Has Anyone Used VueScan With a Canon Scanner?

I have a Canon 8800 F. I demoed VueScan a couple of times over the years and haven’t been able to get as good results as I can with the Canon software’s default settings (scanning grayscale documents and color photos).

I tried tweaking the VueScan settings a bit, but I’m no imaging expert.

I agree.

In the end I just booted my old cheesegrater Mac Pro with a Yosemite backup and used Canon’s software.

(I haven’t forgiven Canon for stopping their driver updates. I won’t be buying any of their products again.)

1 Like

I’ve owned about 5 scanners over the past 30 years. Currently I use a Cannon DR9080 feed scanner. I use it on my Windows 7 machine with ABBYY 11, which is amazing. My scanner is rated at about 100,000 scan a month and is duplex with sheet feed error and staple detection. I’ve run a few hundred sheets through it. Sad to say I can’t get it to work nearly as well on my mac with Vuescan. There was a really big learning curve, and most versions he puts out break things for me, like sheet size detection. Some things don’t always work like border removal. Some versions work with border removal but then don’t detect page size. So yeah, it sort of works (at 1/100th the speed), but my bells and whistles don’t work at all.

Have used VueScan since it came out on all my Macs since the IIci and IIfx days. I have a permanent multi-cpu license. Works just as well on my 14” MacBook Pro Max 10core CPU/32 core GPU/16 Core Neural engine with 64 GB ram and 4TB SSD as it does on my 2013 MacPro with 128GB ram and 2TB SSD. Worked well on the less powerful systems over the years. Works with directly attached, remotely attached and over the LAN just fine.

Have used HP scanners, HP all in ones, Canon printers and scanners and Epsons offerings as well.

1 Like

I use an old Brother MFC-8480DN as my scanner. When I upgraded to Big Sur from High Sierra, I found out that Brother no longer supported it. My only way to scan to my computer was to use Preview. That worked, but I was not as happy with as I was with the old Brother Control Center. (After a month two, when my wife got a new MacBook Pro, I upgraded to Monterey.) I then read this thread and decided to try VueScan. I tried it and was so impressed with it that I turned around and bought it. Thanks to everyone for sharing.

2 Likes

I’m kind of surprised to see so many still using flatbed scanners. I threw my ScanSnap away because of its poor paper feeding abilities, and use a multifunction printer for scanning through Preview or the printer program. However, I scan all the time and haven’t used anything but my phone for a long time. Scannable, Notes, or one of the other excellent programs deliver a superior scan to a flatbed, in my humble opinion.

I have been using VueScan for many years with a very old UMAX firewire scanner (with a chain of adapters to USB-C) and with Mac OS versions from Pre OS9 to the current macOS 12.3.1 with an Apple Silicon MacBook Pro. VueScan works perfectly.

3 Likes

It all depends on what you’re scanning. Although I occasionally scan documents, most of my scanning is of the covers of books, CDs and video discs, in order to add the cover art to my database.

I scan these covers at 600 DPI using SilverFast’s Photoshop plugin, so the scans go directly into an open edit window in Photoshop Elements. From there, I perform basic manipulation (straighten, color correct, crop) and occasionally more aggressive editing if necessary, before I copy/paste it into a FileMaker database that I use to keep track of my books, music and video media.

I think my workflow would be far more aggravating and difficult if I tried to do this by photographing covers on my phone, and there’s no way you can shove a hardcover book through a sheet feeder :-).

4 Likes

i use this exact same scanner with VueScan and never have any problems.

Well, if you are scanning photographs for reproduction a flatbed scanner has no peer, except maybe a drum scanner. I use Scanner Pro on iPhone to capture documents and the occasional photograph, and the algorithms it uses to compensate for skew and tilt are terrific for everyday use. A modern flatbed doesn’t have that problem in the first place, and the scanning bar avoids the problems introduced by a camera funneling light through a tiny lens that then spreads it out again to cover a tiny sensor. My ScanSnap came with a carrier sheet to allow photos and irregularly sized artwork to be scanned, but my Epson flatbed beats it cold for scanning quality when quality really matters.

I’m sure there are many instances of the flatbed being superior and yours is a good example. Most of my scanning needs don’t require photo accuracy. But, for example, I scan music so I can play from my iPad. IOS programs deliver a very nice clear white product without my having to edit. It’s also much simpler and faster. This has reduced my need for flatbed scanning greatly. Music books don’t fare well in a flatbed.

1 Like

I do the same. Also paper handout documents and notes from meetings. I could haul them home and put them on the flatbed, or if suitable through the ScanSnap. But I find I get great quality scanning them on iPhone, and allowing Scanner Pro to shuffle them automatically to Evernote. Since we don’t have a shredder at work, I still haul the paper home, but for a five-second ride through the shredder instead of a 15 minute scanning session.

I haven’t used my single-purpose scanner in ages, but I do use the scanner portion of my Canon Canon TR8620 printer. VueScan works fine with it, but I normally scan using the ‘Import from [Scanner Name]’ in the File menu item of the Preview app. Another way to access the same procedure is via the Scan tab for the appropriate device in the system Printers and Scanners preference.

You don’t have as many options using these methods as via VueScan, but its fine for basic scanning needs.

Thanks so much everyone for all the advice and help. We set up the VueScan this morning, and so far, so good.

:clap::clap::clap::+1:t2::+1:t2::+1:t2:

2 Likes

That’s a thought. I’ve gotten quite creative trying to get Real Books to lie flat in my flatbed. Without sidetracking the thread too much, do you have an iOS reader and page turner for that?

I would start with Scannable, or Notes. I don’t have anything fancy to turn pages, but if the camera is on a tripod you could hold the book and turn the pages. Otherwise, a 2nd person really speeds things up. I’ve been impressed at how well Scannable straitens the page.

Ah, you misunderstood me. I was asking about turning pages when you are trying to play the charts. Vaguely remember apps with foot pedals to turn pages, but at the time didn’t think it would be useful.

I thought you were asking about changing pages to scan the pages. Playing or reading, foot pedals work well.

Bruce

I have an 8800F, and have used VueScan with it from even back when Canon supported it. VueScan is great, and has a lot of options. Unfortunately, Paperless doesn’t work with VueScan, only with manufacturer or Apple drivers, and thus doesn’t work with the 8800F, but otherwise VueScan works great.

1 Like

I have used VueScan from it’s earliest release. It has always worked with whatever device I needed to use, even one’s with no official driver for years. This is truly one great product.

The process of multipage scanning has changed over the years and the latest release can provide challenges sometimes at the last page.

Of course, when all else fails, there is a manual.

1 Like

I have a Canon 9500 with VueScan and it works well. I did need to install the old Canon driver in order to get it to work. I’ve used it with OS versions through Big Sur with no problem. I also tried the same setup with an M1 Mac mini running Monterey and it wouldn’t work. So I suspect the possibilities of using some of these old scanners is coming to an end in the Apple silicon age.

1 Like