Scan software settings - feedback please
 

Hi all,

looking to get some feedback on some settings for my Epson V700.
I am trying Epson Scan and VueScan software, both with varying results and I'm not sure which to choose before image clean up in PS or LiteRoom.

If anyone could provide me some feedback and guidance on which setting would be best before processing, it would be appreciated.

All scanning done at 300dpi, 24b, TIF - compressed to 90% JPG. Additional details on each scan as per below:

Scan Software: Epson Scan
01 = Auto Exposure Type - Document; Unsharp Mask - Medium; Descreen - Magazine 133 lpi
02 = Auto Exposure Type - Photo; Unsharp Mask - Medium; Descreen - Magazine 133 lpi
03 = Auto Exposure Type - Photo; Unsharp Mask - Medium; Descreen - Magazine 133 lpi; Color Restoration - Yes

http://thumbnails101.imagebam.com/29...4299481005.jpg http://thumbnails112.imagebam.com/29...0299481016.jpg http://thumbnails109.imagebam.com/29...9299481031.jpg

Scan Software: VueScan
04 = Input - Color Photo; Colour - Neutral
05 = Input - Document; Colour - Neutral
06 = Input - Color Photo; Colour - Auto Level
07 = Input - Document; Colour - Auto Level

http://thumbnails104.imagebam.com/29...4299481060.jpg http://thumbnails111.imagebam.com/29...c299481069.jpg http://thumbnails111.imagebam.com/29...7299481088.jpg http://thumbnails111.imagebam.com/29...a299481107.jpg

---------

Epson Scan - I'm quite partial to 01, though 02 is closer to the magazine colours (at least by my screen settings). 03 Color restoration seems to adjust white balance?

VueScan - 04 Colour Photo setting picks up moire but has detail in the lingerie. 05 Magazine Setting descreens but reduces detail (as it would).
04-05 both seem washed out compared to Epson Scan (maybe over saturation of Epson software? ) 06-07 Auto Level seems far too bright.

Thanks, JM2

I'm not much of a scanner so the technical detail is beyond me. :o

If I'm asked to pick which I thinks is best, I'd go for 04. I just looks more natural.
All the Epson scans have far too much colour according to my eyes.

Hi Jumpman2,

Thank you for taking up scanning. :thumbsup:

Vuescan:
neutral looks better than autovl
photo looks better than document
of the Vuescan ones I prefer 4

Epson:
little difference between photo and document. Does your Epson software have a magazine setting? Mine does.
Of the Epson ones I prefer 1.

When I compare 1 and 4, 4 looks clearly sharper. However, the sharpening has some undesirable effects. It creates a pattern, that shows on the cheeks and the gloves. The lingerie looks better on 4, but IMO the skin looks better on 1.
First I liked 4 better, then 1. Anyway, out of 1,2 and 4 I would suggest to pick what you prefer and/or works fastest.

One more suggestion, here is number 2 recompressed to 70%:


http://img216.imagevenue.com/loc90/t...0_123_90lo.jpg


I thinkyou can easily save on file size and download/upload time by using more compression.

Good luck!

Yes the Epson has magazine in Home Mode. I was scanning under Professional Mode.
I may try to fix colors in post processing. At this stage it is just getting all the scanning done.

And I will compress to around 70-80% for final images. This was just a test and trying to provide high data files for others to review. Thanks for the feedback :)

Thanks for showing us your scans for critique. ;)

From the Epsom software batch #2 is the best of the three. It might seem flatter in color than #1 (Jim's pick), but as you said yourself #2 is the nearest to the original material so that's the best starting point to work from. #1 and #2 are the same quality, just different in color output. You can use the Curves tool in PS to quickly color correct an image which in #2's case is too much green cast.

From those done using the Vuescan software #5 is the best out of the four. Color and detail wise #4 is the same, but the sharpening in #4 is too aggressive and highlights a lot more moire effect. One could sharpen up #5 in PS more subtly and it would need less post processing work than #2.

Here's #2 quickly color corrected. Note: I could have spent a more time trying to find a better mid tone reference point and the result would have been better. As you can see it's now similar color wise to #5, but it is still has too much contrast, etc; and needs more work.

http://t.imgbox.com/acuhfElt.jpg

So I would pick #5 as the one I would go with straight off the scanner if it didn't suffer from the moire effect and that's one problem all your scans have. The appearance of moire effect, to differing degrees, in different areas of the image. Disable the Unsharp mask in the software whilst scanning as that is usually the main culprit. Never trust the software's sharpening filter, I never use it, do all your sharpening in PS where you have much more control over the end result. If that doesn't eliminate the moire effect try scanning at a lower dpi levels, like 240 dpi.

I'm assuming, Jumpman2, you export you scans as TIFs and then resave them as seperate JPGs through PS or Literoom?

Leave JPG compression at maximum quality! JPG is lossy format and destructive. The more the image is compressed the more data is lost from the image resulting in an increasing poorer quality image. If the file size is too big in your opinion, resize the image. In my opinion a 1-2MB image file is perfectly OK.

I used ACDSee to compress the TIFs. I'm happy to do provide high res and low res scans to the community once I'm done.

I'll do another batch later and we'll see how we get on. Playing with no color correction from Epson Scan and descreening options/no color correction in VueScan.

Have played around with some of the settings.
Found that under the epson configuration, you can turn off all colour correction. Software also can't descreen as a magazine without applying some sort of colour correction.

Have also tried descreen settings under vuescan, not much difference it seems between 150dpi vs 300 dpi. Also removed the neutral colour correction

08 = Epson, no colour correction
08 = Epson, auto exposure: low; Unsharp Mask: No; Desceen: Magazine 133lpi
08 = Epson, auto exposure: low; Unsharp Mask: No; Desceen: Newspaper 88lpi
11 = vuescan, descreen: 150dpi, no colour correction
12 = vuescan, descreen: 150dpi, neutral colour
13 = vuescan, descreen: 300dpi, no colour correction
14 = vuescan, descreen: 300dpi, neutral colour

Side note - does anyone know who the model is? From Big Ones Vol.3 No.12

Epson
http://thumbnails110.imagebam.com/29...2299774527.jpg http://thumbnails112.imagebam.com/29...6299774575.jpg http://thumbnails109.imagebam.com/29...2299774601.jpg

Vuescan
http://thumbnails109.imagebam.com/29...3299774635.jpg http://thumbnails112.imagebam.com/29...4299774669.jpg http://thumbnails109.imagebam.com/29...d299774698.jpg http://thumbnails112.imagebam.com/29...d299774737.jpg

#14 is the best scan result IMHO. ;):thumbsup:

The detail in it is clearer than the 150dpi and the colours are good. Your right about the moire effect (on the pink gloves) not disappearing at low dpi because I think it's actually the chroma effect. It's likely being caused either by a fault in the dot matrix of ink printed to the paper or the inherent texture of the gloves and the dot matrix prevent the scanner from rendering it out correctly.

#14 looks best to me Jumpman.

Thanks for feedback. I'll get to scanning now :)
Then there will post processing to do. Ugh..