LaserSoft Imaging

I have a Polaroid SprintScan 120 and Silverfast 5.5 When I use the Twain or plugin on a Windows machine from within Micrografx Igrafx - now Corel Picture Publisher, I can't scan in 48 bit mode. (I don't think I 've tried CMYK scanning yet.) As Picture Publisher can support 48 bit files for all functions, why won't Silverfast work in this mode? When I run Silverfast in Photoshop, there is no problem.

Also, why does Silverfast stay on top of Picture Publisher and monopolize the computer? (I don't believe that Photoshop allows scanning and simultaneous editing with any scan software.) It would be better if it receded to the background once one started editing the picture. One could then click on the taskbar to bring up Silverfast for the next scan. My Agfa Duoscan Fotolook softawre and my Polaroid Sprintscan 35 and Polaroid Insight software work this way. Also, the other software lets me multitask while scanning - I can clean up one photo while the next one is scanning. Silverfast won't allow me to do that so I am more inclined to use the Polaroid Insight software because I can be more productive with it. So please change this.

Alan Goldstein

Dear Alan,

SilverFast Ai was initially designed to work in the Photoshop world as this was the professional world of colour publishing. We recognize that now there are other programs that have emerged in the windows world that have got more professional features also.

We will be checking your findings and requests and you can be sure that we will enhance SilverFast to be more flexible and productive with other software, too.

regards

Karl-Heinz Zahorsky
President & CEO
LaserSoft Imaging

The TWAIN version of SilverFast enables 48 bit mode only if the application is telling its 48 bit capability correctly during TWAIN communication at SilverFast startup. SilverFast cannot know every application, so it cannot enable 48 bit mode just because its application XYZ. I would say its a wrong TWAIN behavior of Picture Publisher (by the way: which version are you using?).

SilverFast isn't monopolizing the computer, but the host application. You can always switch to another application or the Desktop. Regarding Agfa FotoLook and PolaColor Insight: What do you mean with "lets me multitask while scanning"? Can you switch back to Picture Publisher while e.g. PolaColor Insight is scanning an image? If yes, I would think you don't use it as TWAIN datasource or Photoshop PlugIn called from Picture Publisher, but as an application, that runs on its own.

Ralf