FIGURE C

A side-by-side-by-side comparison. Click picture for a larger image.

As you can see, the CanoScan image is flat and washed out; much more so than the original. VueScan's default wizard settings produced results that were a bit better. A bit more contrast, and not quite as washed out.

The most noticeable improvement though, is with VueScan's advanced settings. There's much more detail visible, and the saturation and contrast is much better. This is about the best that can be expected from the original, under-exposed print.

In the next image, we have a color portrait of yours truly and his wife, circa 1995. It is a scan of the original print, one of only a few in existence. And because this was taken at a Sears Portrait Studio, it's not possible to get a reprint after this long.

Since this is an important archival situation, it is imperative the scan is of the highest possible quality. Figure D shows the results.

FIGURE D

An important archival scan. Click picture for a larger image.

The CanoScan on the left is clearly flat and lifeless. It's as though you're looking at the image through a fine, white mesh. The VueScan image, on the other hand, snaps, pops, is full of life and vibrant color. A much better archival image.

As an interesting side note, the wrinkles of the material on my suit coat were all but invisible in the original print. And both of our seams and lapels had only a whisper of a presence. It's a testament to digital that these objects were able to be pulled out; in both scans actually.

Just like with a quality digital camera, the data is there; it's just a matter of having the tools and the skill to tweak the settings and bring out those elements. VueScan is a perfect tool for just that purpose, the skill is left up to you.

Now, you may suggest that with the appropriate editing software the same results could de achieved. That may be the case, and it may not. I've known men and women who were true artists in the darkroom, but much like that editing software, only so much can be done at the end stage.

If the source is garbage to begin with, there won't be much you can do with it. Wouldn't you rather have the image scanned properly in the first place?

The rating
I could think of no aspect of VueScan that needed to be improved. And with regular updates coming out all the time, it should remain current.

When I first began my review of VueScan, the User Guide was out of date, but even that is now current to the most recent version and is available in an online version and downloadable PDF.

For the ease of use, the quality scans it offers in both guided and advanced modes, and in particular for the personal, hands-on support offered by Hamrick Software, VueScan earns itself a perfect score of 5 out of 5.

OUR RATING: 5 of 5

For more than 20 years, David Gewirtz, the author of Where Have All The Emails Gone? and The Flexible Enterprise, has analyzed current, historical, and emerging issues relating to technology, competitiveness, and policy. David is the Editor-in-Chief of the ZATZ magazines, is the Cyberterrorism Advisor for the International Association for Counterterrorism and Security Professionals, and is a member of the instructional faculty at the University of California, Berkeley extension. He can be reached at david@zatz.com.