Choosing The Best Epson Photo Scanners Scanning old photo prints and digitizing them for posterity has become a critical exercise in recent times. Though photo prints were meant to last for a hundred years, many of our old albums have now started to deteriorate and disintegrate.
The result is priceless memories on the verge of getting lost in the sands of time. Thus, a high-quality photo scanner is a must have for every home. Today we are going to look at some of the best Epson photo scanners that you could buy. This list is not expected to be a comprehensive one. If you have any suggestions for other scanners, feel free to share it with us in the comment section. Related Post: Scanning old photos with a flatbed (or even AIO printers) is a long drawn and extremely time-consuming process.
The thought of having to feed thousands of photo prints (if your family is like mine) to a scanner and waiting for it to make a pass and digitize the memory, for days on end, can send shivers down the spine of any strong individual. The best Epson photo scanners, however, can be a big help here, making short work of an otherwise tedious chore.
Buy the SELPHY CP1300 wireless compact photo printer from Canon Online Store, the. A printer connected to the USB port of your Mac, PC, AirPort Base station. Supported File Formats include: JPEG and TIFF (Exif-compliant) taken.
✔ Our Picks (Best Photos Scanners) Our Pick for Best Photo Scanner: at 92 Reviews Best Budget Photo Scanner: at 544 Reviews 1. (Easy Instal & Setup) Price on Amazon: The The is a lightning fast scanner. It scans images of the size between 8.5” x 120” (for Windows users only) to a minimum of 2” x 2” at a maximum resolution of 600 DPI. Mac users can scan only scan up to the largest size of 8.5” x 14.5”. You can choose the standard 4” x 6” print, and the scanner will scan them at a maximum speed of 60 ppm at 300 DPI. Though speed isn’t always the operative word here, resolution certainly is. You can scan larger documents at a speed of 45 ppm at a resolution of 300 DPI.
The scanner has the capability to render colors 48-bit internally and 24-bit externally. No matter how many colors your prints have the FastFoto FF-640 is capable delivering them accurately. Moreover, the Single-step technology (which is a secondary scanner inside the scanner) is capable of scanning both the image and any handwritten notes on your images in a single pass. Related Post: Scanning Images Even when you are scanning documents, you have the ability to scan both sides at the same time which saves a considerable amount of time. Speaking of saving time, the built-in ADF has a capacity of 30 photo prints or about 80 documents. That saves you from the hassle of having to sit and feed the prints to your scanner.
You can do other things while the scanner digitizes your prints/documents. Some users have noted issues while scanning old Polaroid photos, but overall the FastFoto FF-640 is a good solution for scanning old photos. Certainly one of the best Epson photo scanners around. Scan Utility The scanner comes with an installation disk and an array of services. The installation process is simple. While scanning you can specify details like where you took the photos, which folder to store the photos too, what application to load up after the scan is done etc.
Entering a year allows the application to create an appropriate file name and entering a small description for each batch of photos ensure that the files are properly filed according to the year you took them and the keywords. The utilities can even make minor adjustments like correcting red-eye or restoring colors that have faded over time. Everything happens seamlessly and smoothly. Later on, if you prefer to add more photos to the same batch, you can do so by importing them to the specific batch of photos. World's Fastest Photo Scanner (1) - scan thousands of photos as fast as 1 photo per second (2). High-quality scans up to 600 dpi - scan precious images, from wallets to panoramic photos.
Preserve what's priceless - Restore, Save, Organize and Share images. (1) In its class, as compared to other consumer photo scanners priced under $1,000 MSRP USD (sold into the United States. (2) Based on average speed from start of scan to end, using Windows driver, scanning thirty 4' x 6' photos at 300 dpi in. $649.99 - 17% Related Post: 2. Best Negative Scanner: Price on Amazon: 2,441 Reviews The The is a color photo scanner designed to scan 35mm and medium format film, photo print and take care of other general scanning tasks. The V600 is a flatbed scanner, and that means the design and its functionalities have certain disadvantages that outweigh the advantages. By the company’s admission, the film scanning is not in the same league as some of the higher quality products that Epson makes, however, the overall package is a better bargain than traditional cheap flatbeds.
Digital ICE The V600 is a model that is priced between the more economically priced V500 and the higher priced V700. We will discuss the V800 (the upgraded version of the V700) later in this discussion. An important addition on the V600 is the Digital ICE technology. This is a hardware technology that is aimed at removing scratches and dust elements on prints and films that degrade the quality of the scans.
The V500 also has this feature. So, what’s new on the V600? Digital ICE on the V500 could manage this correction only for films while the V600 does the same for both film and prints.
There is, however, a downside to this technology. It being that artefacts are introduced into the image due to the nature of the dust removal technique which involves multiple scans and comparing the images. Related Post: Scan Sizes But let’s first take a look at the bright side, namely the best features of this scanner. The maximum resolution at which the scanner can make copies of prints is 6400 x 9600 DPI. It can scan 35mm film as well as 120 / 220 film size (medium format). On the downside, the V600 can scan only four 35mm slides at one go. There is no multi-feed option.
This greatly increases the time frame if you have several of these films in your collection and you need them to be scanned. The largest document width that the scanner can handle is 8.5” and the largest document length being 11.7”. The integrated software comes with an array of Auto and Manual features. A lot of times poor exposure settings under difficult lighting situations can result in bright backgrounds and under-exposed faces. The V600’s Auto mode can automatically correct these. It can also do a professional of adjusting tones, restoring color and contrasts which is a major problem with old prints with washed out colors. The surprising thing is that the V600’s scanner can pick up subtle details like the luster of fabric in direct light etc.
Much quicker than other comparable flatbed scanners. Create extraordinary enlargements from film - 6400 x 9600 dpi for enlargements up to 17' x 22'.
Scan slides, negatives and medium-format panoramic film - built-in Transparency Unit. Maximum resolution is 12,800 x. Remove the appearance of tears and creases from damaged photos - DIGITAL ICE for Prints. Remove the appearance of dust and scratches from film - DIGITAL ICE for Film. Temperature: 50° to 95° F (10° to 35°.
Minimum System Requirements:Windows 8, 8.1,Windows 7,Windows Vista,Windows,Windows XP Professional x64 Edition,Mac OS X. $229.99 - 17% $189.98 3. Price on Amazon: 143 Reviews The is a flatbed photo scanner with a maximum scanning resolution of 6400 DPI.
The V800 is capable of scanning prints, film, slides as well as documents. Just like the V600 above, the V800 also has a built-in transparency unit. The one on the V800 can scan 8 x 10” films. There is also a built-in film holder for four different types of films – 35mm slides, 35mm film strips, medium format 6 x 20cm / 4” x 5” film. There is also a film area guide that measures 8 x 10”. Slide Holder The slide holder can accommodate up to 12 slides, allowing you to automate at least a dozen of scans. The 35mm film holder accepts up to three strips of film, each with up to 6 films, i.e., a total of 18 films.
The V800 is a flatbed scanner. It can scan both films and prints. However, it gives its best performance as a film scanner where it can produce excellent results with both negative and positive films. For anyone looking for a high-quality 35mm film and for that matter slide film scanner, the v800 can provide professional results.
It comes with 4.0 Dmax rating. In plain English, that means the V800 is capable of picking up even the smallest changes in the shading areas. That inherently promises a greater range of contrast between white to black. This feature works particularly well for the shadow areas of your images bringing out details that are difficult for other scanners to reproduce in the scans. New Lamp A noticeable difference between the older V700 and the new D800 is the new LED lamp. This practically eliminates the need for ‘warming up’.
The scanner is ready in a jiffy to scan your prints/films. There is, however, no change the quality of scanning from the previous version of the scanner. There are three scan modes on the V800, the Auto mode, the Home and the Professional mode. The names are self-explanatory.
In the “Auto Mode”, the scanner sets all the settings on its own. Any contrast or color adjustment, any correction, etc. Are all auto set. On the other hand the “Home Mode” is for slightly more advanced users. You would be able to manually adjust elements like brightness and contrast, reviewing the scan before saving it. The Professional mode is for expert users who prefer to change all settings, much like RAW processing manually.
Contrast, brightness tonal curve adjustments; all of these and more can be manually adjusted. Digital ICE Color prints get faded over the years, and dust and scratch set it. The has Digital ICE, a hardware based auto adjustment technology that tends to correct dust and scratches in your images. Digital ICE is available only in Home and Professional modes though. The V800 could have won the race for the best Epson photo scanners but it’s not the final entry on this list.
$799.99 - 9% $724.00 Related Post: 4. Price on Amazon: 544 Reviews The The is a flatbed photo scanner with a maximum resolution of 4800 DPI.
The maximum scan area of the V39 is 8.5” x 11.7”. This is a photo scanner only with no ability to scan film/slides. When it comes to features, the V39 isn’t in the race for the best. It, however, is one of the best Epson photo scanners in the economy range. Specialist Flatbed Scanner The role of a specialist flatbed photo scanner is somewhat dubious as rarely do people look for one.
They either go for an All-in-One which gives them the ability to scan and print or a flatbed that also comes with a transparency option for scanning slides and films. The V39 in that sense is a rarity. It does one job and does it well. Color depth possible on the V39 is a respectable 48-bit giving you richer and smoother colors. It comes with Epson’ Easy Photo Fix Technology. There are some drawbacks to the V39 like other cheaper flatbed scanners; the V39 does not come with too many utilities in an installable CD or USB drive. The application has included an Epson Scan, Scan to PDF, Arcsoft’s Scan-n-Stich Deluxe and the Document Capture Pro.
We are, however, interested in the quality of the photo scanning feature. Scanning Utility The V39’s photo scanning utility – Easy Photo Scan gives you a simple interface to scan a photo, make some minor adjustments to it and then save to your preferred drive. There is not much regarding corrections or adjustments that you could do with it. The Arcsoft’s Scan-n-Stich Deluxe utility comes in handy when scanning oversized documents / panoramic images. These images are difficult to scan in one run. This utility is, thus, very handy.
High-quality scanning for photos and documents - 4800 dpi optical resolution (1) for amazing clarity and detail. Preserve priceless memories - restore, archive and share family photos for generations to come. Scan to Google Drive and other cloud services (2) - Epson Document Capture Pro and Easy Photo Scan software included. Convenient - easy-to-use buttons for scan jobs, plus a space-saving built-in kickstand for vertical placement.
Scan oversized prints, documents and artwork - ArcSoft Scan-n-Stitch Deluxe 2 included (3). $99.99 - 6% from $94.14 Related Post: 5. Our Pick: Price on Amazon: 92 Reviews The The is Epson’s top of the line photo scanner, a notch above the Epson Perfection V800 that we mentioned above. Interestingly, however, when it comes to photo scanning quality the V800 and the V850 are almost the same Both offer an optical resolution of 6400 DPI. The V850 is capable of scanning prints, films, and slides. The largest image it can scan is 8.5” x 11.7”.
It has a maximum color depth of 48-bit. There is a built-in transparency unit which can scan a maximum size of 8” x 10”.
Internally a built-in film holder can hold up to two sets of film. Related Post: Film Holders These film holders can accept a variety of film types. These includes 35mm slides, cuts of 35mm films, a variety of medium format films and even 4 x 5” films. Additionally, there is also a separate film area guide that can hold extremely large films of a maximum size of 8 x 10”. The convenience of these two set film holders is that you can continue to scan one set while loading film into the other. This greatly increases the speed of the film to digital conversion.
Performance wise the V850 has 4.0 Dmax rating means the V850 promises very high. Dynamic range performance is best in the regions which are in shadow, and here the V850 performs admirably.
Digital ICE Our pick, the, just like the we discussed above, comes with hardware-based Digital ICE technology. This technology helps correct scratches and dust in your old worn out photos as much as possible when scanned. The retailing at is no doubt one of the best Epson photo scanners around, if not the best.
How We Chose the Best Photo Editing Software Programs Highly rated programs If you’re hunting for the best photo editing software, you’re likely familiar with Adobe Photoshop, and its outsized reputation is deserved: Parent company Adobe Systems has been a software pioneer since the early '80s, and it’s been continuously improving Photoshop since its first release in 1989. The company now offers multiple options, from a single-purchase Adobe Elements 2018 to a Lightroom subscription to a monthly Photography Plan, which combines Lightroom and Photoshop.
If you’ve never used Photoshop before, it’s tricky to figure out which version is best: What’s the difference between Lightroom and Photoshop? Between Photoshop and Adobe Elements? We set out to compare each option.
We also brought in three non-Adobe photo editing programs: Corel AfterShot Pro3, DxO Photo Lab Elite, and Serif Affinity Photo. These three programs were the closest competitors we could find, and all claim to offer similarly powerful tools. After downloading each program and setting up our test photos (featuring Test Corgi: Wally), we booted up each program to see how quickly we could start editing and organizing our photos. Adobe Photography Plan (includes Photoshop and Lightroom).
Adobe Photoshop Elements 2018. Corel AfterShot Pro3. DxO PhotoLab. Serif Affinity Photo Easy navigation All our programs let you make hundreds of photo adjustments, but this abundance of options can make even the best photo editing software difficult to navigate. With this in mind, we looked for programs that made it easy to find the right tools on the first try. Each contender met the same baseline standards, allowing us to collapse editing modules we didn’t need so that histograms and color charts didn’t take up unnecessary screen (and brain) space. We also appreciated that all have guided search features.
If you search an action keyword, like “layer,” each program directs you to where you can find the function on your own: Over time, you’ll learn where the layer button is, no search function needed. Guided search directs you to the correct tool — no hunting through dozens of “Layer” or “Filter” options to find the right one. Customizable interface From here, we dug into how much we could customize each interface. We wanted to be able to rearrange lists of tools to our liking, as well as move individual modules around the screen, letting us keep track of whichever toolset was necessary for any given project: If we were background painting, we would want brush, color wheel, and texture modules open and close-at-hand. If we wanted to work on minute lighting changes, we could close up our coloring modules and arrange the Brightness and Contrast, Shadows and Highlights, and Exposure modules to our liking. Most of our programs allowed us to customize our workspace.
Here, we're using Serif’s “Color” and “Brushes” modules, while other tools stay nested in the menu. Learning tools The best photo editing software should also have resources that guide users through unfamiliar functions. Even if you’re a Photoshop whiz, Adobe constantly adds new tools and expands old ones, and beginners are often interested in branching out and expanding their mastery.
We looked for tools like videos, tutorials, and online forums that would help make that transition easier for beginners and experts alike. Photoshop Elements offers 47 guided walkthroughs to adjust and edit your photos, many of which can be single clicks to auto-adjust your photos without any technical knowledge or skill. Technical performance We couldn’t test and compare the performance of every single tool offered by every single program (we’d be looking at hundreds of different functions). In order to compare technical performance, we focused on a tool that all beginners are likely to use at some point: the healing brush, which allows you to. In this tool, you select a “good” portion of the photo to copy, and then select the “flawed” section that you want to cover over.
In our case, we gauged the efficacy of the healing brush by removing snowy footprints from a backyard photo of our favorite corgi, Wally. Our base image started with trampled snow. Serif Affinity's healing brush made short work of the footprints. Organization We also gave extra points to programs with organizational capabilities: arranging, sorting, and organizing our photos. This usually entailed folder management, a ranking system for photos (so you can pick out which hummingbird picture is the best one), and informational tagging via keywords, geographic location, and face recognition.
Of our test picks, only Serif Affinty lacked some kind of photo organizer. Why we chose it Access to Lightroom CC and Photoshop CC The combines two Adobe applications — Lightroom CC and Photoshop CC — into one bundle. Lightroom CC is Adobe’s dedicated photography software. If you’re working with large quantities of photos, you’ll want to take advantage of Lightroom’s organizational system: With it, you can rank photos out of five stars, tag photos, and edit information to keep track of where you took a photo.
Subscribing to Lightroom CC (either on its own or as part of the Photography Plan) also gives iPhone and iPad users access to a mobile version of the software. Photoshop CC, meanwhile, won’t do much to help you stay organized — but it has more advanced tools than Lightroom, like layers, masks, and customizable toolbars. Customizable image editing tools Photoshop has over sixty basic tools and customizations to choose from, in addition to its more advanced color, lighting, filter, and 3D tools (among others). These basic tools themselves are customizable, so you can do more than just correct red eyes; you can also specify how large, dark, or light you want pupils to appear. More advanced tools — everything from saturation and contrast to lens correction, liquefy, and RAW photo processing — are similarly customizable.
Actions are also processed rapidly, allowing you to quickly assess whether your experiments are working. Easy to learn Despite the number of tools (and how easy it is to fall into the rabbit warren of adjustments and filters), we found Adobe surprisingly easy to use. You should expect a learning curve, since Photoshop is intended to be an extremely hands-on program, but Adobe supports you at every step. It has an abundance of online resources — a hidden benefit to choosing a company that’s been in the field for decades — and Photoshop CC particularly impressed us with its tutorials and guidance, helping us learn both terminology (what exactly the clone tool does) and technique (how to create and add to masks).
Hovering over the individual tools in Photoshop's left-hand bar pops up five-second gifs that demonstrate each tool — though you can easily change your settings and remove this feature once you get the hang of things. Points to consider Subscription service Our only complaint about Adobe’s Photography Plan is that it’s a subscription service; you’ll sign up for a year-long contract and pay fees monthly rather than making a one-time purchase. While this subscription is significantly cheaper than the one-time purchase model that Photoshop used to follow (complete with a painful $1,500 price tag), if you cancel your subscription, you’ll lose access to all of the programs and tools, as well as any photos that remain in Adobe’s proprietary format. Make sure you’ve completely exported your library if you decide to cancel your contract. Why we chose it Easy to use We were primarily drawn to because of how easy it was to use. Its customizable control panel initially appears overwhelming, with 22 adjustments options immediately available on your right-hand dashboard. However, each one is neatly packaged so that no matter what you want to do, you can quickly find and open the relevant folder.
Helpful presets We also appreciated how Serif provides a number of immediate preset options on all of its effects. You can also manually adjust each effect for more control, but the presets offer a nice introduction for beginners.
One-time purchase One of the keenest edges Serif Affinity has over Adobe’s Photography plan is that it’s a one-time purchase of $50, rather than a $10 or $20 monthly subscription. This means that, depending on your cloud storage needs (in turn based on how many photos you have and their editing needs), Serif Affinity becomes the more affordable plan after five months, possibly as early as three months.
Points to consider No organizational tools However, Serif Affinity’s budget plan comes with one significant drawback: It doesn’t offer any organizational tools. If you’re dealing with hundreds or thousands of photos that you need to organize, or would like to sort by place, date, or personalized keyword, you’ll want to consider Adobe’s Photography Plan or take a look at Photoshop Elements 2018. Why we chose it One-click editing If you’re just trying to create, say, annual holiday cards, and the idea of learning new photo editing terms, tools, tricks, and techniques feels daunting, transforms the process into a few simple clicks — with a couple of sliders you can adjust if you’re feeling adventurous. Photoshop Elements 2018 gives you high-quality photographs without a technical learning curve, so long as you stay within its predetermined adjustments. Settings for different skill levels We love that Photoshop Elements offers three tiers of photo editing: Quick, Guided, and Expert. Quick is simply that — with a few auto-adjustments, possibly a camera filter or picture frame, you can take your photograph from raw image to printer-ready. Guided gives you almost 50 options, where it will walk you through step-by-step the process of adjusting brightness, straightening or resizing a photo, or adding filters.
Finally, the Expert mode lays out all of the program’s tools with minimal instruction. Points to consider Light on advanced editing tools Even though the Expert mode of Photoshop Elements is more advanced than either the Quick or Guided modes, it doesn’t compete with our top picks. In addition to its clunky ‘90s-era design, it lacks all of the tools found in Photoshop CC or Serif Affinity Photo. That said, it could be a good introduction when you feel like trying out some additional techniques outside of the guided programs.
How to Find the Right Photo Editing Software for You Decide what tools you need Different types of image editing require different tools. No matter what you’ll be doing, you’ll want to know which ones you need for your most common projects — these functions might not be immediately necessary, but they’ll let you tackle tasks a little more complex than wiping away corgi footprints.
Layers let you combine separate images or edit specific areas of a photograph. These are helpful if you’re trying to remove a photo-bomber from your wedding ceremony on the beach or swapping out the snowy background of your cute dog photo to send him floating through space instead. Applying a mask layer is another technique to isolate areas of a photo for specific editing. If you’d like to make changes to the background of your photograph without affecting the subject, or if you’d like to create a cut-out of a tiny dog from one photograph to layer him into a desert landscape in another, you’ll probably use a mask.
Finally, preset filters let you adjust your photos with a single click. These could either take the form of a typical Instagram filter (you click “Black and White” or “Landscape” and it automatically alters your photo) or auto-adjustments on a tool-by-tool case. Knowing what types of editing you’ll be using the software for will help you narrow down which tools are essential and which are just nice to have. Test drive several options All of our top picks offer a free trial, and we recommend taking full advantage of them. You probably know what you’re going to be using the software for, and now’s a good time to see how each of them perform on the type of image editing you need. Pay attention to the number of tools and effects provided, how easy they are to use, and the organization features of each program.
Determine how much you’re willing to spend Prices for photo editing software vary a lot, and depending on what you’ll be using it for, you may not need to pay a premium. The most powerful tool on the market, Adobe’s Photography Plan, runs on a subscription model for $10 per month. If you don’t need all of that technical prowess, Serif Affinity will meet all your image editing needs for a one-time purchase of $50.
There are even a number of available if you don’t want to make any investment. Advertisement Disclosure has an advertising relationship with some of the offers included on this page.
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