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Microtek ScanMaker i800...?

Started by AGGIEZ,

14 posts in this topic

AGGIEZ

AGGIEZ

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I just got my Microtek ScanMaker i800 in and I'm setting it up now. For those of you that have this scanner, which software are you using for your scans? Mine came with ScanWizard 5, Scanwizard Pro and SilverFast SE.

 

I am planning on using the scanner for slabs, raws and old pictures. Any suggestions on the software is appreciated!

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AGGIEZ

AGGIEZ

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Nah, my old scanner was an 8.5x11 and wasn't completely flat, therefore the scans came out a bit blurry because only the top half sat on the bed. The new one is a legal 8.5x14 scanner and fits and entire slab.

 

I'm going to test a few scans but wanted to get some input from those who owned this scanner as to how to get the best results when scanning your books, i.e. default configuration or some sort of customized configuration.

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mschmidt

mschmidt

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I'm using the Scanwizard Pro software - it's ugly, but it works ok. Silverfast SE is slow as molasses when you're descreening the scans (which you need to do for comic books), so that's a complete no-go.

 

I have to say, though, with all the ranting & raving one see around here about the Microtek i800, it's really not that good of a scanner. I'm a graphic designer by trade, and have owned 10+ different scanners over the years, and, imho, the only thing that the Microtek i800 has going for it is that it's pretty cheap for a legal size scanner. My old Epson Perfection 3200 Photo (letter-sized) blows it out of the water on both raw & slabbed books - and is more than twice as fast at scanning to boot.

 

Which kinda sucks, seeing that I bought the Microtek to replace the Epson - but that ain't happening now.

 

Here are some comparison scans so you can see what I mean ... none of them have had any Photoshop work done to them apart from being resized to 50% size (so they wouldn't kill your thread).

 

Epson - raw book

- scan done at 150 dpi @ 100%

- factory default settings with "unsharp mask filter" and "descreening" both turned on

- resized to 50%, and saved as 60% compressed JPG from Photoshop

 

scantest-epson-raw.jpg

 

 

Microtek - raw book

- scan done at 150 dpi @ 100%

- factory default settings with "sharpen medium" and "descreening" both turned on

- resized to 50%, and saved as 60% compressed JPG from Photoshop

 

scantest-microtek-raw1.jpg

 

After neutralizing the blue cast (which shouldn't have been there in the first place seeing that the piece of paper that was behind the comic book was bright white), the Microtek scan looks better, but the colors are still not as nice as the Epson scan.

 

scantest-microtek-raw2.jpg

 

 

Epson - CGC book

- scan done at 150 dpi @ 100%

- factory default settings with "unsharp mask filter" and "descreening" both turned on

- resized to 50%, and saved as 60% compressed JPG from Photoshop

 

scantest-epson-cgc.jpg

 

 

Microtek - CGC book

- scan done at 150 dpi @ 100%

- factory default settings with "sharpen medium" and "descreening" both turned on

- resized to 50%, and saved as 60% compressed JPG from Photoshop

 

scantest-microtek-cgc1.jpg

 

After adjusting the white points, we get this:

 

scantest-microtek-cgc2.jpg

 

And after spending 2 hours calibrating every single option in the scanner software, this is the best I can get out of the Microtek:

 

scantest-microtek-cgc3.jpg

 

It's not bad, but considering the amount of tweaking I had to do to get there (versus just using the default settings in the Epson), it feels a bit ridiculous.

 

 

 

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mschmidt

mschmidt

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Looks good to me! I downloaded the ScanWizard Pro software and it's night and day from the regular ScanWizard software. My scans are coming out nicely now...

 

 

Ehmm ... sorry to burst your bubble, but that's not really a very good scan; both the black & white points are off, and the colors are desaturated.

 

This is much closer to what it should look like:

 

vengeance-of-bane-9.8.jpg

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AGGIEZ

AGGIEZ

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Well, I'm not trying to recreate the book. Your scan is way too bright and distorts the way the book actually looks IN HAND. My scan is much closer to the actual book than yours. The reds and blues are not as bright as what you present if your "better" scan.

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mschmidt

mschmidt

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Well, I'm not trying to recreate the book. Your scan is way too bright and distorts the way the book actually looks IN HAND. My scan is much closer to the actual book than yours. The reds and blues are not as bright as what you present if your "better" scan.

 

No.

 

Look at the CGC label in your scan - if you compare that with how a CGC label looks like in real life, it should be much lighter (the white box enclosing the 9.8 number should be bright white), much bluer and the blue in the label should actually fade into white (in your scan, the blue fades into grey).

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comixcroz

comixcroz

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Well, I'm not trying to recreate the book. Your scan is way too bright and distorts the way the book actually looks IN HAND. My scan is much closer to the actual book than yours. The reds and blues are not as bright as what you present if your "better" scan.

 

No.

 

Look at the CGC label in your scan - if you compare that with how a CGC label looks like in real life, it should be much lighter (the white box enclosing the 9.8 number should be bright white), much bluer and the blue in the label should actually fade into white (in your scan, the blue fades into grey).

 

I agree with you mrschmidt...but not everyone has your set of skills. I know I dont have time to "desaturate" and :blahblah: Which legal scanner is best, in your opinion, just scanning with default settings?

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mschmidt

mschmidt

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If I had the cash, I'd pick up an Epson Expression 10000XL scanner in a sec - it scans up to 12.2" x 17.2", and the image quality is superb. It costs about $2k, though :)

 

The Microtek i800 is pretty much the only decent option out there for a <$500 legal size scanner, unfortunately.

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comixcroz

comixcroz

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If I had the cash, I'd pick up an Epson Expression 10000XL scanner in a sec - it scans up to 12.2" x 17.2", and the image quality is superb. It costs about $2k, though :)

 

The Microtek i800 is pretty much the only decent option out there for a <$500 legal size scanner, unfortunately.

 

:o

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AGGIEZ

AGGIEZ

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Well, I'm not trying to recreate the book. Your scan is way too bright and distorts the way the book actually looks IN HAND. My scan is much closer to the actual book than yours. The reds and blues are not as bright as what you present if your "better" scan.

 

No.

 

Look at the CGC label in your scan - if you compare that with how a CGC label looks like in real life, it should be much lighter (the white box enclosing the 9.8 number should be bright white), much bluer and the blue in the label should actually fade into white (in your scan, the blue fades into grey).

 

I agree on the label, but the book in my scan looks much close to the actual book. Not sure how you can fix the label only though...

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