New technology raises the bar on scanners<\/p>\n
By Zatni Arbi<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Flatbed scanners are definitely one of the
\ncomputing products that are catching on very fast. While the
\nnumber of scanner makers keeps growing -- Acer, Agfa, Epson, HP
\nand Umax just to name some of them -- the scanning capabilities,
\nfeatures and ease of use also get better and better.<\/p>\n
The past month witnessed the arrival of new flatbed scanners
\nfrom Canon. Two weeks ago, Epson launched its new Perfection
\nseries scanners, and I am expecting Hewlett-Packard to unveil new
\nscanners as it introduces a slew of new products on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Epson has changed the name of its scanner lineup from the
\nsimple \"GT\" plus a number to Perfection as it intends to provide
\nfull-scale printing solutions. Four Perfection series scanners
\nwere introduced: the Perfection 610, 1200U, 1200S and 1200P.<\/p>\n
You can easily guess the optical resolution capability of each
\nby the digits. The Perfection 610 can scan at 600 x 1200 DPI,
\nwhile the others can scan to 1200 x 2400 DPI. The term \"optical
\nresolution\" refers to the actual number of photosensitive dots in
\nthe Charge Coupled Device (CCD).<\/p>\n
With the help of software, the number of pixels can be
\nincreased to gain more details of the scanned image. Thus, the
\nPerfection 1200 series can virtually create a scanned image file
\nwith a 9600 DPI resolution. Just remember that higher
\nresolutions, however, also mean that you will have very large
\nimage files, which will also require a lot of storage space.<\/p>\n
Another thing that you can immediately guess is the meaning of
\nthe letter at the end of each scanner's name. The 1200 models use
\nthe USB or the SCSI interface. Hence the U and the S.<\/p>\n
Midrange and up<\/p>\n
Unlike other scanner makers that cater to the needs of home
\nusers on very limited budgets, Epson does not have a truly low-
\nend scanner. The Perfection 610 requires a PC with a USB port and
\nWindows 98, a Power Macintosh G3 or an iMac with System 8.5 or
\nlater (or System 8.1 with iMac Update 1.0). Epson positions it
\nagainst the HP ScanJet 5200, which costs a little higher as it is
\nalready next to HP's top end, the ScanJet 6300.<\/p>\n
Professional graphics workers will want the Perfection 1200
\nseries. The US$340 Perfection 1200Photo comes bundled with a film
\nadapter that enables us to scan positive as well as negative
\nfilm. The software will automatically detect which of these is on
\nthe scanner. The film adapter is optional for the other
\nPerfection1200 series. If the PC or Mac is connected to a photo
\nprinter, the scanner can easily duplicate a photo using the
\nbundled Epson Instant Photo Print. An Automatic Document Feeder
\n(ADF) is optional for all 1200 models.<\/p>\n
One touch scanning is as common today as the street rallies
\nfor cash just a few weeks ago. Therefore it's not surprising that
\nthese scanners also have a button that can be programmed to
\nautomatically run any of the bundled program -- Imaging, Presto!
\nPageManager, PhotoDeluxe -- or any other program that we can add
\nourselves.<\/p>\n
These scanners have their own processor that handles tasks
\nsuch as CCD line distance correction, gamma correction, shading
\ncorrection, zoom, color correction and digital halftoning. The
\nbest feature, in my opinion, is the ability to eliminate
\nbackground color that usually impairs character recognition.<\/p>\n
So, for example, when we scan a color brochure, a new feature
\ncalled Text Enhancement Technology (TET) will grab the text but
\nnot the background, resulting in cleaner text that allows for
\nmore precise recognition.<\/p>\n
Other new technology<\/p>\n
To be able to scan at a high resolution, the scanner head
\nshould move at a precise pace. Epson touts its Micro Step Drive
\ntechnology that ensures that the scanner head moves forward at
\nthe right pace so that no detail is missed. This also means that
\nthe scanner head should be able to accelerate and decelerate at
\nthe right time.<\/p>\n
Using the software, we can adjust the resolution level that we
\nwant. The good thing about these new scanners is that the
\nactivity of the scanning head is adjusted to the level of
\nresolution that we want. So, for example, when we tell it to scan
\nat 72 DPI, only 12 percent of the CDD is active, and therefore
\nthe scanning can take much shorter time to complete.<\/p>\n
Epson calls this new technology \"On demand pixel optimizer\".
\nOther scanners will normally scan at a constant resolution and
\ndrop the pixels as the data is imported into the scanning
\nsoftware. To ensure that the result will be uniform across the
\nentire width of the scanning head, Epson has also paid close
\nattention to the construction of the lens.<\/p>\n
Simple design<\/p>\n
While other scanners on the market tend to adopt more rounded,
\n\"aerodynamic\" looks, these Perfection series scanners still look
\nboxy as the Kijang van of the early 1980s. The gray color is
\naccentuated only by the violet button face on the left corner at
\nthe top. It has no external power adapter, which I consider a
\nplus. There is no power button, either.<\/p>\n
The device will shut down automatically if it does not receive
\nany signal from the PC or the Mac after 10 minutes. The housing
\nitself feels sturdy. The lock, which will protect the sensitive
\nscanner mechanism during transport is on the left side and can be
\nturned using a coin. The cover can be detached easily so you can
\neasily place a thick book on it.<\/p>\n
While the Perfection 1200 series come with TextBridge Classic,
\na reputable Optical Character Recognition software, the
\nPerfection 610 does not come with any OCR software. An OmniPage
\nLE would be a welcome extra.<\/p>\n
Another limitation of these letter-sized scanners is that they
\ncome only with USB and SCSI connection. The 1200 S, which is more
\nexpensive (US$305), comes with a SCSI card. If you have an older
\nPC that has no USB port, you will have to buy a USB adapter (Rp
\n175,000 at Mangga Dua Mall) before you can use the 1200 U ($279)
\nor the 610 ($170). Then again, this card is a PCI board. If you
\nstill have a 386 machine, even Perfection 610 is not for you.<\/p>\n
But if you want a high-quality and fast scanner that is easy
\nto use, and especially if you work with text with colored
\nbackgrounds, the Perfection series is worth a serious look.<\/p>",
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