intlowner

How do I calibrate my scanner to get the colors to match-up better? I've tried the automatic method, that helped a lot, but not quite perfect.

Does anyone have any software they could recommend to me? I'm sure a lot of us photoshoppers will come across this situation sooner or later.

Thanks so much!

MisterMister

A lot of us Photoshoppers do come across this problem, but you have to at least tell us what model of scanner you're having problems with. For instance, without even knowing what scanner you're using, "the automatic method" tells me nothing.

A little more detail will help get your answers

Bacardi

A scanner itself cannot be calibrated. What you can do, as you wrote yourself, is see whether you can get software that allows for it. Even then, you will most probably need an IT8 card. Very good software comes from lasersoft, and is called Silverfast.

In fact, what you need is a profile for your scanner, and some options to enter profiles in a box that tels it how to convert colours.

Calibration means adapting settings so that they are levelled to a standard setting. A profile as a set of data that tells the color management module how it has to interpret the data that come from a specific device. Silverfast allows for creating a profile for your scanner, if it is on the list of supported scanners that is.

An easy method that mostly works and gives acceptable results when using Silverfast is:

1/ See that your monitor is calibrated with the Adobe Gamma utility. Use its wizard if you doubt.
2/ Buy a Kodak greyscale card from your local photo dealer. Make shure it's a recent one. Scan it.
3/ Silverfast comes with a densitometre. You can measure the result of your scan. Because all hues are greyscale, the R, G and B values have to be identical. So tweak your levels/curves in Silverfast untill you have corrected the eventual mistakes.

Then final scan as LAB in 48 bits mode, and save this scan as your master. A more versatile and complete scan is impossible to find.

What scanner do you own?

intlowner

Thanks for the suggestions everyone! I think I'll check out the silverfast software and grab a colour guide.

I have a Canon CanoScan 1250U2F. It's an awesome scanner for the price.

Thanks so much again. I'll return with my results. Now I gotta figure out how I'm going to get a copy of silverfast.

Bacardi

www.lasersoft.com

Randy

Hello all,

This is my first attempt at Color Management (I have the book Real World CM), and so far my goals are to Calibrate my monitor (Dell M992) using Adobe Gamma (CS), set my printer (Epson Stylus Photo 925) to "don't color manage", and make a profile for my Microtek ScanMaker 4800. Most profiling packages for a scanner that I've seen are somewhat expensive, but I did run across Profile Prism for under $100.
http://www.ddisoftware.com/prism/about.htm
Has anyone tried this? Any thoughts or comments? Is this OK for a home setup?
Thanks,
-Randy