LaserSoft Imaging

there's an option for downloading a twain or photoshop plug in for epson 1640 for silverfast se. what is advantages or differences in operation for each download in practical terms? thank you.

The Photoshop Plugin, is like it sais only for Photoshop. The TWAIN source can be used with other imaging packages.
I use the Nikon version and there are only a few minor differences.

Xander

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: xander on 2001-10-06 15:10 ]</font>

The biggest difference between the PhotoShop plug-in and the TWAIN version is the color management. Silverfast was designed for PhotoShop and as such, if you set it up correctly matching color profiles in PhotoShop and Silverfast, you'll get 100% accurate RGB, CMYK, and LAB previews in Silverfast - you'll see the image in Silverfast EXACTLY as it will appear in PhotoShop. THAT is what makes Silverfast so special. Try to get that with other packages, even ones that claim to have color-accurate previews in the scan window. They don't.

The TWAIN version isn't (for compatability reasons) as tightly integrated with PhotoShop, so the scan preview will be quite close to what you'll see in the program, but not exact.

I myself have both versions installed - I use the plug-in in PhotoShop, and the TWAIN module for Acrobat, WinFax, etc.

Bottom line: if you use PhotoShop 5.x on, get the plug-in, make sure you set-up the CMS properly, and you'll be very pleased.

-Ian A.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: ianders1 on 2001-10-06 20:13 ]</font>

Ian,

I use a windows 2000 system, here the difference between the TWAIN and Plugin is not of any difference, yes if you use the color pickertool you'll find a minor difference, which your eyes will not see, but thats not so important. I am a photographer my eyes judge the picture, and I have trouble with the result in the preview window of Silverfast, I really need Photoshop to judge and tweak it, this makes CMS theory (on a win 2000 system!) of no importance.

Xander


Xander

Xander,

I'm also running a Windows 2000 system, and I find it very important for my preview window to match what I see in PhotoShop. This saves my a great deal of time by not having to adjust curves and colors after the scan. Win2k is capable of accurately using ICM profiles. Check out Ian Lyon's tutorials to set them up, and you'll be surprised how much time you save.

-Ian

My preview matches the final scan perfectly with the plugin as the TWAIN version of SF5.5R09, in terms of Colormanagement.
My only comment is that judging a 4000dpi scan on the "preview" as it is shown in Silverfast is not enough (for me), I would like to see a higher quality "preview" (resolution), the
interface can benefit from it.

Xander

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: xander on 2001-10-08 09:51 ]</font>

Xander,

Try going into Options and under the General Tab, set the "High Resolution Prescan to 4x or 8x. This will allow you to perform a slower prescan, but allows you to zoom in and out without having to scan each time you zoom. The 4x is good quality, while the slower 8x allows suberb zooms. This will allow you to zoom in an adjust very minute areas of even a 4000dpi scan, make your adjustments, then zoom back out select the whole frame, and hit scan.

Not sure how well that would work with NegaFix as there's no way to lock it's settings, but for transparencies and documents it works really well. I use this technique when scanning in line art - as it's difficult to set the threshold unless I can zoom in on narrow lines and/or letters.

-Ian A.

On 2001-10-07 03:41, xander wrote:
Ian,

I use a windows 2000 system, here the difference between the TWAIN and Plugin is not of any difference, yes if you use the color pickertool you'll find a minor difference, which your eyes will not see, but thats not so important. I am a photographer my eyes judge the picture, and I have trouble with the result in the preview window of Silverfast, I really need Photoshop to judge and tweak it, this makes CMS theory (on a win 2000 system!) of no importance.

Xander


Xander

Xander,

You are wrong! there is a difference and that difference is embedded in the very specification underlying Twain. Twain is NOT CMS friendly - PERIOD!

If you Photoshop 5 and up then pick the Plug-in do NOT use the Twain module if you care about colour managment.

Ian L

Ian,

Thanks for the advice about the high resolution prescan!!!!
4* works perfect.

For the other Ian, I use PS 6 and both the TWAIN and the Plug(by far the most), it has nothing to do with the theory of the CMS, you are absolutly right there!
I'am just not really concerned about the stage from Silverfast to Photoshop, like I mentioned before scans made with the TWAIN or Plug work out more then well for me, same for Nikonscan, which is also no plugin.
The gain for me is in the raw scan, the scanner/software relation, and on the printing site.
I try to run this scanner as substitute for my darkroom, which probably means I got to high demands. I have a very nice calibrated system and nearly perfect results. But some things I do are hard to explain. For example, maybe you have an answer:
I have my prints up to 30*40cm made on a brand new Fuji machine in the local photolab.
These machines use sRGB when "printing" from file because of all the Digital Cameras.
So I deliver the files in sRGB or just as BMP.
These Fujicolor Crystal Archive Supreme Papers, which are used probably have a profile used in these machines. I have to use "euroscale coated v2" in PS60 proofcolors to view the best match, what do you think?

Xander

Xander



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: xander on 2001-10-08 14:02 ]</font>

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: xander on 2001-10-08 14:04 ]</font>