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Scanning from the Manual Mode / Optimizing Scanning

Adjusting Brightness and Contrast

Adjusting the Highlight setting
Adjusting the Shadow setting
Adjusting the Gamma setting
Applying a preset tone curve

Adjust brightness and contrast before adjusting image color. Brightness and contrast settings should be made in the order shown above.

Adjusting the Highlight setting

Highlights are the brightest areas of an image. Follow these steps to adjust the Highlight setting.

Click the Image Controls button to open the Image Controls dialog box.

Note:
The Highlight setting appears dimmed and is not available when B/W Option is set to Text Enhancement Technology, or Pixel Depth is set to Black & White and Halftone is set to None in the Image Type dialog box.

In the Image Controls dialog box, click the eyedropper button under Highlight.

The mouse pointer changes to an eyedropper, with movement restricted to within the Preview window.

Note:
If you want to stop adjusting the setting using the eyedropper, press the ESC key on your keyboard.

Move the eyedropper to the location you want to select as the highlight point, and then click.

The brightness of the pixel at the point you clicked is set as the highlight level, and the other parts of the image are adjusted accordingly.

To change the highlight level (brightness) of the point you selected, move the Highlight slider left or right, or enter a value between 61 and 490 in the text box.

The Exposure and Highlight controls are related. When the Exposure setting is changed, the Highlight value is automatically set.

The Exposure setting lightens or darkens an image. You can select from -10 (darkest) to 20 (brightest) by moving (clicking and dragging) the slider.

Note:
Click Cancel to restore the original image.


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Adjusting the Shadow setting

Shadows, the darkest areas of an image, are the opposite of highlights. Follow these steps to adjust the Shadow setting.

Click the Image Controls button to open the Image Controls dialog box.

Note:
The Shadow setting appears dimmed and is not available when B/W Option is set to Text Enhancement Technology, or Pixel Depth is set to Black & White and Halftone is set to None in the Image Type dialog box.

In the Image Controls dialog box, click the eyedropper button under Shadow.

The mouse pointer changes to an eyedropper, with movement restricted to within the Preview window.

Note:
If you want to stop adjusting the setting using the eyedropper, press the ESC key on your keyboard.

Move the eyedropper to the location you want to select as the shadow point, and then click.

The brightness of the pixel at the point you clicked is set as the shadow level, and the other parts of the image are adjusted accordingly.

To change the shadow level (darkness) of the point you selected, move the Shadow slider left or right, or enter a value between 0 and 60 in the text box.

Note:
Click Cancel to restore the original image.


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Adjusting the Gamma setting

Gamma is the difference in contrast between the light tones and dark tones of an image. Any change you make in the gamma level only affects the mid-tones of the image.

Click the Image Controls button to open the Image Controls dialog box.

To change the gamma level of the image, move the Gamma slider left or right, or enter a value between 0.5 and 5.0 in the text box.

original image

set to 1.8

set to 2.6

Note:
  • The Gamma setting appears dimmed and is not available when B/W Option is set to Text Enhancement Technology, or Pixel Depth is set to Black & White and Halftone is set to None in the Image Type dialog box.
  • Click Cancel to restore the original image.


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Applying a preset tone curve

You can finely adjust the contrast within an image by applying one of the preset tone curves. This allows more control over the image when used in conjunction with the Auto Exposure settings.

Click the Tone Correction button to open the Tone Correction dialog box. The Tone Curve Name list in the Tone Correction dialog box provides the six most common tone correction curves, described below.

Note:
  • The default setting is Linear.
  • The Tone Correction button appears dimmed and is not available when Pixel Depth is set to Black & White and Halftone is set to None, or B/W Option is set to Text Enhancement Technology in the Image Type dialog box.

Linear

A linear tone curve has no tone correction and the default setting. Use this setting if you are satisfied with the tone of the preview image.

Lighten

Adjusts darker images (like underexposed film) to make them slightly brighter.

Darken

Adjusts brighter images (like overexposed film) to make them slightly darker.

Flat Contrast

Flattens high contrast images to make them look more natural.

High Contrast

Increases the contrast of dull images.

Open Shadow

Improves details in the dark areas of images.

Note:
  • Click Cancel to restore the original image.


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Version 1.00E, Copyright © 2002, SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION