to your desktop called SF_Launcher. This is a helper programme to start the photoshop plugin without needing Photoshop installed on your computer. Only the PS plug-in can be started that way, not the TWAIN variant.

Kind regards
Sonny Noack
- tech support, LSI AG -

Hello
Thanks for the reply.

"The Photoshop Plugin installer automatically installs a small little programme to your desktop called SF_Launcher. This is a helper programme to start the photoshop plugin without needing Photoshop installed on your computer. "

Yes I have that launcher.

What good is this or does it do ? This I don't get.
I do have photoshop. Hardly use it. I like IrFran to manipulate my images.

I d/l the photoshop plugin one and paid for it. So if i pd for the photoshop one and figured out that I really wanted the twain instead I have to buy a new one ?

I'll get this right in my head soon. I hope.

Thanks
Mark

>>What good is this or does it do ?

You will not be forced to use PS to run Silverfast for one thing. YOu can fire up SF and save your scans to file and then fire up Irfanview to edit them as you wish.

>>I d/l the photoshop plugin one and paid for it. So if i pd for the photoshop one and figured out that I really wanted the twain instead I have to buy a new one ?

Nope. you get both, unless something radically changed very recently. You just have to download the twain version, use the same serial number, and off you go.

Dear Mark

degrub's correct: Simply go ahead and download your TWAIN variant of SilverFast.

Generally spoken, with a SilverFast serial you can use (if existing):
- TWAIN and Photoshop variant
- versions for all operating systems (that are supported for the scanner)
- updates within a product generation are for free to download

You'd only need to pay again
- for another SilverFast product type (but: discount: cross-upgrade)
- for another SilverFast product generation (but: discount: upgrade)

SF_Launcher uses:
- you don't have Photoshop
- scanner does support 48 bits of colour, TWAIN software doesn't (e.g. IrfanView)
- your system's resources are limited (SF_Launcher only needs very little memory)

Kind regards
Sonny Noack
- tech support, LSI AG -