- #Silverfast 8.8 manual how to#
- #Silverfast 8.8 manual license key#
- #Silverfast 8.8 manual drivers#
- #Silverfast 8.8 manual manual#
If you're like me, you probably still have years' worth of unscanned slides and negatives waiting to be tended to some rainy day, and a COVID lockdown gives you a golden opportunity.īut are you better off using the software that came with your scanner, or should you shell out for a third-party alternative to get the best results? Before I rolled up my sleeves and started scanning, I wanted to answer this question for myself.
#Silverfast 8.8 manual license key#
If you decide to buy the program, you can simply enter the license key to unlock it, without having to reinstall anything.A difficult 2020 that has blended into a difficult 2021 has made it harder for many of us to get outside and shoot, but that doesn't mean you have to neglect your photography. The only other limitation is that it watermarks the scans, so you cant really use them.
The Demo software is actually a fully functional version of SilverFast Ai Studio, minus the color calibration feature. When the Plustek OpticFilm 120 first came out, for example, you couldnt conveniently scan, say, the third frame in a strip of film (a problem that has since been fixed). You can find a list of supported scanners on the SilverFast website.).
#Silverfast 8.8 manual how to#
The program also includes a Wizard of sorts,which is meant to walk you through the steps for different kinds of scans.īut learning how to use even the Wizard properly takes time and effort. To make things easier, you can see the effect on the preview scan when you change settings and easily undo it if necessary. Put the target in the scanner, click on the color calibration tool, and wait a moment for it to scan and calibrate. The second scan adds significant time for scanning each image, however, and it doesnt always give you better quality. 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 scanners dynamic range (meaning how many shades of gray it can see), so the scan will show more detail based on shading.
#Silverfast 8.8 manual manual#
Silverfast 8.8 Manual And AutomaticĮven 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.Įither 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). That makes upgrading easy, since you only need to enter a new license key. What makes it worth paying for is that it delivers on its promise.Īll 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.Īll three also use the same program file for any one scanner, with the license key unlocking the appropriate features for the program level. What makes SilverFast worth considering is that it promises to give you better-quality scans from the same scanners.
#Silverfast 8.8 manual 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 8.8 Drivers That Manufacturers The good part is that its 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.