Provides: Professional scanning software, "great"
and "greater." Developer:LaserSoft Imaging Requirements: Mac OS 8.6 + or Mac OS X.1.X +,
Photoshop Plugin and/or Twain Compliant Applications. Retail Price: SilverFast SE $49. The price for
SilverFast Ai varies depending on what type and model of
scanner you own. For specifics, please look for your scanner
and pricing
here.
The price may be as inexpensive as $119 ($228 with IT8
calibration), but may be considerably more expensive. Availability: Out now
If you want to get everything you can out of your scanner
and collect as much of the image's information before
entering Photoshop, you would be hard pressed to find better
software than SilverFast. The biggest challenge is working
around some very scattered documentation.
The focus of this review is "Should one upgrade from the
scanner software provided by your scanner to SilverFast SE?
Similarly if you already have SilverFast SE (or whatever
software provided by your scanner) should you upgrade to
SilverFast Ai?"
[Editor's note--I believe that SE stands for Standard
Edition, and I have no idea what Ai stands for. SilverFast
loves acronyms and initializations, but doesn't always
explain them. Among their product line, they also sell
SilverFast DC-VLT (Digital Camera-Virtual Light Table),
SilverFast HDR (High Definition RAW), and SilverFast PhotoCD
(self explanatory). The software itself is inundated with
letters--just be prepared.]
For years I scanned images with no attempt to make any
corrections using the scanner software, and opened the
images into Photoshop for correction. Then, at a seminar by
Taz
Tally, I learned one of those true "whack on the side of
a head" truths: Your original image is continuous tone and
as such has more information than if you do a simple scan
and save.
What does this mean?
Forgive me while I digress into a small educational
moment here at the beginning of a review, but this might
help you understand the benefits of good scanner software,
and why it's important.
If you've ever worked with Levels in Photoshop, you will
recognize the histogram below:
Picture 1 shows a standard histogram which is actually a
collection of (potentially) 256 vertical bars representing
256 shades. The more information within any given shade, the
longer (vertically) that bar will be. As can be seen, there
is essentially no information in the image in the high
(light) ranges and low (dark) ranges in the image. By
dragging the white and black triangles inward until the
triangles start to contact data, one can enhance the
contrast and light/dark aspects of an image. If you click OK
at this point and then re-open the Levels dialog, you will
note that the darkest dark and the lightest light now extend
to the full range of potential 256 shades. On the other
hand, you will also see breaks in the histogram where
Photoshop cannot show the data because it has been averaged
(stretched) out of the image. If there are very few breaks,
the damage done is probably not too noticeable, The more
and/or larger the breaks are, the more damage has been done
to the image. While on the screen this may not be
noticeable, when printing, various dropout and/or
posturizations may show up.
However, when you Pre-scan an image in a scanner and
perform the same type of correction, the scanner and
software can then re-examine the original image. During the
second (final) scan, the scanner can collect more
information in the shades/colors that it didn't pick up
during the first pre-scan. As you can now understand, the
pre-scan can let you do much more than just let you locate
the image on the scanner bed.
[For the record, scanning tests were performed on an
Epson 3200. In addition, most of the images below were saved
in GIF format to achieve the smallest size and to best
display the text in the SilverFast interface. Because of
this, much of the images that have smooth gradations and/or
photographic images have lost significant quality. Because a
choice had to be made, I opted for smaller files that best
displayed the article's focus: the SilverFast interface.]
The interface for SilverFast software is very consistent
across their product line. You can open SilverFast from
either Photoshop, File -> Import -> SilverFast, or as
a separate standalone application. (Either way, all controls
on SilverFast are via their buttons as neither have any
formal menus. As a standalone, the entire menu region is
blank in OS X.)
As one would expect, the more expensive software has more
options. In many ways, I found the differences between the
SE and Ai versions comparable to the differences between
Photoshop Elements and Photoshop. For example, in selecting
color modes, the options are
SE
Ai
RGB
RGB
K
CMYK∑
LAB
CMY
HSL
K
LCH
When determining how the image will be saved, there are
similar limitations with SE
SE
Ai
48 -> 24 bit color
48 -> 24 bit color
16 -> 8 bit grayscale
16 -> 8 bit grayscale
1 bit line art
1 bit line art
48 bit color
16 bit grayscale
48 bit HDR color
16 bit HDR grayscale
The difference here in both of these examples is that
someone with a low end scanner, or limited needs is not
likely to be doing CMYK or LAB corrections. Similarly, they
are not likely to be working in 48 bit color or 48 bit HDR
color. The question develops: what are the other differences
when working in the same formats and color modes?
Both software programs provide an in-use guide called the
"ScanPilot" that forces you to follow the proper steps in
the following order. You do not need to use the ScanPilot,
but (a) it doesn't hurt, (b) you can branch off it at any
time, and (c) using it doesn't prevent you from using full
range of features of any subcomponent.
ScanPilot also provides the only Preference selection for
program operation. Below on the left you see the ScanPilot
with most of its options turned on. On the right you see the
Preference dialog window with the Sharpness option turned
off. Note the pop-up yellow text for explaining what the
icon means. Also note the similar text that can be seen at
the bottom left corner of the image scan window. This dual
information is available for most of the icons, and you can
turn off the yellow popups.
Following the ScanPilot process, one is sure to do the
sharpening as the last operation (before the final scan) and
also makes sure you set the final size of the image prior to
scanning. [Did you know that if you want an image at 50% the
original size, you will have much better results if you
select that desired size during the scanning process rather
than reducing the image's size in Photoshop?]
As displayed, the workflow for either SE or Ai is the
same. The following is every (potential) step, and you may
elect to either skip some of these steps and/or leave them
out via the preferences:
1) Prescan image. Both systems can scan
reflective and transparencies (positive and negative)
depending on the capabilities of your scanner.
2) Marquee the desired image in the prescan
window for location and/or cropping.
3) Highlight-Midtone-Shadow optimization. This
automatically set the arrows at the beginning and end of a
histogram as shown in the beginning of this article.
4) Histogram - Adjusting Brightest/Darkest
colors. Shown below with the Ai on the left and SE on the
right. Both provide control on each RGB channel as well as
overall high and low regions of each color. Note the
three-tierd histogram icon in the upper right of the Ai
screenshot. This lets you flip between a full black
histogram, an overlapping RGB histogram, and the three-tierd
that you see in this image. Also note the RGB pie-icon on
the left. This icon lets you flip between RGB and CMY color
space.
5) Curves and Gradation Adjustments. Again
with the RGB pie-icon, one can flip between RGB and CMY
color space. Otherwise, both Ai and SE (left and right
below) provide Midtone Correction and Contrast. Ai continues
its strengths with ability to selectively control
highlights, shadows, and brightness (although brightness has
already been dealt with in the proceeding corrections). Also
note with both of the programs, one can control curves in
individual color spaces, although with Ai, one can control
individual color spaces for the highlights, low levels and
shadows, and save the results.
6) Global Color Correction: This is kind of a
neat device. One mouses-down on the small circle in the
color-circle and drags to one side or the other to add
and/or shift colors. With Ai (on the left) one can effect
colors across the entire image or selectively in the high,
middle or lower ranges. In addition, one can shift just cyan
colors to red, etc. without effecting other colors.
7) Selective Color ranges: When one color's
complimentary color invades the first color, the result
turns the original color somewhat "grayish." That is, if
something is supposed to be Red and there is a Cyan
colorcast to the image, the red may appear somewhat "not
sharp." While both programs provide this ability, Ai (on the
left) also provides the ability to lasso (up to four)
regions of the image and perform selective color changes
(like turning a blue dress red) without affecting the rest
of the image. What you see in the Ai screenshot is the
ColorMatrix 6 (CM6) option. In trying to keep this article
from being a book I will pass on explaining the ColorMatrix
12 (CM12). Suffice it to say that it substantially adds to
the level of control.
8) Input of Output Dimensions: Here's where
you can set the final size (inches, centimeters, pixels,
etc.) and resolution (dpi) of the scan. In Ai, one can also
set the Q-factor (Quality factor), a ratio for enhancing the
scan for halftoning with lpi. These input controls can be
seen in the screenshot of the SE and Ai interface earlier in
the article.
9) Input of Sharpness Parameters: In other
words, Unsharp Mask. In SE, shown below on the right) the
input is sort of like selecting Sharpen from the UnsharpMask
filter and then going to the Edit -> Fade command. Here,
it's all in one control. What's missing from the Ai controls
is the Pixel Radius control, but instead they provide both
Light and Dark Contour controls. Using these, one can not
only accomplish the same results, but have significantly
more control than supplied just by Radius.
Occasionally, features are hidden in Ai. Unsharp Mask is
one. Notice on the botton a little icon that looks like a
profile. More specifically it's a profile of a graduate. It
refers to a more "expert" feature that is available after
clicking. When one clicks on this, the "Light Contour,"
"Dark Contour," and Shadows soft" options become available.
Considering that so much of Ai is already "graduate," to
hide these few features seems silly. On the other hand, on
the main Ai widow, the graudate icon (far right on the icon
bar) hides a plethora of numbers for those who want to play
with those kind of things. This graduate icon makes sense.
10) The Final Scan: When you click this
button, all the conditions you have set up in the previous
controls take place. It's like having a bald guy sitting
behind you saying "Make it so."
As one explores the various features, the overriding
aspect that one finds is that for every feature contained in
the SE program, one can find significant depth of the same
feature in the Ai program. While you have one neutral point
setting in SE, there are 4 in Ai (and you can see the
numbers in Ai--in SE one can only observe the results. Both
programs have GANE® (Grain and Noise
Elimination) SRD® (Dust and Scratch Removal)
and ACR® (Automatic Color Reduction), NegaFix
(for working with negatives in real-time). [I believe I
mentioned these people like acronyms and initializations.]
In each feature, you have more control, and/or depth of
control in Ai.
Ai also provides batch processing, job management, SC2G
(Selective Color to Gray Conversion), HiRepp (High
Resolution, Picture Performance), Unsharp Masking Preview,
and a host of other features.
Probably most important, Ai provides the ability to
properly calibrate your scanner with optional ICC-Profiler,
IT8 calibration. This includes both reflective and
transparent IT8 calibration sheets. If anyone has ever
looked at the row after row of TVs at a departments store
and each one looked a bit (or a lot) different, scanners are
no different. Scanners should be calibrated just like any
monitor. Otherwise, expecting colors to remain true is a
guess work, crossed fingers, and wasted time.
As powerful, wonderful, and well made/designed both of
these programs are, where they fail is in documentation. The
Ai program comes in the same type of container as one gets
with a DVD. On one side of the box is the CD containing the
program while on the other side appears to be the manual.
But no, it is only a quickie introduction guide in 6
languages, and for each language there is only about 9 pages
of text which includes information on instillation.
Contained on the CD is the 282 page manual as a PDF.
But it doesn't stop there.
I found a total of 22 PDFs that are on the CD combined
with those that I could find at LaserSoft Imaging's web site
many of which have overlapping information. Which one to
look at and in what order? They provide a ScanPilot for the
program, I feel I need a ReadPilot for learning the program.
I also found 15 movies: some of these are identified as
being for the SE version, while others are for the Ai
version, and some I'm not sure which version of their
software the PDFs may be exclusively (or not) for. Some of
these movies show you a feature, while others explain how to
use a feature.
Learning this program will involve some dedicated time to
strip through the deluge of documents to see what you need
to look at and in what order and whether this document
pertains to your program or not. While I can only commend
LaserSoft's attempt to provide a lot of educational
resources at your hands, I wish (1) The program came with a
real paper manual, not just this introductory "thing," and
(2) they consolidated their various PDFs where possible and
presented them in a much more organized manner.
In short, if you purchased an inexpensive scanner (less
than perhaps $100), you probably received the software
supplied by the manufacturer. Trying not to sound too corny
here, but for a mere $49 you can vastly improve the quality
of your scanner by purchasing SilverFast SE. If you are
scanning many years of birthday party photos to keep digital
images in your computer, you probably will be fine with
SilverFast SE.
On the other hand, if you got Photoshop so you could
tweak your images to their perfection, you would be
pound-foolish to not upgrade to SilverFast Ai.
However, before you purchase anything, be sure to (1)
check to see if SilverFast will support your scanner. Also,
be advised that (2) this software may be very hardware
specific. That is, if you have an earlier Epson scanner and
purchase a SilverFast solution for that scanner and later
obtain a new Epson scanner, your old SilverFast software may
not work with the new scanner.
Applelinks Rating
___________
Gary Coyne has been a scientific glassblower for over 30 years. He's been using Macs since 1985 (his first was a fat Mac) and has been writing reviews of Mac software and hardware since 1995.
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