Scanning Photo Prints
In most cases, the appropriate scan resolution for a photo print is of secondary importance and no challenge for the hardware. The necessary resolution can be reached by almost every scanner. But what is the key to high-quality scanning?
Dynamic Range
The complete Dynamic Range of reflective originals can be captured with a single scan. Multi-Exposure, a feature that increases the Dynamic Range of the scanner, is unnecessary for reflective photos and is thus not available in the SilverFast Software, while in reflective mode.
Color Accuracy
A color profile (ICC) helps scanners reproduce colors accurately. It plays the role of a translator, translating between scanner and output device. Due to SilverFast’s color management ability, scanned images remain consistent in quality regardless of output device.
Every SilverFast Version comes fully equipped with a generic color profile for your scanner. It is possible to undergo further fine-tuning with an individual profile. An IT8-Target is used with our IT8 Calibration process in SilverFast Ai Studio to generate an individual highly precise ICC-profile.
Faded Colors
Photos exist to be looked at and enjoyed. However, photos often have to deal with a lot of wear and tear and are thus commonly subject to creasing, finger prints, tearing and pin holes. In addition, image color may be adversely affected by exposure to light, causing the image to fade. In the end, photo decay speed is determined by the quality of storage conditions.
Adaptive color restoration ACR helps with the quick and uncomplicated restoration of faded colors. ACR provides the user with easy to use one-lick automatic color restoration. Custom color intensity adjustment is also available via the color saturation slider. This slider also allows the user to transform a color image into black & white.
Sharpness
A scanned photo often begins its journey as a negative. The negative is then developed into a photo print. The photo print is then scanned. This journey often has a negative impact on the sharpness of the photo. The human eye perceives bright/dark edges, known as contrast edges (detail contrast), as sharpness. In SilverFast, it is possible to improve the sharpness of an image with the USM (Unsharp Masking) tool. The USM tool accentuates contrast edges without changing the colour saturation of the image itself. As a result, the image appears sharper thanks to a now richer detail contrast.
SilverFast’s Auto-Sharpness tool substantially simplifies the re-sharpening process. The Auto-Sharpness tool automatically sets an appropriate base-sharpness depending on the scanner’s resolution. With USM, professional sharpening is available with the click of a button. The resulting sharpness can then be adjusted according to the personal preference of the user. It is important that, when possible, the final adjustments take place in an image view of 100%. This is important because the effect of the USM tool is subject to the resolution of the image. A lack of sharpness is recognizable by washed out and blurry edges. Furthermore, image details, that lack a clear detail contrast to their respective environment, also tend to point to an unsharp image. Conversely, too much sharpness is noticeable with the appearance of doubled edges, which are often enveloped by a bright line.
Color Correction
Photos can change over time in a number of ways. SilverFast offers a variety of tools for the execution of all types of color correction procedures.
With only a few clicks of the mouse, the Neutral Pipette tool is able to eliminate the color cast of an image. To deal with color cast, simply select an area of the image supposed to be a neutral grey area. SilverFast then eliminates the color cast, basing its calculations on the selected point supposed to be a neutral grey point. SilverFast’s Neutral Pipette tool balances the image’s R(ed), G(reen) and B(lue) values and reestablishes a uniform color balance.
With the selective and global Color Correction tool, it is possible to adjust individual colors and even change the overall appearance of an entire image. Did the grass in the original image has a significantly wormer green? An issue easily resolved with the Selective Color Correction tool SCC. Are the colors of your sunset too cold? The Global Color Correction tool GCC solves this issue with ease.
