LaserSoft Imaging

With the Nikon LS-2000, the SilverFast twain driver has a fatal bug, and so it's necessary to use the Photoshop plugin instead. However, when I went to do the color calibration, I found that the Photoshop plugin doesn't have a Calibrate button. I had to go back to the Twain driver just to do the calibration.

Now what I'd like to know is what do I have to do to get the plugin version of Silverfast to use the profile created by the calibration in the twain version of Silverfast. Since they live in completely separate directories, do I have to move some file from one to the other?

Incidentally, the calibration asked me for a reference file, but there was no reference file for the slide that came with the software anywhere on the CD, so I had to go to the web site for that. I had to figure out on my own that a reference file is a text file whose name is based on the cryptic code printed on the slide mount. This is the worst-documented software I've ever paid money for.

The calibration buttton will appear when you insert the Update/Upgrade serial number that matches to your Photoshop serial number. This serial number is NOT the same number as you used to originally serialise SilverFast.

The calibration profile will ONLY be available if you pressed the Export button when still in the calibration dialog.

So far as using it is concerned - see the manual pages 137 to 143 from memory - this time I KNOW it's in the manual. You could also read the tutorials I mentioned yesterday.


BTW: the cryptic number you rferred to on the slide mount. Kodak and Agfa are just as guilty of NOT providing the data file. Again yo need to go to their web sites and download it - if you really want to pissed off try finding it on the Agfa site and ionce your nereves have settled try the kodak site.

Ian

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: ilyons on 2001-08-27 20:11 ]</font>

Ian, you are wrong, again. SF's manual explains, on pp. 141--142,
only how calibration is performed, but not how you activate it. I
was fortunate enough to receive from LSI the instruction leaflet (in
German) and Kodak's IT8 Reference File (link to those files is
available on this site; what's important is the date printed on the
slide; if it says 1998:08, the correct reference file is
e3199808.txt). Without this leaflet it is most improbable that
anybody could figure out how to activate the Calibration feature,
since it says:

(1) Get the "zweiten Seriennumer" (second serial number) from
support@silverfast.de; one must send them "Photoshop-Seriennummer,"
displayed in the top line SF's Info window, or a copy
of SF_LogFile.txt (located in Photoshop 6.0/Plug-Ins/Export-Import
directory, for a plug-in installation). With that zweiten number on
hand

(2) Start SilverFast,

(3) Click the 'i' (Info) icon (top left from prescan window),

(4) In Info window click "Credits",

(5) In a new window click "Upgrade",

(6) Delete the old serial number, and write in the new one,

(7) Close window by clicking OK. If you are lucky, you've finished.

After restarting SF, the new Calibration icon appears, and then you
perform calibration as described in the Manual.

I'd be most interested to hear from pderocco how he fared with
calibration; my, for Nikon LS-30 on a brand new Win 2K Pro machine,
failed with the latest SF v5.2.1r08, as reported elsewhere on this
forum. Asked LSI for advice here and by email, but since July 25 got
no reply, only admonishment "Please, do not get too carried away"
from Mr. President.

You're telling me that SilverFast wants me to type in my Photoshop serial number? I don't recall ever doing that when I installed the twain version. What exactly does it do with someone else's serial number?

And having used Export in the twain version's calibration dialog, do I have to do that again in the plugin version?

If SilverFast sends me a calibration slide, and it needs a particular reference file to go with it, then it seems to me that SilverFast should include that file. In fact, as long as there's a special CD devoted to this particular scanner, and support for that scanner always includes a particular calibration slide, I don't see why it should supply any reference files at all, besides the one particular one that's needed. Instead, I got a CD that had loads of reference files, none of which was the correct one.

Tomaz,

>Without this leaflet it is most improbable that
anybody could figure out how to activate the Calibration feature,
since it says:


He/she seemed to manage it in the Twain version I have two leaflets, one came with the Nikon and one with the Epson version and I assumed that since the individual had managed to serilise the IT8 within the Twain version he/she had a similar leaflet and so knew how it should be done in the Plug-in . I was obviously wrong to make such an assumption.


You should also read all that I wrote and the fact that I wrote "Using it", then it is in the manual. So far as activating is concerned "I" addressed that above and you are correct that's NOT in the manual - so it seems that I stand corrected, again


Ian


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: ilyons on 2001-08-27 23:55 ]</font>

pderocco, as much as the Photoshop number within FS's installation is concerned, you missread my post. What you have to write in is the new, 'zweiten' serial number obtained from LSI.

Thanks, Tomaz. I got that. It was Ian who mentioned a Photoshop serial number. I will try it all when I get home tonight.

On 2001-08-27 22:35, pderocco wrote:
You're telling me that SilverFast wants me to type in my Photoshop serial number? I don't recall ever doing that when I installed the twain version. What exactly does it do with someone else's serial number?

NO, I'm telling you that having been given the IT8 serial number you must NOW type that new number into the Plug-in's serialisation box. The IT8 serial number is only "supposed" to work with the matching Photoshop serial number. On the PC it might be your Windows serial number, I can't recall and I would rather alert you to that fact now than be told I'm wrong again However, since you seem to have already got the IT8 serial number this point is mute.

And having used Export in the twain version's calibration dialog, do I have to do that again in the plugin version?

If you have already exported it then I don't see why this would be necessary. You WILL have to recalibrate since the calibration is internal and separate to actual SilverFast plugin or twain file.

If SilverFast sends me a calibration slide, and it needs a particular reference file to go with it, then it seems to me that SilverFast should include that file.

ALL the versions that I have obtained have contained a file on a floppy disk or it can usually be found on the CD. However, more recent versions of the IT8 may have been created after the disk was burned. There is a note (at least on ALL the CDs I have - MANY of them) that advises what you should do if the matching files isn't on the CD. That's no to say that the CD you have has or has not got that note, I don't know.

In fact, as long as there's a special CD devoted to this particular scanner, and support for that scanner always includes a particular calibration slide, I don't see why it should supply any reference files at all, besides the one particular one that's needed. Instead, I got a CD that had loads of reference files, none of which was the correct one.

I explained above.

On 2001-08-27 23:29, pderocco wrote:
Thanks, Tomaz. I got that. It was Ian who mentioned a Photoshop serial number. I will try it all when I get home tonight.

I wrote matches TO your Photoshop serial number .




<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: ilyons on 2001-08-27 23:35 ]</font>

duplicate text deleted

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: ilyons on 2001-08-27 23:51 ]</font>

Quote: I would rather alert you to that fact now than be told I'm wrong again.

Thanks gawd, Ian, that you're not the infalible Pope; you are my hero nevertheless.

On 2001-08-28 06:53, Tomaz Klinc wrote:
Quote: I would rather alert you to that fact now than be told I'm wrong again.

Thanks gawd, Ian, that you're not the infalible Pope; you are my hero nevertheless.

Nope, but I can walk on water - in my dreams

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: ilyons on 2001-08-28 10:39 ]</font>

Upgrading to IT8-Calibration

From SilverFast 5.20 there are 2 ways to activate IT8-Calibration:

1. Feature CD for upgrading a standard SilverFast version.
The feature CD comes with the IT8 serial number. You just put the CD into your drive, go to the SilverFast "Serialize" dialog and input the IT8 number. After successful input, the IT8 button will appear in the vertical toobar and you can start the IT8-calibration process.
There is no Photoshop- or windows number needed anymore.

2. IT8-Calibration in Standard SilverFast Version

Some bundle versions of SilverFast already come with IT8-Calibration, e.g. Epson Expression 1680 or 1640XL. After start up the IT8-button will already be there in the vertical tool bar.