Microtek Introduces Next Generation of Scanning Software

ScanWizard Combines Full Complement of Editing Features with Intelligent
Software for Ease of Use

NEW YORK, June 20, 1995 - Microtek Lab, Inc. announced at PC Expo in New
York the release of ScanWizard, its newest scanner controller software for
Microtek color scanners on Macintosh and Windows platforms. ScanWizard
breaks new ground with some of the most powerful and innovative features
in scanning, along with the ability to automate editing functions for
unsurpassed ease of use. The key to this simplicity is ScanWizard's
Advanced Image Enhancer with tools and screens showing concurrent
real-time before and after preview thumbnails. ScanWizard also includes:

* professional image editing capabilities
* full-page and zoom preview
* batch scanning; multiple scan frames
* four descreen settings
* resolution set to output device with scanning resolution
  automatically calculated
* on-screen densitometer for pixel-by pixel color value measurement
* white and black point selection
* downloadable gamma curves
* Smoked Glass background

"Both professionals and newcomers to scanning," said Woody Hale, Microtek's
vice president of sales and marketing, "will find ScanWizard's real-time
interaction and automated features a refreshingly innovative approach to
producing consistently excellent scanned images. In today's market, users
want professional-level functionality with an uncomplicated operating
interface. ScanWizard offers the simplicity of a point and click
interface, yet professionals can also utilize a full range of manual
override controls for fine-tuning images."

ScanWizard enables both expert and newer users to focus their creative
efforts on special effects in post-scan image editing applications, such
as Adobe Photoshop or Micrografx Picture Publisher, since a substantial
amount of image processing work is handled by the scanner controller.

With tonal correction, adjustments to hue and saturation, color correction,
sharpening, or descreening performed in ScanWizard, it is realistic to
scan directly into a page layout program for page-to-print production.

Advanced Image Enhancer Tools and Screens

One of ScanWizard's most innovative features is its Advanced Image
Enhancer, which offers on-screen viewing of image editing done in the
pre-scan mode. This powerful capability, with its graphical user
interface, delivers enhanced productivity and optimal image control. With
the Advanced Image Enhancer, first-time scanner users can achieve
professional quality scans with ease.

By clicking on any one of the five Advanced Image Enhancer tools, the user
activates an accompanying screen which displays a side-by-side thumbnail
comparison of the edited image versus the original.

As the image is modified using various image enhancer tools, the "working
copy" of the image changes on the screen in real-time for instant
comparison, fast image manipulation and maximum user control.

Advanced Image Enhancer tools include:

* Brightness, Contrast and Exposure Tool, including threshold adjustment
for black and white line art; channel exposure settings for each RGB color
channel; slide bars to set brightness, contrast and exposure settings.

* Tints Tool with color wheel, saturation bar, film-type selection bar for
film negatives, and the exposure correction bar to adjust exposure of film
negatives.

* Shadow and Highlights Tool for modification of the shadow, midtone and
highlight settings of the histogram; a histogram bar shows the
distribution of shades from dark to light.

* Curve Tool for adjustment and control of the mid-level gray tones of an
image. Three curve selections are available: line, curve and gamma. Once
defined, the curve can be saved in either Microtek or Photoshop formats,
with Photoshop curves allowing up to 19 control points and up to 64
control points for Microtek curves.

* Filters Tool is used to create special effects such as blur and blur
more; sharpen and sharpen more; edge enhancement and emboss. More Options
Tool includes a descreen capability to remove moire effects, allowing for
scans of screened halftone images. Four descreen settings include
newspaper, magazine, art magazine and custom.

Easy-To-Use, Flexible User Interface

ScanWizard's graphical user interface will appeal to both "power" scanner
users and those who are new to scanning. ScanWizard consists of four
distinct windows: Preview, Information, Settings and Scan Job. With these
four windows, users have the option to arrange the scanner controller's
desktop to suit individual preferences. Once configured, the desktop stays
in place until it is modified.

In the Preview, or main scanner controller window, users can access scanner
mode] information including SCSI ID, firmware and driver versions, and
other SCSI devices with their corresponding SCSI ID numbers. This window
offers re-sizable full page preview, as well as zoomed preview for
unpixelated, high-resolution viewing of a selected part of an image.

The user also has the ability to activate the Smoked Glass effect for
greater visibility and focus on image detail within the scan frame. When
Smoked Glass is turned on, the user can identify single or multiple scan
frames, masking out and de-emphasizing the elements of the image that
remain unedited. Enhancements are then applied to the scan frame only.

For greater control over color adjustment, ScanWizard's Preview toolbar
includes the Color Picker tool. A point and click device, the Color Picker
can set highlight and shadow points for each RGB channel, in addition to
identifying the color values of individual pixels. An on-screen
densitometer in the Information window displays both original and enhanced
color values for user comparison The Information window also shows a
pixel-by-pixel view of the image area selected by the Color Picker.

ScanWizard's Settings window includes controls for automatically
calculating output values for scanned images. One of the automatic
features of ScanWizard is its ability to dynamically calculate scanning
resolution based on output device resolution, whether in dots per inch or
line screen. ScanWizard resolves the problem of scanning at higher
resolutions than required by the user's output device, which can cause
excessively large file sizes and memory allocation problems.

Two other features in the Settings window that automate the scanning
process are the output/input dimension controls and the Aspect Ratio Lock.
Once the input dimensions and scaling factor are defined, ScanWizard
determines the width and height of the image when output to a device,
monitor or printer. Conversely, if the user knows the desired output
dimensions and scaling factor, ScanWizard calculates the required scan
frame, or input dimensions. When the Aspect Ratio Lock is on, a constant
ratio of image width to image height is maintained.

An image editing companion to the Preview window, the Settings window
contains the Advanced Image Enhancer tools as well as ScanWizard's
descreen function for eliminating moire patterns when scanning printed
images. ScanWizard's four levels of descreening include newspaper,
magazine, art quality and custom.

In ScanWizard's Scan Job window, the batch scan function offers the
productivity advantage of significantly increased efficiency, resulting in
time savings and consistently accurate color scans. Multiple images
scanned together can be uniquely identified with separate file names and
different scanning parameters applied to each, such as brightness and
contrast, gamma, hue and saturation, and scan mode. Multiple scan frames
within a single image, for instance, can be designated as discrete scan
jobs with each having its own unique image enhancement characteristics
saved to separate files. An additional productivity feature is the
Duplicate function, which allows users to duplicate optical scan settings,
which is particularly beneficial for applying optimal settings as a
template for future scan jobs.

MICROSCAN AND QUICK PANEL FOR INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY

Included with ScanWizard are two utility programs designed to enhance user
productivity. QuickPanel is available on the PC platform, while Microscan
comes with ScanWizard for Macintosh.

QuickPanel for Windows adds a multi-functional office solution to Microtek
scanners on the PC platform. In keeping with the intuitive drag and drop
interface of ScanWizard, the QuickPanel toolbar provides quick access to
copy, fax and print functions.

The compact Microscan for Macintosh utility enhances ScanWizard's batch
scanning capability. Microscan enables users to scan a large number of
images without opening an application such as Adobe Photoshop. Each image
can be saved to individual files in a graphic format of the user's choice
for subsequent image editing or importing into a graphics or desktop
publishing application. An added benefit for users with limited RAM is
Microscan's ability to successfully scan and import images into a page
layout program without opening RAM-intensive graphics applications.

AVAILABILITY

The ScanWizard scanner controller for Macintosh and Windows is bundled with
Microtek's 24-bit color flatbed scanners, the ScanMaker II, IISP and IIHR,
as well as its high-performance 36-bit ScanMaker III color flatbed
scanner. ScanWizard for Windows is also included with Microtek's
transparency scanners, the ScanMaker 35t slide scanner and the ScanMaker
45t multi-format film scanner for scanning 35mm slides and transparencies
up to 4" x 5".

ScanWizard for Macintosh will be available June 20, 1995 and ScanWizard for
Windows will be shipping mid-July. Microtek plans to offer ScanWizard for
Macintosh on the ScanMaker 35t and ScanMaker 45t late summer.

Microtek Lab Inc
3715 Doolittle Drive
Redondo Beach, CA 90278
310-297-5000,  fax 310-297-5050

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