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9222-7310-11 AV-A304/ME-0304
E
SOFTWARE MANUAL
Tone-curve corrections
By selecting individual color channels on the tone curve, adjustments to the overall color of an image can be made. In this example, the image is too yellow. By moving the blue curve up, the image looks more neutral. For more on tone curve corrections, see page 50.
Digital ROC - Reconstruction Of Color
Original image
After Digital ROC processing
Digital ROC restores the color of old faded film, see page 45.
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Color examples
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
Thank you for purchasing this Minolta product. Please take the time to read through this instruction manual so you can enjoy all the features of your new scanner. Check the packing list in the scanner hardware manual before using this product. The DiMAGE Scan functions available vary between scanner models. To find the functions listed in this software manual that are not compatible with your scanner, see "Compatibility with the DiMAGE Scan Utility" in the scanner notes section of the hardware manual. If the operating system's display controls are set to a large font size, the text in the DiMAGE Scan applications will not be displayed correctly. Use the computer's initial display text size. This instruction manual does not provide instruction in the basic operation of the personal computers, nor the basic operation of Windows or Macintosh operating systems; refer to the manuals supplied with the computer. The examples in this manual use Windows software. The appearance of the screens may differ from the examples when using Macintosh or other Windows operating systems. The screens can also vary with the scanner model. Every precaution has been taken to ensure the accuracy of this material. Specifications in this manual are based on the latest information available at the time of printing and are subject to change without notice. Minolta is not responsible for any loss or damage caused by the use of this software. This instruction manual may not be copied either in part or in its entirety without the prior permission of Minolta.
Before installing the DiMAGE Scan Utility
RAM-stationed programs such as anti-virus or installation-monitoring software may cause the installer to fail. Remove or disable these programs before installing the DiMAGE Scan Utility. Reinstall or enable the software when the installation is complete. The scanner hardware manual contains the system requirements for the purchased scanner unit; do NOT connect the scanner to a computer before installing the DiMAGE Scan Utility software.
Microsoft, Windows, Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows 2000 Professional, and Windows XP are registered trademarks of the Microsoft Corporation. Macintosh, Apple, and Power Macintosh are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. Adobe and Photoshop are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated. Digital ICE3, Digital ICE, Digital ROC, and Digital GEM are trademarks of registered trademarks and technologies of Applied Science Fiction, Inc in U. S. A. Other corporate and product names are the trademarks and registered trademarks of their respective companies.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
This manual contains information on the DiMAGE Scan Utility software. See the supplied hardware manual for information on connecting the scanner to a computer and loading the film holders. The scanner notes section of that manual provides additional information on software operation for your particular model scanner.
Color examples ..............................................................................................................2 Before you begin ............................................................................................................3 Before installing the DiMAGE Scan Utility ..........................................................3 Installation ................................................................................................................6 Windows ..............................................................................................................6 Macintosh ............................................................................................................8 Easy Scan Utility ..........................................................................................................10 Launching the Easy Scan Utility ......................................................................10 Using the Easy Scan Utility ..............................................................................11 Basic scanning ............................................................................................................14 Launching the DiMAGE Scan Utility..................................................................14 Scanning basics ................................................................................................14 Scanner setup ..................................................................................................15 Main window and index scan tab ......................................................................15 Making an index scan ......................................................................................16 Selecting index thumbnails................................................................................16 Flip and rotate images ......................................................................................17 Fit-to-window button ..........................................................................................17 Main window and prescan tab ..........................................................................18 Making a prescan ..............................................................................................18 Grab tool............................................................................................................19 Magnifying tool ..................................................................................................19 Auto cropping ....................................................................................................19 CHP button (APS film) ......................................................................................19 Making the final scan ........................................................................................20 Basic image processing................................................................................................22 Main window and image-correction tab ............................................................22 Pixel Polish ........................................................................................................23 Digital ICE - Image Correction Enhancement ..................................................24 Variation palette ................................................................................................25 Brightness, contrast, and color-balance palette ................................................26 An introduction to color ....................................................................................27 Comparing pre and post-correction images......................................................28 Undoing and redoing image corrections ..........................................................28 Grain Dissolver ..................................................................................................29 Quitting the DiMAGE Scan Utility......................................................................29 Advanced scanning ......................................................................................................30 Setting scanner preferences ............................................................................30 Exposure control tab ........................................................................................32 Saving exposure settings ......................................................................33 Loading exposure settings ....................................................................33 More index scan functions ................................................................................34 Reverse frame order ..............................................................................34 Saving the index thumbnails ..................................................................35 Saving an index file................................................................................35 Loading an index file ..............................................................................35
4
Table of contents
More prescan functions ....................................................................................36 Point AF (Autofocus) ..............................................................................36 Manual focus..........................................................................................37 Manual cropping ....................................................................................38 Autoexposure ........................................................................................39 AE area selection ..............................................................................39 AE lock ..............................................................................................39 Inputting scan settings manually ......................................................................40 About resolution and output size ......................................................................41 Scan setting examples ......................................................................................42 Saving scan settings as a Job ..........................................................................43 Deleting a Job ..................................................................................................43 Advanced image processing ........................................................................................44 More image-processing tools ............................................................................44 Digital ROC - Reconstruction Of Color ............................................................45 Digital GEM - Grain Equalization & Management ............................................46 Tone curve / histogram palette ..........................................................................48 Using tone curves ............................................................................................48 Drawing tone curves by freehand ....................................................................49 A short guide to tone-curve corrections ............................................................50 Histogram corrections ......................................................................................52 Tone-curve / histogram auto setting ..................................................................53 White, black, and gray-point corrections ..........................................................54 Setting the white and black-point values ..........................................................55 Tracking image corrections - snapshot button ..................................................55 Hue, saturation, and lightness palette ..............................................................56 Selective-color palette ......................................................................................57 About RGB and CMY ........................................................................................57 Unsharp mask ..................................................................................................58 Saving image corrections ..................................................................................59 Loading image-correction Jobs ........................................................................59 Custom Wizard ............................................................................................................60 Batch Scan Utility ........................................................................................................62 Color matching..............................................................................................................66 Setting the output color space ..........................................................................66 Output color spaces ..........................................................................................67 Setting the monitor ICC profile ..........................................................................68 Scanner color profiles ......................................................................................68 Color matching recommendations ....................................................................69 Appendix ..............................................................................................................70 Using multiple scanners ....................................................................................70 Uninstalling the DiMAGE Scan software ..........................................................70 Installed file and folders ....................................................................................71 Dimage Scan Multi and Multi II system requirements ......................................72 About the Dimage Scan Multi and Multi II ........................................................73 Record keeping ................................................................................................73 Image Data Sheet ............................................................................................74 Color examples ................................................................................................75
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INSTALLATION
Windows
In the example below, the hard disk is drive C, and the CD-ROM drive is drive D. The letters designating the drives will vary between computers. Turn on the computer to start up the Windows operating system. Insert the DiMAGE Scan Utility CD-ROM into the CDROM drive. The DiMAGE Scan Utility setup screen will open. Click the "Starting up the DiMAGE Scan installer" button. The program decompression screen will briefly appear. The Install Shield Wizard will start automatically. If the Install Shield Wizard does not start up automatically, execute the following procedure: 1. Initiate the run routine on the start menu. 2. Click the browse button in the run dialog box. 3. Select the CD-ROM drive from the look-in box in the browse window. 4. Open the driver folder. 5. Open the English folder. 6. Click on the Setup.exe file. It will be displayed with its location in the run dialog box: D:\Driver\English\Setup.exe. Click OK.
The opening screen of the InstallShield Wizard will appear. Click the next button to continue.
Click the yes button to accept the agreement and continue. Read the entire agreement carefully before continuing. If you do not agree to the terms of the license agreement, click the no button to exit the setup program.
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Installation
To install the software in the default folder (C:\Program Files\DiMAGEScan), click Next. To install the software in another folder, click the browse button to display the folder selection window. Specify the directory in which to install the software, then click OK.
Select the components to be installed, then click the next button. The DiMAGE Scan Launcher and Quick Scan Utility should only be installed with compatible scanners, see "Compatibility with the DiMAGE Scan Utility" in the scanner notes section of the hardware manual. Normally, the TWAIN data source should be installed. The descriptions in this manual assume the utility was installed with the TWAIN data source.
The name of the default program folder is displayed. To install the software in this folder, click Next. To install the software to another existing folder, select one of the folders listed in the existing-folders box below. Click the next button to begin installation.
The InstallShield Wizard will indicate that installation was successful. Select the restart-computer option and then click Finish. When the computer restarts, the scanner driver software will be ready to use. Print out a copy of the Read Me file for reference.
The scanner software can be launched directly from most image-processing applications. Although the TWAIN driver cannot be seen, it allows the utility to be launched from an image-processing application using the import option as well as allowing the computer and scanner to communicate.
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Macintosh
Turn on the computer to start the Mac OS. Insert the DiMAGE Scan Utility CD-ROM into the CDROM drive. The Dimage Scan Utility CD-ROM icon will appear on the desktop. Double-click on the icon; the driver, manual, and acrobat reader folders will be displayed.
Open the driver folder to view the language folders. Driver
Open the appropriate language folder.
Deutsch
Espanol
Francais
English
Japanese
Double click on the DiMAGE Scan installer; the installer's startup screen will open.
Click the continue button on the installer screen to begin the installation routine.
The end-user license agreement will appear. If you accept the terms of the agreement, click the accept button to continue the installation routine. If you do not agree to the conditions in the end-user license agreement, click the decline button and the software will not be installed.
With custom installation selected from the pop-up menu at the top left of the installer screen, click the check box of the files to be installed. The DiMAGE Scan Launcher and Quick Scan Utility should only be installed with compatible scanners, see "Compatibility with the DiMAGE Scan Utility" in the scanner notes section of the hardware manual. At the bottom of the installer screen, specify the location in which the software will be installed. To change the designated location, use the install-location menu; this menu can be used to select an existing location or create a new one. Click the install button to begin installation.
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Installation
Any software that is running must be closed before the DiMAGE Scan Utility can be installed. Click the continue button to shut down any active applications and continue the installation routine. The cancel option will end the installation routine.
A screen confirming the successful installation of the software will appear. Click the restart button to exit the installation program and restart the computer. The quit button exits the installer without restarting the computer. To make additional installations, click the continue button. After the computer restarts, confirm the selected DiMAGE Scan applications are installed in the designated location. Print out a copy of the Read Me file for reference.
If the DiMAGE Scan plug-in was installed, simply drag and drop the plug-in file into an image-processing application's import folder. This will allow the DiMAGE Scan Utility to be launched directly from that application.
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EASY SCAN UTILITY
The DiMAGE Scan Easy Scan Utility is a simple, automatic scanning application for trouble-free scans. The utility works as a stand-alone program, and cannot be launched through another application. This software is not available with all scanner models, see the scanner notes section in the scanner hardware manual. The following settings are automatically made when using the Easy Scan Utility: · Autofocusing with each 35mm frame, or with the first APS frame only. · Index scan priority: speed setting (p. 30). · Color depth: 8 bit. · No multi-sample scanning. · Automatic cropping to inside edge (p. 19). · When Digital ROC is active, color matching is turned off. · sRGB output color space when color matching is on. (p. 66) · Autoexposure with all films except black and white slides.
Launching the Easy Scan Utility
Do not launch the utility with a film holder in the scanner. If the scanner model has a manual front door, the door must be closed.
Windows
Select DiMAGE Scan - Easy Scan Utility from the Minolta DiMAGE Scan folder in the program option of the start menu.
Macintosh
Open the DiMAGE Scan folder. Double click the DiMAGE Scan Easy icon.
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Easy scan utility
Using the Easy Scan Utility
When the Easy Scan Utility is launched, the Easy Scan Wizard opens. Simply follow the instructions on the Wizard to scan images. Screens and functions differ between scanner models.
A screen requesting a film holder appears. Load and insert the holder following the instructions in the loading a film holder section of the hardware manual. If an optional APS adapter is used, an index scan will be made and the next window is skipped. The APS auto-detect function automatically sets the film type between color and black and white, and positive and negative.
The status bar at the top of each window gives instructions or describes function on which the mouse pointer is located. To exit the Easy Scan Utility at any point, click the quit button in the bottom left corner of the window. The film holder will be ejected automatically. When scanning 35mm film, click the appropriate button to specify the film type; film for slides is positive film, and film for prints is negative film. The border of the film-type button is highlighted to indicate the selection. Click the next button to begin an index scan.
Film-type buttons
Scanner Notes (Macintosh)
To cancel an index scan, prescan, or final scan once it has started, click and hold the mouse on the cancel button in the progress dialog box or press and hold the command and period (.) keys until the cancel button appears to depress.
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When the index scan is complete, thumbnails of all the images in the holder are displayed. Click the image to be scanned. The border is highlighted to indicate selection. Only one image can be selected. When using an optional APS adapter, the thumbnail frame numbers correspond to the film frame numbers.
The functions available vary between scanner model. Digital ICE (p. 24) Digital ROC (p. 45) Digital GEM (p. 46) Pixel Polish (p. 23) Grain Dissolver (p. 29)
Rotate buttons Adjust-image check box
Index thumbnails
Once an image-processing function is selected, it will remain in effect until canceled. Not all the functions can be used with black and white film. The Grain Dissolver automatically activates with Digital ICE when both functions are available. Click the adjust-image check box to access the adjust-image screen to control image brightness, contrast, and saturation. Uncheck the box to go directly to the select-usage screen.
When scanning with the optional APS adapter, more thumbnails will be created than can be displayed. Scroll buttons will appear at the side of the window. The single-arrow button scrolls one line at a time, the double-arrow button scrolls two lines. Select the image to be scanned. Select image processing or rotate the image as necessary. Click the next button to continue.
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Easy scan utility
If the adjust-image option was checked in the previous screen, the adjust-image screen will be displayed. The same automatic image-processing functions shown in the previous screen are also displayed here. Click and drag the brightness, contrast, and saturation sliders to adjust the image; change are reflected in the display. Any changes made to brightness, contrast, and saturation will remain in effect until reset or the utility is closed. Returning to the previous screen and unchecking the adjust-image box will not reset these settings. After making adjustments to the image, click the next button.
Select the option which best describes the final use of the scanned image. Only one choice can be made. Click the scan button to continue; the save-as screen will open. If an image has multiple uses, repeat the Easy Scan procedure for each use of the image.
On the save-as screen, specify the file name, file format, and destination of the image data. Images can be saved in BMP, JPEG, TIFF, or PICT file formats. See page 21 for more about these formats. When saving JPEG files, the compression ratio can be specified. Click the save button to complete the final scan.
When using a USB storage device on the same bus as the scanner, save the data on the computer's hard disk first before transferring it to the storage device. Saving the scanned data directly to the device may corrupt the image data. After the scanning is completed, the image is ready to use. Click the appropriate button to continue or close the utility. The quit button closes the Easy Scan Utility and ejects the film holder. The replace-film button ejects the holder so the film can be changed. The continue button allows other images in the film holder to be scanned. Turn off the scanner when not in use.
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BASIC SCANNING
Launching the DiMAGE Scan Utility
Do not launch the utility with a film holder in the scanner. If the scanner model has a manual front door, the door must be closed. The utility can also be launched from an image-processing application. See the Windows and Macintosh installation section.
Windows
Select DiMAGE Scan Utility from the Minolta DiMAGE Scan folder in the program option of the start menu. See page 70 when using multiple scanners.
Macintosh
Open the DiMAGE Scan folder, and double click the DiMAGE Scan Utility icon. See page 70 when using multiple scanners.
Scanning basics
Please read the basic scanning section in its entirety before moving on. Before any scan is made, the film holder must be loaded and inserted into the scanner. Refer to the scanner hardware manual for instructions as well as film handling tips. Three types of scans can be made singularly or in combination depending on the workflow and degree of processing:
Index scan
To display thumbnails of each image in the 35mm or APS film holder. An index scan is useful when scanning multiple frames on one film strip or for selecting a specific frame among similar images.
Prescan
To display a preview of a specific image. A prescan allows an image to be cropped or corrected using the DiMAGE Scan's image-processing tools.
Scan
To save and export an image. Image size, resolution, and file format are specified with this scan.
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Basic scanning
Scanner setup
Before making a scan, the film format and type must be specified. Refer to the film format and type settings section of the hardware manual for more information. Film format and type are selected from the drop-down menus in the top left corner of the main window. If the holder and selected film format do not match, a warning will be displayed and the scan will not be made. Some model scanners use both glass and glassless film holders, see the scanner notes section in the hardware manual. This must be set with the holder type drop-down list.
Main window and index scan tab
Film format Eject button Holder type Help Film type
Scan button (p. 20) Index scan button (p. 16) Prescan button (p. 18) Index tab Rotate buttons (p. 17) Flip buttons (p. 17) Fit-to-window button (p. 17)
The utility window can be resized by clicking and dragging the bottom right corner.
Index thumbnail Frame number Scan-setting window (p. 20)
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Making an index scan
Index scans can be made of 35mm or APS film. An index scan cannot be made with single-frame medium format film holders. The type of film holder available vary with scanner model. With a loaded film holder in the scanner, click the index-scan button in the main window to start the scan. All the frames in the film holder will be scanned. The frame number of the index scan corresponds to the frame number in the film holder. Images can be prescanned or scanned without making an index scan. To cancel the index scan, click the cancel button in the small dialog box that appears during the scan, or press the escape key (Windows), or press the command key and period (.) at the same time (Macintosh). Index thumbnails will remain in the display until another index scan is made or the film format and type are changed. To initialize the index display and remove the current thumbnails press the control key (Windows) or command key (Macintosh) together with the shift and R keys.
Selecting index thumbnails
The thumbnail display allows the selection of single or multiple images for prescanning or scanning. Selected images can also be affected by the scanner software functions such as the rotate buttons. Simply click on a thumbnail to select it; the border will darken to indicate selection. To select multiple images, press and hold the control key (Windows) or command key (Macintosh) and then click on each image to be scanned; the selected frames will have a dark border. To deselect an image, click on the thumbnail a second time while holding the control key (Windows) or command key (Macintosh). To select consecutive images, press and hold the shift key and then click on the first and last images of the series. Press the control key (Windows) or command key (Macintosh) and A key at the same time to select all frames.
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Basic scanning
Flip and rotate images
The orientation of the index thumbnails and prescan images can be changed with the flip and rotate buttons on the tool bar.
Rotate - the rotate-right button rotates the thumbnail 90° clockwise and the rotateleft button rotates the image 90° counterclockwise each time the buttons are clicked.
Original image Flip - when an image is flipped, it will create a mirror image.
Fit-to-window button
Normally, index thumbnails and prescan images are displayed based on their size and resolution. When the number of thumbnails or the size of the prescan is too large or small for the display area, clicking the fit-to-window button automatically resizes the images to fit the display area. Clicking the button again displays the images at their original size. The prescan grab and zoom tools cannot be used with the fit-to-window function.
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Main window and prescan tab
Film format Index scan button (p. 16) Prescan button Scan button (p. 20) Eject button Holder type This display indicates the frame number of the displayed image and the number of images in the holder. Click the arrows to load the previous or next image.
Film type
Help
CHP button (for APS film) (p. 19) Auto-cropping button (p. 19) Prescan display area Grab button (p. 19) Magnifying button (p. 19) Fit-to-window button (p. 17) Flip-vertically button (p. 17) Flip-horizontally button (p. 17) Scan-setting window (p. 20) Rotate-right button (p. 17) Rotate-left button (p. 17)
Making a prescan
When using an index scan, select the index frame to be prescanned. Click the prescan button in the main window. Double clicking on the index frame will also activate the prescan even if no thumbnail is displayed in the frame; the prescan window will be displayed automatically. When using a single-frame medium-format film holder, click the prescan button in the main window.
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Basic scanning
Grab tool
When an image is larger than the display area, the grab tool can be used to scroll the image. Click the grab button on the tool bar. Click and drag on the image to scroll. This tool cannot be used with the fit-towindow function (p. 17).
Magnifying tool
The display image can be enlarged or reduced. Click the magnifying button on the tool bar. Click on the image to enlarge. To reduce, hold down the control (Windows) or option key (Macintosh) and click on the image. When the image has reached the magnification limit, the plus or minus sign in the magnifying icon will disappear. This tool cannot be used with the fit-to-window function (p. 17). Enlarge Reduce
Auto cropping
Auto cropping eliminates the blank space around the image area. Clicking the auto-cropping button cycles through its three positions: crop to outside edge of the image area, crop to inside edge of the image area, and entire scan area. The cropping frame is indicated by a marquee (dotted line). The cropping area can also be adjusted manually (p. 38). When using the image-correction tools, only the cropped area is displayed.
CHP button (APS film)
Scanner models that accept optional APS adapters can use the CHP button to crop an image to one of the APS formats. Clicking the CHP button cycles the cropping frame through the C, H, and P APS framing formats. The cropping area can be moved by placing the mouse pointer within the marquee (dotted line) and then clicking and dragging. The cropping area can also be adjusted manually (p. 40). When using the image-correction tools, only the cropped area is displayed.
H
P C
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Making the final scan
Before making the final scan, the input and output parameters must be specified. While it's possible to input the scan settings yourself, DiMAGE Scan Utility gives you an easier choice - the Job function. This function automatically loads the scan settings based on the final use of the image. The scan-setting dialog box is located on the left of both the index scan and prescan windows.
The Standard Scan Utility contains over 100 Job files to cover a wide range of image use. To create your own Job files or to input the scan settings manually, see page 40. For a list of Job parameters, see the Job file lists section in the scanner hardware manual.
Job name Load Job button Scan resolution File resolution
Scan dimensions and magnification
File dimensions Unit of dimensions Reset button
Size is based on the total number of pixels in the image and can be different from the size of the saved data depending on the file format selected. Click the load Job button. The Job-selection dialog box will open.
Select a Job category from the drop-down list. The Job categories will vary between scanner models.
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Basic scanning
Click a Job file name to select it. The Job names can be sorted chronologically or alphabetically by clicking the name or date radio buttons at the bottom of the dialog box. The scan settings of the selected Job file are displayed on the right side of the window. The Job settings vary with the film format. Click the OK button to apply the Job settings. When the Job file is loaded, a cropping frame will appear on the image. The frame is proportional to the output use specified with the Job. The frame can be resized, but the proportions will remain the same; the input and output values are automatically adjusted to match the change to the cropping frame.
Click the scan button in the main window to start the final scan. If the DiMAGE Scan Utility was opened in an imageprocessing application, the scanned image will be opened in that application. If the utility is used by itself, the save as dialog box will open.
On the save-as dialog box, enter the file name, and select the file destination and file format for the image data. If multiple images are scanned, a serial number can be added to the file name automatically; click the add-number check box and then enter the first number of the series. When saving JPEG files, the compression ratio must be specified. Click the save button to make the final scan.
File types This file can be compressed to reduce the file size. The compression ratio can be selected when saving. The higher the compression ratio, the smaller the file size, and more loss to image quality. A high-resolution bitmap that can be opened on any computer platform. The color depth can be specified in the preference window (p. 30). A file type used in Windows. This file type can be opened in the paint software installed in the Windows operating system. A file type used in Macintosh. This file can be opened in the Simple Text application installed with Macintosh operating systems. The file cannot have a width greater than 4096 pixels.
JPEG
TIFF
BMP
PICT
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BASIC IMAGE PROCESSING
Main window and image-correction tab
This section contains details on the basic image-processing tools. For descriptions of the advanced tools, see pages 44 though 59. The prescan image or a selected index image can be displayed in the image correction window by simple clicking the tab. If the image has not been prescanned, a prescan will be made automatically. Index scan button (p. 16) Prescan button (p. 18) Scan button (p. 20) Pixel Polish tab Image-correction tab
The functions available vary between scanner model. Digital ICE (p. 24) Digital ROC (p. 45) Digital GEM (p. 46) Pixel Polish (p. 23) Grain Dissolver (p. 29)
Display area
Reset-all button (p. 28) Redo button (p. 28) Undo button (p. 28) Variation button (p. 25) Brightness, contrast, and color-balance button (p. 26) Comparison display button (p. 28) Fit-to-window button (p. 17) The utility window can be resized by clicking and dragging the bottom right corner. If the fit-to-window function is active, the displayed image will automatically adjust to fit the display area. If any changes are made to the image using Pixel Polish or the image-correction tab, the tab will turn red (Windows) or an asterisk will be displayed (Macintosh).
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Basic image processing
Pixel Polish
Pixel Polish makes automatic or custom image corrections. This function is not available with all scanner models. See the scanner notes section in the hardware manual for compatibility and system requirements. Pixel Polish cannot be used with black and white film, 16-bit or 16-bit linear color depth (p. 30). Scanning time increases. The effect of Pixel Polish is based on the prescan image area. If the image is cropped after applying Pixel Polish, click the crop-prescan button (p. 38) to view the results. Click the Pixel Polish button in the main window to automatically correct the images in the film holder; previous corrections are canceled. The correction is applied to the prescan image. Pixel Polish remains in effect until canceled; click the Pixel Polish button again. To reapply image corrections made before using Pixel Polish, open the image in the image-correction tab and click the undo button.
Pixel Polish button
Pixel Polish tab Apply-all button Auto radio button Custom radio button
Custom correction list boxes
To make custom corrections, click the Pixel Polish tab. If a prescan has not been made, the scanner will make one automatically. Click the custom radio button. Click on the descriptions in the list boxes which best describes the image. To deselect a description, click on it again (Windows) or press the command key and click on it (Macintosh). The apply-all button applies the custom settings to all images in the film holder. To reset the images to the auto correction setting, click the auto radio button and then the apply-all button.
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Digital ICE - Image Correction Enhancement
Digital ICE reduces the effects of surface defects, dust, scratches, fingerprints, mold, etc., from the film image during scanning. The scanning time increases with the use of Digital ICE. The Grain Dissolver automatically activates with Digital ICE when both functions are available.
Original image
After Digital ICE processing
Click the Digital-ICE button to activate the function. Press the prescan button to view the results.
Digital ICE processing is applied to the prescan and final scan. To turn off Digital ICE, click the Digital-ICE button again. Each time the Digital ICE button is pressed, the prescan image is deleted and another prescan needs to be made. Digital ICE cannot be used with Kodak Kodachrome film or traditional silver-halide black and white films. Special black and white films that are designed to be developed in a C-41 or equivalent color process, Kodak Select Black & White 400, Kodak T400CN, or Ilford XP2 Super, can be processed with the Digital ICE function. These films should be scanned with the color-negative film-type setting. Results cannot be guarantied with other types of black and white film. The undo, redo, and reset-all buttons have no effect with the Digital ICE3 functions.
24
Basic image processing
Variation palette
The variation palette allows an image to be corrected by comparing it to other slightly corrected images surrounding it. This is an easy method to correct images for individuals who are inexperienced in image processing or photofinishing. Click the variation button to display the palette. Click the arrow next to the variation list box (1) to select the image quality to be corrected: color balance, brightness and contrast, or saturation. Each variation palette shows the current image in the center with corrected samples displayed around it. Variation list box Variation-step slider and text box Display-limit check box
1
Close button
2
Reset button Click the best image among the frames (2). The selected image becomes the new center surrounded by a set of new images and the change is applied to the prescan image. This procedure can be repeated until the desired correction is obtained. Click the reset button to cancel all changes. The difference between the samples can be changed. Drag the variation-step slider, or enter a value into the text box to set the degree of correction. The initial setting is 10. The correction step can be set between 1 and 20. Checking the display-limit check box will indicate when any of the image values exceed 0 (black limit) or 255 (white limit) with the complementary color. For example, if the blue area of the image exceeds those values, the limit is displayed with the complementary color, yellow. Click the close button to close the palette and apply any image corrections.
25
Brightness, contrast, and color balance palette
Click the brightness, contrast, color-balance button to display the palette. Drag the brightness, contrast, or color sliders, or enter specific values in the corresponding text box to make corrections. Dragging each slider to the right or inputting a positive number in the text box increases the brightness, contrast, and color. Changes will be reflected in the displayed image and in the graph at the top of the palette. The horizontal axis of the chart indicates the original image values and the vertical axis the new values. Click the reset button to cancel all changes. Clicking the auto-setting button corrects the brightness and contrast automatically without affecting the color balance. Click the reset button to cancel the changes.
Is this picture too light? Adjusting brightness and contrast can be more difficult than it looks. The image on the right looks too bright, especially the mountains in the background.
Simply making everything darker with the brightness controls creates a muddy image - the snow and sky are a dull gray and there are no strong blacks.
By adding contrast to the image, the snow is brightened while the darker trees are accentuated. The extra contrast also gives the image the appearance of being sharper as well as revealing fine details.
26
Basic image processing
An introduction to color
In photography, red, green, and blue are the primary colors. The secondary colors, cyan, magenta, and yellow, are made from combining the primary colors: cyan = blue + green, magenta = blue + red, and yellow = red + green. The primary and secondary colors are grouped in complementary pairs: red and cyan, green and magenta, and blue and yellow. RED
MAGENTA
YELLOW
BLUE
GREEN
CYAN Knowing the complementary colors is very important in color balancing. If the image has a specific color cast, either subtracting the color or adding its complementary color will create a natural looking image.
RED GREEN If the image is too... BLUE CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW
Decrease the amount of red. Decrease the amount of green. Decrease the amount of blue. Increase the amount of red. Increase the amount of green. Increase the amount of blue.
Adding or subtracting equal parts of red, green, and blue will have no affect on the color balance. However, it can change the overall image brightness and contrast. Usually, no more than two color channels are needed to color balance an image. Color balancing is a skill that develops with practice. While the human eye is extremely sensitive in making comparative judgements, it is a poor tool when making absolute measurements of color. Initially, it can be very difficult to distinguish between blue and cyan, and red and magenta. However, adjusting the wrong color channel never improves an image; subtracting blue from an image that is too cyan will give a green cast to the image.
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Comparing pre and post-correction images
Clicking the comparison display button divides the image display area in two. The original image is on the left and the corrected image is on the right. To display the corrected image only, click the comparison display button again.
Original image
Corrected image
Changes made with the magnifying tool, grab tool, or scroll bars on one image will be applies to the other. Using the fit-to-window button automatically resizes both images to fit the display area.
Undoing and redoing image corrections
The undo, redo, and reset-all buttons only affect tools used in the image-correction tab. They have no effect with the Digital ICE3 functions. Click the undo button to cancel the last image correction applied to the image. The number of image corrections that can be undone depends on the computer memory capacity. Click the redo button to reapply the last image correction canceled with the undo button.
Click the reset-all button to cancel all image corrections applied to the image.
28
Basic image processing
Grain Dissolver
This function is not available with all scanner models, see the scanner notes section in the hardware manual. The Grain Dissolver uses a diffusion plate in front of the light source to optically minimize the effect of grain. The Grain Dissolver automatically activates with Digital ICE when both functions are available. How much the image is affected depends on the scanner resolution and film, film density, and image detail and can only be seen in the final scan. The Grain Dissolver increases scanning time. Contrast and sharpness may be affected. The use of autofocus or manual focus is recommended. Click the Grain Dissolver button in the main window to activate the function.
Quitting the DiMAGE Scan Utility
To close the DiMAGE Scan Utility, simply click the close button in the top right corner of the main window.
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ADVANCED SCANNING
This section covers the advanced scanning tools in the DiMAGE Scan Utility. The basic scanning section on pages 14 through 21 should be read before continuing.
Setting scanner preferences
Click the preferences button in the main window to open the preferences dialog box. Select preferences options to customize scanner operations.
Exposure control for negatives: autoexposure adjusts the scan to compensate for the density of the negative. The manual setting uses a fixed exposure regardless of the density of the film. Manual exposure can show the exposure difference in a bracket series. When using AE lock or AE area selection with negatives (p. 39), the auto function must be selected.
Auto-expose-for-slides check box: to use autoexposure when scanning slides. Since the density range of slides is relatively uniform, adjusting the expose for each slide is usually unnecessary. However, when scanning an underexposed or overexposed slide, the autoexposure system can compensate for the unusual image density. When using AE lock or AE area selection with slide film (p. 39), the auto-expose-for-slide box must be checked.
Close-utility-after-scanning check box: this option closes the DiMAGE Scan Utility after the final scan when using the scanner with an image-processing application. Activate this function when individual images will be scanned and then processed or retouched in another application. Uncheck the box when multiple images need to be scanned before retouching. Manual Focus Dial: for scanner models with a manual focus dial. See hardware manual for compatibility and use. When the manual focus dial is active, autofocus and Point AF cannot be used. Autofocus-at-scan check box: this option activates the autofocus function during the prescan and final scan. When using Digital ICE, ROC, GEM, or Grain Dissolver, the use of autofocus is recommended. The autofocus function increases the scanning time.
30
Advanced scanning
Color-depth list box: this option specifies the color depth of the scanned image between 8 bit, 16 bit, and 16-bit linear for each RGB channel. Because 16-bit linear color depth does not make any gamma corrections, the scan of a negative will produce a negative image. 16-bit and 16-bit linear images can only be saved in the TIFF file format. Some image-processing application cannot open 16-bit image files. Multi-sample list box: multi-sample scans reduce random noise in the image by analyzing the data of each sample scan; 2, 4, 8, and 16 samples can be made. The more samples taken, the less random noise in the image and the longer the scanning time. Index-scan-priority radio button: this option allows the selection of high-speed index scans or a quality index scans with prescans. Simply click the appropriate radio button.
Speed
Only makes index thumbnails. Autofocus is disabled during the index scan. Makes an index thumbnail and prescan of each image. Scanning time is increased.
Quality
Prescan size: only available with certain model scanners, see the scanner notes section in the hardware manual. To change the size of the prescan image. Color matching: this controls color reproduction on output devices such as monitors and printers. For detailed information, see the color matching section on page 66. Rotate-all-frames-180-degrees check box: for scanners that can use the optional APS film holder, refer to the scanner's hardware manual. This option rotates all APS index frames 180 degrees in the index scan window. Auto film rewind when ejected: for the Dimage Scan Multi and Multi II model scanners when using the optional APS film holder. This option rewinds the film when the eject button is used. Uncheck this box if switching between multiple holders when the same APS film will be scanned. Serial no. button: for the Dimage Scan Multi II scanner only. This routine allows the scanning resolution to be increased to 2820 dpi when scanning medium-format film and Digital ROC and GEM to be used. Click the serial-number button to open the serial number window. Enter the serial number of the software and click OK to complete the operation. OK button: to apply the preference settings and close the window. Cancel button: to cancel any settings made and close the window. Help button: to open the help window.
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Exposure-control tab
The exposure-control tab allows the scanner's exposure system to be customized to specific films, lighting, or a personal exposure index based on the film, processing, lens, and shutter combination. This can also be used to compensate for badly exposed film.
Text box Slider Histogram
Apply button Load setting button Save setting button Reset button Apply-all button Fit-to-window button RGB display
Simply click the exposure-control tab to display the selected image. If a prescan has not been made, the scanner will make one automatically. If any changes are made to exposure, the imagecorrection tab will turn red (Windows) or an asterisk will be displayed on the tab (Macintosh). The RGB display will show the color values for any point in the image; simply place the mouse pointer in the image area to see the values of that point. Pressing the shift key (Windows) or command key (Macintosh) will display the CMY values. The master slider and text box control the overall exposure. The R, G, and B sliders and text boxes are used to compensate for any color shift. No gamma or contrast changes can be made.
32
Advanced scanning
Adjust the sliders or enter values between ±2 in 0.1 increments in the text boxes. Press the apply button (1) to view the effect on the preview image and the histograms. Repeat until the desired result is achieved. To cancel all settings, click the reset button and press the apply button to initialize the preview image. When using autoexposure, adjustments are made in reference to the exposure determined by the AE system. To calibrate the scanner in reference to a standard exposure, turn the autoexposure functions off in the preference window (p. 30); set exposure control for negatives to manual or uncheck the auto-expose-forslides check box. This is recommended when making settings for specific films.
1
Click the apply-all button to use the exposure-control settings for all the images in the film holder. To cancel changes to exposure once the apply-all function has been used, click the reset button and then click the apply-all button again.
Saving exposure settings
Click the save setting button to open the save window.
Enter the name for the setting file. Click OK.
Loading exposure settings
Click the load setting button to open the load window. Click on the file name to highlight it. Click OK to apply the settings to the image displayed in the exposure-control tab. Confirm the autoexposure settings in the preferences window (p. 30). To delete a setting file, open the load window and click on the file name to highlight it. Use the keyboard delete key to erase the file.
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More index scan functions
Reverse-frame-order button Save index-image button (p. 35) Save index-file button (p. 35) Load index-file button (p. 35) Load image-correction Job button (p. 59)
Reverse frame order
Some cameras reverse-wind the film so the last frame is exposed at the beginning of the roll. When scanning film strips, the order of the index thumbnails can be reversed to correct the chronology by simply clicking the reverse-frame-order button. When the reverse-frame-order button is clicked again, the frame order follows the film holder frame order.
34
Advanced scanning
Saving the index thumbnails
The displayed thumbnail images can be saved in one image file. All the frames in the film holder, including empty frames, must be scanned before the index thumbnails can be saved.
Click the save index-image button. The standard save-as dialog box will appear. Enter the file name, and select the file destination and file format for the image data. Click the save button. File formats that can be selected with Windows operating systems are Bitmap (BTM) or JPEG, and with Macintosh, Pict or JPEG. The film holder does not have to be in the scanner to save the images.
Saving an index file
The index thumbnails can be saved as an index file. The index file can be loaded into the scanner so that the index scan does not need to be made again. The index image file format is unique to this software. All the frames in the film holder, including empty frames, must be scanned before the index file can be saved. Click the save index-file button. The standard saveas dialog box will appear. Enter the file name and select the file destination. Click the save button. The film holder does not have to be in the scanner to save the file.
Loading an index file
An index file can be displayed in the index window of the utility software. Click the load index-file button. The open dialog box will appear. Select the index file to be loaded. Click the open button. The current index display will be replaced with the images in the new file.
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More prescan functions
AE-area-selection button (p. 39) AE lock button (p. 39) Point-AF button Manual-focus button (p. 37) Auto-cropping button (p. 38) Crop-prescan button (p. 38)
Scanner Notes
The DiMAGE Scan autofocus system uses the CCD sensor to focus the scanner. When the autofocus-at-scan option is selected in the preferences window, the autofocus system uses the center of image to determine focus. This normally results in an excellent scan when the film plane is flat. However, if the film is warped or curled, the scanner can be focused using point AF or manual focus.
Point AF (Autofocus)
For best results when using point AF, select an area within the image with contrast or detail. The point AF function cannot focus on a low-contrast area such as a cloudless or overcast sky.
Click the point-AF button. The mouse pointer will change to the point-AF cursor. To cancel the function, click the point-AF button again.
Click on the area of image to be used for focus. Autofocus will begin and a new prescan will be displayed.
36
Advanced scanning
Manual focus
The scanner can be focused manually using the focus meter. For best results, select an area within the image with contrast or detail. The manual focus functions cannot focus on a low-contrast image such as a cloudless or overcast sky. Some scanner models can be focused with a manual focus dial, see the hardware manual for compatibility and instruction.
Click the manual-focus button. The mouse pointer will change to the manual-focus cursor. To cancel the function, click the manual-focus button again.
Click on the area of image to be used for focus. The focus meter window will appear.
Adjust the slider using the mouse until the black and white bars are at their longest extension. The black bar indicates the change in focus. The white bar indicates the longest extent of the black bar and the point of sharpest focus.
Click OK to set the focus. A new prescan will start and replace the previous image.
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Manual cropping
Cropping is a method of recomposing the image by eliminating unnecessary space around the subject. Many images are improved by cutting out distracting elements in the background.
Clicking the auto-cropping button to display the cropping frame marquee. To enlarge or reduce the cropping frame, place the mouse pointer over the corners or sides of the cropping frame; the pointer will change to a double arrow. Simply click and drag the edge of the frame to adjust the cropping area.
To move the cropping frame, place the mouse pointer in the center of the cropping frame; the pointer will change to a four-pointed arrow. Simply click and drag the entire frame over the image area.
With the pointer is outside the cropping frame, click and drag to define a new cropping frame. Pressing the auto-cropping button again resets the cropping frame around the image area. The cropping frame can be reset to cover the full prescan area by pressing the control key (Windows) or the command key (Macintosh) and A key at the same time.
Click the crop-prescan button to make a prescan of the cropped area. To cancel the cropping, press the prescan button.
38
Advanced scanning
Autoexposure
When AE area selection or AE lock are used with slides, the auto-expose-for-slides option must be checked in the preferences box. When used with negatives, the exposure control for negatives must be set to auto in the preferences box (p. 30).
AE area selection
AE area selection allows the use of a small area within the image to determine the scan exposure. Use AE area selection with high or low-key images, or when the film has been badly exposed. Click the AE-area-selection button after prescanning the image. Pressing the shift key changes the dotted cropping frame to the solid AE area frame. While pressing the shift key, use the mouse to adjust and move the AE area. The methods used to manipulate the frame are the same as the cropping frame except that the shift key must be held, see facing page. Place the AE area over the section of the image to be used to determine the exposure. Usually placing the area over the subject of the picture will produce excellent results. The area should represent on average the mid-tone of the image. Click the prescan button to view the effect on the exposure. AE area selection can be canceled by pressing the AE-area-selection button again.
AE lock
The AE lock function sets the scanner exposure based on the exposure determined for a specific prescan with or without the use of AE area selection. This exposure can be applied to scans of different images. This function is useful when scanning a series of high and low-key images that have consistent exposures. By locking the exposure on one frame when scanning a bracket series, the scans of the other frames will show the exposure difference in each frame of the series. After making a prescan or setting the exposure of the reference image with the AE-area-selection function, click the AE lock button to fix the scanner's exposure. Select another image and click the prescan button to view the result with the set exposure. To cancel the AE lock, click the AE lock button again. The prescan and final scan will be made with the locked exposure setting until the AE lock is canceled, the scanner is initialized, or the film type is changed.
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Inputting scan settings manually
Settings for the final scan can be made in the index scan or prescan windows. Job-name list box Load Job button Save Job button Input-resolution list box Output-resolution list box
Input-size text boxes Input-size lock button Magnification text box Output-size text boxes Output-size lock button Unit list box Reset button Image-size display Input-resolution list box: values can be selected among the drop-down list or be entered into the box directly. See scanner resolution in the scanner notes section of the hardware manual for the resolution of the specific scanner model. Output-resolution list box: values can be selected among the drop-down list or be entered into the box directly. Output-resolution cannot be entered if pixel is selected in the unit list box. Input-size text box: input size is determined by either the cropping frame dimensions or the values entered in the width and height boxes. The cropping frame will adjust to any value entered. Input-size cannot be entered if pixel is selected in the unit list box. Input-size lock button: to lock the input values. The cropping frame can be moved, but not resized while this button is clicked. Clicking the button again releases the lock. The input-size lock button cannot be used if pixel is selected in the unit list box. Magnification text box: to set image magnification. This value is based on input and output resolution, or output and input size. The magnification text box cannot be used if pixel is selected in the unit list box.
40
Advanced scanning
When the input size and output size are unlocked, the input resolution and output size vary according to the entered magnification value. When the output size is locked, the input resolution and input size vary according to the entered magnification value. When the input size is locked, the input resolution and output size vary according to the entered magnification. Output-size text box: output size is determined by either the cropping frame dimensions or the values entered in the width and height boxes. The width and height of the output image can be directly entered into the text boxes; the input resolution, input size, and cropping frame adjust according to the entered dimensions. Output-size lock button: to lock the output size values. Unit list box: the input and output size unit can be changed: pixels, millimeters, centimeters, inches, pica, and points. Image size display: size based on the total number of pixels in the image and can be different from the size of the saved data depending on the file format selected. Reset button: to initialize all current settings.
About resolution and output size
Resolution can be expressed in dpi (dots per inch). This refers to how many pixels are placed along one linear inch. A resolution of 350 dpi, which is commonly used in commercial printing, means that an area of one square inch would use 122,500 pixels. The larger the resolution, the greater the detail in the image. However, as the resolution increases, so does the file size. The image resolution depends on the resolution of the output device. A printer with a resolution of 150 dpi will not be able to print a 300 dpi file any better than a 150 dpi file; the 300 dpi file will just be four-times larger. Once the output resolution is determined, the input resolution can be calculated from the magnification needed to match the output.
Input resolution Output resolution
=
Output size Input size
=
Magnification factor
For example, to make a 144 mm x 96 mm print at a resolution of 150 dpi from 35mm film (image size: 36mm x 24mm), the magnification can be calculated by dividing the print dimensions by the film dimensions: 96 mm / 24 mm = 4 times. The input resolution can then be determined from the magnification factor: 150 dpi X 4 = 600 dpi. When scanning an image to be displayed on a monitor, the only important factors are the pixel dimensions of the file and monitor. Although printers can print files with different resolutions at a given size, monitors cannot add or remove pixels to fit the display area. The image in the example above has a pixel dimension of 850 X 566, too large for a 800 X 600 pixel 15-inch monitor.
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Scan setting examples
Example 1: setting the scanner output by pixels. This example creates an image with the pixel dimension of 640 X 480 to be displayed on a monitor. Select pixel from the unit list box. The output-resolution and input-size boxes are deselected. Enter the dpi resolution for the output size; 640 for the width and 480 for the height. Click the output-size lock button to fix the values; the output-size boxes will be deselected. Use the mouse to adjust the cropping frame over the prescan image to define the final scanning area. Click on the frame of the cropping area to