VueScan 8.0.

This paper reviews the scanner control software VueScan 8.0.11 from Hamrick Software. VueScan opens the door to professional-quality scanner control and while it would not make one a professional overnight, it give users the necessary tools at an amazingly low price. It can drive flatbeds, film recorders and slide scanners using a range of interfaces. And because it replaces default scanner software, it can make older scanners compatible with OS X--no more popping into Classic just to use the venerable scanner. VueScan is available in Standard and Professional versions. In addition to its versatile controls, VueScan offers color-balancing presets for many common situations such as color distortion from fluorescent or incandescent light, washed-out skies in landscape photos and distorted skin tones. Users can adjust settings for slides and film negatives basing them on the type of film used. The preview window is ample and zoomable. An interactive channel-by-channel histogram view of either the preview or the final scan is also available. Because VueScan works by driving the scanner directly--emulating the command set used by the scanner manufacturers themselves--it does not work with all scanners.