LaserSoft Imaging

hello,

I'm using an Epson Expression 636. I was looking for a solution to have it function with my newly installed OSX (Jaguar) on my 300 Mhz Beige G3 Desktop, and was told to try SilverFast. I downloaded the demo version to give it a try.

I loaded it with no problem, and opened it with the Photoshop 7 Plug-in with no problem. It saw my scanner just fine and did a nice little pre-scan. However, it froze when I hit the "scan" button. It seemed to want to work, and even gave me a second of action (clicks and whirrs from the scanner) before I got a spinning beach ball.

I tried again, and the software didn't see the scanner. After turning the scanner off, and then on, it found it again and proceeded to do the exact same thing.

I tried it again with the stand alone application, and the same thing happened.

The scanner is connected to the computer with a SCSI connection. It works fine when I use the Epson software in Photoshop 6, but I have to be running the older OS 9 system for that to work.

Any suggestions? Thanks.

Dear ptrautwein -

Tomorrow there will be new demo versions on the web. (higher than r08)

Please try again

with regards

Christoph

LSI Sperling wrote:Dear ptrautwein -

Tomorrow there will be new demo versions on the web. (higher than r08)

Please try again

with regards

Christoph

I downloaded SFE-6.0.2r15 (Epson) and I'm getting an "out of memory" error when I try to prescan. ?

I'm running Pshop v.7.0.1
Mac OSX v.10.2.4
Epson Expression 636 - SCSI connection to a 300mhz Beige G3 desktop.

I am also having problems with the 6.0.2 iterations of Ai for Expression 636 running PS7 and Mac OS 9. Ai 6.0.1r39 scans fine, thought the red error light flashes briefly when importing (initializing) Silverfast. 6.0.2r15 and 6.0.2r20 both flash the error light on initialization, prescan fine, but when attempting an actual scan, the scanner freezes and I get the message "Error in Scan Start: there may be a non-transparent object in the scanner calibration area." There is no such object, and in fact, 6.0.1r39 scans the same page of negatives just fine, in the same position as the scan attempt with 6.0.2r15 and r20.

I suspect that some bit of SCSI support code has been incrementally screwed up somewhere between 6.0.1 and 6.0.2. This is quite frustrating. The prescans of negatives in 6.0.2 are much better, indicating that the Negafix profiles have been optimized. This does me no good if the earlier version is the only one that functions.

I have already exchanged e-mails with Martin Leschke in SF tech support, including sending my SF installation and SF log files. No fix so far, and no response to my last reply. I have gotten nothing that acknowledges that there is a SF bug, or that an attempt to fix it is in the works.

Most unsatisfactory. And please, no whiny replies from anyone from Lasersoft, upset that I posted negative comments on the reader forum. If I had gotten any reply from tech support that was even remotely useful or informative, I wouldn't be flaming here.

Fix the problem and I will sing praises.

-Marcello Amari

If you are still using OS9 you should be able to use the regular Twain software that you can download directly from the Epson site.

My problem is that I haven't been able to find a driver for the Expression 636 that works in OSX. The Twain software works just fine but I have to re-boot my computer in OS9 just to use my scanner. A real drag, and something that won't work if I ever buy a new Mac. I was hoping that SilverFast would solve the problem, but it doesn't.

Oh well. good luck.

Dear Marcello,

sorry for your unsatisfying experience with our support. I can confirm, that it seems that there's still a bug in the Epson OS X version. We are currently investigating it and will hopefully soon post a fix.
Please understand that we are supporting a lot of scanners and that it's not a matter of a few hours to release a fixed version. Please also understand, that the Expression 636 is not a brand new scanner; our testing is mainly focused on the newer models.

Ralf