Getting rid of scratches in silverfast ai studio 8

#GETTING RID OF SCRATCHES IN SILVERFAST AI STUDIO 8 HOW TO#
#GETTING RID OF SCRATCHES IN SILVERFAST AI STUDIO 8 LICENSE KEY#
#GETTING RID OF SCRATCHES IN SILVERFAST AI STUDIO 8 DRIVERS#

This is not particularly useful for scanning photographic prints, but it can make a big difference with film, which has a much greater dynamic range. The result effectively increases the scanner's dynamic range (meaning how many shades of gray it can see), so the scan will show more detail based on shading. If you turn on the multi-exposure tool, SilverFast will take the scanner through two scans with different exposures and combine the results in one image. Among the additional features in SE Plus is an option for scanning Kodachrome slides, which tend to show a bluish tint in scans, and a multi-exposure option, which is potentially useful for scanning transparencies (i.e., slides, film strips, and negatives). The next step up is SilverFast SE Plus ($119, but $79 to upgrade from the standalone SE level and $99 to upgrade from the bundled SE version).

Either format lets you post-process the image in LaserSoft Imaging SilverFast HDR, a companion program for SilverFast (which I did not look at as part of this review). The program can also save scans in LaserSoft Imaging's 48HDR format, which retains all the information in the standard scan with visible light, and 64-bit HDRI format, which adds the information from the IR scan.

Even with this version, you get an impressive set of sophisticated tools, including controls for manual and automatic color correction, sharpening the image, and dust and scratch removal, complete with support for a hardware-based option using an infrared scan for models that offers it. The least expensive variation, with the fewest features, is SilverFast SE 8 ($49). That makes upgrading easy, since you only need to enter a new license key.

#GETTING RID OF SCRATCHES IN SILVERFAST AI STUDIO 8 LICENSE KEY#

All three also use the same program file for any one scanner, with the license key unlocking the appropriate features for the program level.

All three of the SilverFast 8 variations come in different versions for different scanner models, so you have to get the right version for the scanner you have. Shades of Silver LaserSoft Imaging sells an assortment of SilverFast versions, including some variations on its older version 6, and three levels of SilverFast 8, which is what I review here. What makes it worth paying for is that it delivers on its promise. What makes SilverFast worth considering is that it promises to give you better-quality scans from the same scanners.

#GETTING RID OF SCRATCHES IN SILVERFAST AI STUDIO 8 DRIVERS#

However, for both programs, the real competition is the proprietary scan utilities and drivers that manufacturers supply with their scanners for no extra cost. SilverFast's main competitor is the VueScan 9 Professional Edition, another utility with lots of sophisticated features and the ability to work with any number of scanners. SilverFast lets you wring the best possible photo scan quality out of whatever photo scanner you use it with.

#GETTING RID OF SCRATCHES IN SILVERFAST AI STUDIO 8 HOW TO#

The good part is that it's among the best known, most widely used, and most capable programs in its category for a good reason: Once you learn how to use it, it will give you excellent results.

The bad part is that although it's not hard to muddle through with SilverFast without knowing how to use it well, it's hard to master. I mean that in both a good and a bad way. In many ways, LaserSoft Imaging's SilverFast Ai Studio 8 ($299 to $449, depending on the scanner model) is the Photoshop of scan utilities.

Getting rid of scratches in silverfast ai studio 8