Any recommendations for open source scanning software?

I'm currently using Silverfast with my Epson v850 Pro but my frustrations with the software's bugginess, limitations and general wtf!-ness are becomming increasingly unbearable. Does anyone have any recommendations for open source scanning software? Either Linux or Windows is fine. Ideally something with a GUI that lets one set-up a scanning batch, but a command line tool or even just a scanning library I can build my own workflow around would be fine.

I use Epson scan. Works a treat. Not open source, but it does what it's supposed to do.

Stanbey said:

scanning batch

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Epson scan allows batch-scanning as long as the negatives are together on the platen. However, I always simply select the entire image area and scan it in one go, then split it out in GIMP etc. Or rather, I even don't split it out and just save the whole thing and take from it what I need, when I need it.

On Linux you'd be looking at xsane, but that may/will not support all of your scanner's functionality. I doubt it even allows you to use the transparency adapter in the first place, making it useless for film scanning.

Koraks's suggestion to try Epson scan is a good one. I haven't used Epson scan for film scanning with my Epson flatbed; but I often use it for scanning prints and Polaroid photos, and it is reliable, stable, and gives good quality scans. I have actually never tried the film scanning capabilities of my scanner since I have a Nikon scanner for film, but if Epson scan is as good for film scanning as it is for prints, I would use it. Try it and see if it works for you.

If you don't like Epson Scan, I'd suggest Vuescan. It isn't open source, you'll have to pay for it; but it is not expensive and it is the best film scanning software I've tried. It is what I use with my Nikon scanner.

chriscrawfordphoto said:

I'd suggest Vuescan.

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Agreed.

Not open source, but I have used Vuescan with several different scanners -- both film scanners and flatbeds -- with good results. There are so many settings and options, it is easy to get bogged down when trying to sort out what you want to do in Vuescan, but once you figure out the interface, it will be the same for any other supported scanner you might want to try.

As other posters have already mentioned VueScan is the best third party scanning software.

Thanks for the Vuescan suggestions. However, I'm really looking for something open source. I want to be able to fiddle and tinker with it.

koraks said:

I use Epson scan. Works a treat. Not open source, but it does what it's supposed to do.


Epson scan allows batch-scanning as long as the negatives are together on the platen. However, I always simply select the entire image area and scan it in one go, then split it out in GIMP etc. Or rather, I even don't split it out and just save the whole thing and take from it what I need, when I need it.

On Linux you'd be looking at xsane, but that may/will not support all of your scanner's functionality. I doubt it even allows you to use the transparency adapter in the first place, making it useless for film scanning.

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I agree with Koraks and use Epsonscan with my V850. You can individually set up each picture to scan differently on a batch scan. What else do you need?

For open source, maybe one of the SANE API frontends/plugins for GIMP: Quiteinsane, XSANE or whatever. The SANE site should offer some options.

Stanbey said:

Thanks for the Vuescan suggestions. However, I'm really looking for something open source. I want to be able to fiddle and tinker with it.

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If you’re scanning prints or doing archive copies then the SANE CLI tool is probably what you’re after. For other applications you would be sacrificing a lot of performance in pursuit of an elegant workflow.

As some have mentioned, it might be good to look into XSane. It has an old-school interface, but I enjoy that aspect of it. You can look through some of the documentation here.

It is suggested on the SANE Supported Devices that there is "good" support for the Epson V850 Pro with the sane-epson2 backend.

I have had good luck with XSane and the Plustek OpticFilm 8100, for which it is suggested that there is "complete" support with the genesys backend.

XSane also allows the use of color management, and I have used it successfully with a custom scanner profile created using ArgyllCMS and a LaserSoft Imaging (the maker of SilverFast) IT8 target on transparency film.