By James Booth
In an age where digital images are as common as the local drugstore, it's important to preserve the images of the past. In fact, it's likely that even the local drugstore has gotten in on the digital imaging act. In many cases, the photo is the only record we have of an event, so obviously, a scanner is an essential tool in the preservation of those cherished images.
Perhaps the negatives were lost, destroyed, or we never had them to begin with. Getting the most accurate digital rendition of the photo is our last best hope of preservation. In order to do that, you'll need to pair your scanner with Hamrick Software's VueScan.
What it is
Designed to work with any scanner on the market, past or present, VueScan is a versatile scanning engine for the novice or pro. Written by Ed Hamrick, who knows more about scanners than any other person I've met, VueScan will help you get the most from your scanner, regardless of brand.
For the advanced or professional user, it will give you complete control over every aspect of the scan, from DPI (dots per inch), to bit depth (the more bits, the higher the quality), to complete control over the color balance and exposure. VueScan also offers a variety of file formats to choose from, including the standard JPEG and TIFF, but also Adobe's DNG format, and the ability to perform multiple passes, combining them for a better result.
For the novice and inexperienced, VueScan has a wizard interface. The wizard essentially walks you through the scan, step-by-step, virtually automating the entire scanning process.
What it does
In a nutshell, what VueScan does is allow you to get the best scan possible from your scanner. Through the use of scanner-specific algorithms, the software is able to interpret the data from your scanner and tailor the results for the best possible outcome. And it does so with no interaction from the user.
Worried about whether or not your decades-old scanner will work with VueScan? It will. And updates are released on a regular basis. Sometimes weekly.
Still having difficulty with your particular scanner? Contact Hamrick Software. They are very approachable, very responsive, and very helpful.
What about Vista? A lot of scanners simply don't work under Windows Vista, Microsoft's newest incarnation of the Windows operating system. And many manufacturers are simply not providing updated drivers, are reluctant to do so, or are just taking their sweet time about it. VueScan will also take care of you in this regard.
In fact, a great number of VueScan purchasers use it for this very purpose.
The wizard
VueScan's scanning wizard, shown in Figure A, is quite easy to use.
FIGURE A
Novices will like VueScan's wizard. (click for larger image)
The wizard allows the inexperienced and uninitiated to achieve quality scans of images with little effort. The walkthrough guides you through every step of the process, using a default configuration. For the adventurous, those settings can be tweaked to expand the capabilities and function of the wizard utility.
Advanced mode
The real power of VueScan is in the use of the advanced settings. As seen in Figure B, the advanced settings offer a wide range of control over the image.
FIGURE B
Complete image control in advanced mode. (click for larger image)
The advanced mode actually offers two levels of interaction; a base level of settings, and an even further expanded range. Why such an intimate level of interaction? To get the highest quality scan possible.
With access to settings such as bit depth and dpi, VueScan taps into the core of the digital image, stretching quality to its bounds. It can extend the dpi to the limits of your scanner, and the bit depth up to 64-bits.
In case you're wondering, bit depth is the number of particles each little pixel is made of. The more bits, the greater the range and depth of each pixel. Thus, a higher quality image.
VueScan also offers the ability to take multiple scans of an image, then combine and average them for a better result. Bear in mind though, the more you increase the number of passes, dpi, and bit depth, the longer it will take to complete the scan and the larger the file will be.
Included as part of VueScan are filters for restoring color and fading, sharpening, and multiple levels of grain reduction. Also, an entire set of profiles are dedicated to color balance, covering such things as white balance, tungsten and fluorescent lighting, night photography, and more. For the truly expert and adventurous, slider controls let you take a hands-on approach to color control.
To truly get the best possible exposure from your scanner, printer, etc., VueScan has a profiling utility. For example, by scanning an IT-8 color target, and using its accompanying data file, VueScan is able to make adjustments to the exposure and rendering algorithms that are specific to and based on the capabilities and limitations of your scanner.
In truth, there are just too many features, functions, aspects, and settings to VueScan for me to cover them all. Suffice it to say, newbie or expert, VueScan will have the feature set you require.
The review
In order to review a product like VueScan and determine whether or not it's actually better than a scanner's OEM software, it must be tested against that OEM software. What follows are the results of that testing. The tests were performed on a CanoScan LiDE 25 flatbed scanner, utilizing the included ScanGear software versus VueScan.
Figure C shows the same image, a wrinkled photo of my grandfather, scanned using the CanoScan software, VueScan's wizard, and VueScan's advanced mode.
FIGURE C
A side-by-side-by-side comparison. (click for larger image)
As you can see, the CanoScan image is flat and washed out; much more so than the original. VueScan's default wizard settings produced results that were a bit better. A bit more contrast, and not quite as washed out.
The most noticeable improvement though, is with VueScan's advanced settings. There's much more detail visible, and the saturation and contrast is much better. This is about the best that can be expected from the original, under-exposed print.
In the next image, we have a color portrait of yours truly and his wife, circa 1995. It is a scan of the original print, one of only a few in existence. And because this was taken at a Sears Portrait Studio, it's not possible to get a reprint after this long.
Since this is an important archival situation, it is imperative the scan is of the highest possible quality. Figure D shows the results.
FIGURE D
An important archival scan. (click for larger image)
The CanoScan on the left is clearly flat and lifeless. It's as though you're looking at the image through a fine, white mesh. The VueScan image, on the other hand, snaps, pops, is full of life and vibrant color. A much better archival image.
As an interesting side note, the wrinkles of the material on my suit coat were all but invisible in the original print. And both of our seams and lapels had only a whisper of a presence. It's a testament to digital that these objects were able to be pulled out; in both scans actually.
Just like with a quality digital camera, the data is there; it's just a matter of having the tools and the skill to tweak the settings and bring out those elements. VueScan is a perfect tool for just that purpose, the skill is left up to you.
Now, you may suggest that with the appropriate editing software the same results could de achieved. That may be the case, and it may not. I've known men and women who were true artists in the darkroom, but much like that editing software, only so much can be done at the end stage.
If the source is garbage to begin with, there won't be much you can do with it. Wouldn't you rather have the image scanned properly in the first place?
The rating
I could think of no aspect of VueScan that needed to be improved. And with regular updates coming out all the time, it should remain current.
When I first began my review of VueScan, the User Guide was out of date, but even that is now current to the most recent version and is available in an online version and downloadable PDF.
For the ease of use, the quality scans it offers in both guided and advanced modes, and in particular for the personal, hands-on support offered by Hamrick Software, VueScan earns itself a perfect score of 5 out of 5.
RATING: 5 STARS