Is EpsonScan (4870) Target Output Configuration Broken?

[haverbach]

Anyone using an Epson 4870 Scanner:

Assume you use the "Configuration" dialog to set your "TARGET" output
space to AdobeRGB1998. And assume your Photoshop workingspace is
AdobeRGB1998.

When you use EpsonScan in the plug-in mode (scan directly into
Photoshop), do your scanned images come into Photoshop in the
AdobeRGB1998 colorspace and tagged as such? If not, do you get a
"Profile Mismatch" or "Missing Profile" dialog?

When you use EpsonScan in the STAND-ALONE mode (scan to a file; not
directly into Photoshop), then manually load the image into Photoshop,
do your scanned images come into Photoshop in the AdobeRGB1998
colorspace and tagged as such? If not, do you get a "Profile Mismatch"
or "Missing profile" dialog?

Bottom line: does EpsonScan's "Configuration" dialog work for you so
as to be able to scan the image into the AdobeRGB workingspace and tag
it as such? Mine does not seem to do so. Irrespective of how I set
the "Configuration", all scanned images seem to output either in sRGB
or untagged. Consequently, when imported into Photoshop (whose
workingspace is AdobeRGB), all color images are much too saturated,
especially in the reds.

Note: my monitor is properly calibrated and profiled.

Any help or comments?

Howard

 

[bmoag]

It is not very complicated.
If the scanner software is set to create the scan in AdobeRGB then it will
be created in that color space whether from within Photoshop or the Epson
scan applet.
If you do not have Photoshop set to warn about mismatches but have it set to
convert any image to AdobeRGB you will get no warning box when you open the
image in Photoshop.
If the image is already in AdobeRGB and that is your chosen working space
for Photoshop you will also not generate a warning box.

 

[haverbach]

Thank you, but I am aware of everythig you stated. I'm sorry, I
assumed that that was apparent in my post.

My question goes to the heart of the EpsonScan scanning software, to
wit: assuming my system including Photoshop color settings are set
correctly (including to warning dialogs with respect to embedded
profiles), could EpsonScan be sending out images untagged or tagged
with sRGB, EVEN THOUGH I've told the "Configuration" dialog to tag
AdobeRGB?

Thanks,

Howard

 

[-]

could EpsonScan be sending out images untagged or tagged

with sRGB, EVEN THOUGH I've told the "Configuration" dialog to tag
AdobeRGB?

Epson would be the best to answer this if we could only get someone
knowledgable at Epson who would give us reliable information. This issue
occurs in Home or Professional mode, in different file ouput format soffered
(.jpg, tif, etc.) and for different color settings (RGB, sRGB, etc.). I
know it has been an issue in at least the last two driver releases (2.65 and
2.68A). My guess is that Epson would tell us that the file is actually in
the color space but just not tagged. Why they would do it this way, I don't
know. FWIW, the included version of Silverfast SE will correctly tag the
file.

Doug

 

[haverbach]

Thanks, Doug.

After considerable research and experimentation, I am now certain that
the EpsonScan software does not work. Others have contacted me to
verify my findings.

The issue now is what to do? I have lots of images that I thought were
properly in the AdobeRGB space when I scanned them into my system. But
they actually exited the scanner as UNtagged sRGB. Initially these
images in Photoshop were too red and saturated, but I did not then know
why. So now I want to go back, load these files into Photoshop and
"Correct" the profile issue. (And thus the color issues as well.)

The question then becomes: should I load the images, STRIP any profile
then ASSIGN sRGB (the original, out-of-scanner space), and then maybe
CONVERT to AdobeRGB? Or is there another way to correct this?

Thanks,

Howard

 

[-]

The following is Epson's response. Take it for what it is worth.

Doug
--
Doug's "MF Film Holder" for batch scanning "strips" of 120/220 medium format
film:
http://home.earthlink.net/~dougfisher/holder/mainintro.html

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you for contacting the Epson Connection.

Epson Scan's profile configuration doesn't allow for scanning "to a color
space," rather it allows a profile to be used in the place of auto-exposure
to adjust the image for scanning. Basically, if you use a custom profile for
the scanner, then click the auto-exposure button to apply the profile, the
image will be adjusted using the profile's parameters.

If an open color space is used in the profile window, and the auto-exposure
button is used, the image will be adjusted to that color space's parameters
- instead of the scanner's. Epson Scan doesn't allow for embedding at all.

There are two other ways to embed a profile in the image:
1. If the scanner can be used with SilverFast Ai, the color management setup
in this driver does allow for embedding a profile via a checkbox in the CMS
tab.
2. Use Photoshop or Photoshop Elements and configure the application to the
desired working color space. When saving, click the check box for embedding
the profile.

 

[haverbach]

Thanks, Doug.

I'd say that Epson's response, and more to the point the inability
simply to embed the desired profile, is a lot of crap!