Digital Photography: The Missing Manual

Three Ways to Scan an Image

Chances are, your PC lets you control your scanner in three different ways: using Windows’ built-in scanning wizard; using your graphics program’s own menus; or using the scanner’s own software. Here’s the rundown on each method, and when to select it.

• Windows XP’s Scanner and Camera Wizard. This wizard, the same one you learned about earlier in this chapter, works well for quick, on-the-fly scans: faxing documents, placing images on a Web site, emailing photos to friends, or for treating your scanner like a simple copy machine. (If you want to summon the wizard when using a graphics program, look for the menu choice labeled WIA, which stands for Windows Image Acquisition.) Most programs stick their WIA choices in the File → Import menu.) Full details on how to use the scanner wizard start in Section 4.5.

  The easy-to-use wizard offers another bonus: The wizard works the same way on every modern scanner. Once you learn the wizard’s controls, you can apply those skills to operate the scanner at work or a friend’s house, or even on your next scanner.

• TWAIN. Whereas Windows XP’s wizard resembles the easy-to-operate, Point and Shoot setting on a camera, TWAIN is like switching the camera to Manual. Here, you can adjust a scan’s size by tenth-of-an-inch increments, save presets of custom settings, tweak color values, and perform other adjustments valued by those who need them—but TWAIN’s not essential for most jobs.

  A nonprofit group created TWAIN in ...