Multimedia Corner

Scan Color without Shelling Bucks

Contributed by C. W. Mann, who also writes the syndicated computer column, BuzzBytes.

Most Macintosh and PC multimedia developers need a means of transferring hard copy photographic images to files for use within their multimedia presentations. Previously, the services of an outside lab, an expensive flatbed scanner, or a slide-to-video hardware device priced in the $3,000 to$5,000 range had been required. The EasyPhoto Reader package is a less that$300 solution that provides both hardware and software to deliver up to 1,200 dpi resolution.

The product consists of a miniature scanner about the size of a small desk telephone, and a group of software products to process the image the scanner brings to your computer's RAM. The device does not require a card and connects to either a parallel port for PCs, or the serial port of Macintosh computers. The ClearScan software is loaded with the click of a mouse. You scan a photo by inserting it in a slot on the scanner, and pushing its green button.

The device slowly draws the photo smoothly across the photo sensory technology scanner head, and the copy image appears on the screen in its own window. The system offers a number of enhancement options that can make the effective resolution as high as 1,200 dpi, adjusts the 24-bit color image to fit printer output requirements, or the best on-screen display. Using the intuitive software, you can even remove those 'red eye' effects common to scanned human images.

The latest software supports OLE on Windows systems to allow easy drop and drag photo placement within other documents. Macintosh users will have to await the release of Apple's OpenDoc technology for this enhancement. Multimedia developers who also support screen-to-print elements of their products will enjoy the color editing support for most laser and inkjet colorprinters.

The product has the ability to store a 4" X 6" image from 1.0 to 2.4 Mb of hard disk storage. Photos embedded in documents are stored as JEPG formats to reduce the space required. Images can also be stored as TIFF, PhotoCD, BMP,FIG, PICT, or EPS. The Macintosh product supports Photoshop format. The PC product also offers a slide show format where images can be placed on a floppy in a self-running runtime program format.

The products limitations are few, but they may be significant for specific uses. The input photographs are limited to either 4" X 6" or 3" X 5" standard lab shots. Any continuous tone image can be scanned including 24-bit color graphics prints, or 8-bit grayscale drawings. The system does not support indexed color photos (16-bit, 256 color-images). The images produced are not designed for later OCR work.

The EasyPhoto Reader requires a Windows compatible PC running either Windows 2.1 or Windows 95, an 80486 or better CPU, a VGA or better monitor and video card, 8 Mb of RAM, 13 Mb of hard disk space, and a 2X CD-ROM drive. Non-CD-ROM users can request 3.5" floppy versions of the software. Owners not using the latest 2.0 software can upgrade for $19.95. The total system has a street price of $269.

The Macintosh version of the product works on the serial port of the computer, and requires System 7.5 or later. A 68040 25 MHZ or faster CPU and a 256 color monitor are needed. A native PowerPC will also run the package. The product uses 8 Mb of RAM and 13 Mb of hard disk space. Like its PC brother, the software ships on CD-ROM, and a diskette version is available after purchase directly from Storm Software.

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