Scanning Software versus Photoshop

I have just purchased a Dimage 5400 and have a question regarding the
optimal use of the various software packages I will now own. When I
want to perform such operations as sharpening, color balancing, etc. I
have a choice between using the scanning software and using Photoshop.
My questions a

1) when should I use the scanning software and when should I use
Photoshop?

2) in addition to all of the supplied scanning software, does it make
sense to purchase a product like Silverfast?

TIA

"Dale" wrote in message
...
SNIP
My questions a

1) when should I use the scanning software and when should I use
Photoshop?

You use the scanner driver to scan, and a photo editor to post-process.

2) in addition to all of the supplied scanning software, does it make
sense to purchase a product like Silverfast?

Depends on how your current scanner driver performs. All the rest, much of
which Silverfast duplicates, is post-processing, best done with Photoshop
(much more powerful for editing).

Bart

In article ,
says...
I have just purchased a Dimage 5400 and have a question regarding the
optimal use of the various software packages I will now own. When I
want to perform such operations as sharpening, color balancing, etc. I
have a choice between using the scanning software and using Photoshop.
My questions a

1) when should I use the scanning software and when should I use
Photoshop?

2) in addition to all of the supplied scanning software, does it make
sense to purchase a product like Silverfast?

TIA

You might want to investigate the shareware program - Vuescan. Also
there have been lots of discussions about the 5400 on
comp.periphs.scanners. A google groups search will bring them up.
I have some tips about this scanner on my web site you may find useful.
Follow the tips link on the home page.
--
Robert D Feinman
Landscapes, Cityscapes and Panoramic Photographs
http://robertdfeinman.com
mail:

In article ,
says...
I have just purchased a Dimage 5400 and have a question regarding the
optimal use of the various software packages I will now own. When I
want to perform such operations as sharpening, color balancing, etc. I
have a choice between using the scanning software and using Photoshop.
My questions a

1) when should I use the scanning software and when should I use
Photoshop?

2) in addition to all of the supplied scanning software, does it make
sense to purchase a product like Silverfast?


My experience has led me to disable the scanning software's attempts to
manipulate images. I think sharpening and color-correction and
square-and-level functions and so forth are more reliably and discretely
performed in Photo Shop. If the scanner software (Epson, Silverfast,
whatever) did it, I found myself laboriously un-doing much of it, to the
detriment of the image.

Not that Epson, Silverfast, whatever do a *bad* job on ordinary scans, I
just preferred to mess them up myself, if you know what I mean.

Any time you add a software effect to an image file, you run the risk of
an interaction with other software effects. Six months or years down the
road, you may want to return to the original scan with your new miracle
program. The nmp might interact with the original software manipulations
in a way that renders your image ughlee to the max. With a
non-sharpened, non-corrected image file, I think the chance of
deleterious effects is lessened.

Any road, it's my view that the less junk the scanning program
contributes, the better.

Except for the Digital Ice stuff. That saves weeks of computer time.


Frank "simply lucky" ess