Thinking of getting a ScanSnap iX500

[marktrade]

Yes, by all means, you have permission to share freely any work I provide here.

I will definitely be uploading them to the Internet Archive at archive.org, which looks like an ideal place. The direct download from them is adequate but the torrent files they provide are absolutely blazing. They also make automatic derivative files like searchable PDFs. People can entirely offload OCR work to them and of any language. I don't want to put a damper on efforts to provide a dedicated server (I've actually donated), as it always helps to have multiple sources and backups, but the archive.org torrents blow away everything else I've seen.

I will OCR searchable PDFs on my own as well, since archive.org goes a little bit too far in shrinking the file size, but then it functions very well if all you do is search and then go to the CBR for reading.

Thank you very much for all your help. I look forward to working together soon.

[marktrade]

The scanner arrived and unfortunately my tests did not go smoothly. It did not arrive with any software and finding software has not been straightforward, but I've been making progress. The backside scanner arrived dirty, producing vertical lines on the output. The seller said the dirt might have settled there during shipment and so far they have been very helpful. I wiped it with a lint-free cloth I had at home and that helped diminish the lines but not entirely remove. I ordered new cloths which arrived yesterday and I'm waiting right now for delivery of a bottle of 99.95% isopropyl alcohol (the stores only seem to sell 70%). Once that arrives I can do a more thorough job of cleaning and hopefully get down to business.

The scanner originally came with ScandAll Pro and I was able to download a copy from Fujitsu after providing them with my model and license number (evidently it is not free otherwise). Is QuickScan Pro an older program? Is there a way I might be able to download that as well?

I have also been looking at Mac software. VueScan claims to support the fi-6670 but it crashed on me. There's a program out there called fScanX that is, from what I can tell from the demo, excellent. It runs very very fast even in high DPI, high quality setting, several times faster than ScandAll Pro. I guess this is because fScanX uses the Mac's processor to speed things up, as it claims the faster the Mac the faster the output. I'd like to buy it but the developer is asking for $599 which is crazy. I wonder if I can negotiate a non-profit license from him for reduced cost.

[marktrade]

Also, in the software I've been using, I have not been able to find any option that allows me to turn off the backlight or set the background as black. Perhaps I will need to use QuickScan Pro for that?

I have been testing with pages from an issue of SHAPE magazine that was sent to me by accident (I figure if the machine eats it then nothing of value will be lost). Here is a sample scanned in duplex mode from a page with a hand lotion advertisement that shows an example of text bleeding through from the other end.

You were saying you could reduce this kind of bleed-thru while scanning in duplex? It's barely noticeable until you zoom all the way in, but still it would be helpful to reduce this effect.

Edited April 28, 2015 by marktrade

[KiwiArcader]

The back light being turned off reduces this significantly at the expense of dropping the overall brightness a little but software can fix that by altering brightness/contrast

Did you provide Fujitsu with the scanners serial number to acquire Scandal Pro?

[marktrade]

I did send them the scanner's serial number, yes.

[marktrade]

I keep having some success with cleaning the glass but instead of removing the dirt I seem to be moving it around. The lines are appearing in other spots. Do you have any tips for how I can clean it better? Would it be acceptable to use a cotton swab? I think I remember someone using isopropyl alcohol and a cotton swab to clean another Fujitsu scanner.

Also, I'm learning that QuickScan Pro actually costs upwards of $1,000 for my scanner. There is a trial version which I suppose I can try later. I'm not sure I need it. Video game magazines have a ton of dark pages. I just scanned an issue of NextGen and I'm not getting *any* text bleed thru at all on opposite pages, although I think the page material might be slightly stronger/thicker than the issue of SHAPE I was testing before.

I'm going to head to the store and pick up some cotton swabs. I have some magazines with the mail sticker on them. I wonder if a hair drier might help me peel them off? I'll pick up one of those as well.

Edited April 28, 2015 by marktrade

[marktrade]

Sigh, it looks like I will have to return the scanner. I have cleaned everything, the glass and the rollers, very thoroughly and have examined everything very carefully so that by now I can see the exact offending particles on the other side of the glass that are causing the lines. Fortunately the seller is being very helpful. They're promising a speedy turnaround.

Ah well, still plenty of work I can do to keep me busy in the meantime.

[KiwiArcader]

That's the issue I have with mine. The bottom glass is pretty good but the top glass has specks inside it which can't be removed without dismantling the unit and I am a bit scared of going there in case I screw it completely. So I am having to scan one side then scan the back sides and then duplex the files which is easy enough to do but a bit of a pain. I only paid $200 for my 5th though so not a big price. If those idiots servicing Fujitsu in NZ would just answer their emails ....

[marktrade]

Did yours arrive like that or dd it happen over time?

[KiwiArcader]

Arrived like that. I guess you run risks buying off eBay

[JohnSmith]

I'm just reading this thread now, but I'd like to say that I'm dedicated to scanning the missing issues of Next Generation magazine. I do it from a flatbed in a good quality and host the files as CBRs on Internet Archive. Depending on the quality that you get from a feed scanner, I'm assuming it's less, especially if you don't edit the results in Photoshop.

The magazines will come some day. I wish I could be doing it more right now, but I have two major projects that trump it, so it might be a year or so before I can really have a consistent scanning schedule.

[marktrade]

I'm just reading this thread now, but I'd like to say that I'm dedicated to scanning the missing issues of Next Generation magazine. I do it from a flatbed in a good quality and host the files as CBRs on Internet Archive. Depending on the quality that you get from a feed scanner, I'm assuming it's less, especially if you don't edit the results in Photoshop.

The magazines will come some day. I wish I could be doing it more right now, but I have two major projects that trump it, so it might be a year or so before I can really have a consistent scanning schedule.

That sounds good. I think we can benefit from multiple scans, especially from different sources and hardware. I will of course make sure each page is cropped and aligned properly, and I also plan to upload to archive.org.

Here is a sample image scanned from an issue of NextGen with my fi-6670. It is unedited except that its size was reduced and saved as a jpeg. The original TIFF is 100 MB and 600 DPI.

http://postimg.org/image/j07gocwt7/

I'm fairly certain I can adjust the parameters so I wouldn't even have to crop in post and have the scanner align the pages for me, and I'd be experimenting with that right now if I didn't have to send my scanner back to be cleaned (apparently some dirt settled behind the glass of the backside scanner during shipment). Anyway, you can at least see from this sample, scanned from the front side during duplex, that there is no bleeding from other side of the page (NextGen paper stock is excellent) and that the colors are solid and there is no banding.

I've wanted a Next Generation scan collection for so long, well over a decade. I'm glad it's finally getting some attention! Looking forward to your scans.

Also you might be happy to know that I still have many of the CDs that came with it and will be uploading those to archive.org very soon.