SilverFast Ai/Photoshop problem wiht 4990

[sanking]

I am having some problems with SilverFast and an Epson 4990 scanner.

Here is a profile of my system.

1. 24" iMac, 2.16 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo

2. OS 10.4.11

3. SilverFast V6.5.1 ria

4. Photoshop CS3 (10.0.1)

I am running SilverFast through a Photoshop plug-in.

The two major problems.

1. Photoshop CS3 will frequently crash when I attempt to save a file produced with a scan with Silverfast. This happens every fifth or sixth time. This also happens from time to time with CS

2. When attempting to scan a 6X7 cm file at 4800 spi in 48 bit color the scanner hangs up at the beginning and Photoshop does not respond. I have to Force Quit Photoshop.
This does not happen when I make the same scan with using SilverFast and Photoshop CS.

Any known fixes out there for this problem?

Sandy King

[Marko]

Sandy,

Both of your problems sound very much like some kind of system resource shortage.

I notice you didn't mention your memory setup at all, by which I mean all of the following:

1. The amount of physical RAM
2. The amount of RAM reserved for Photoshop
3. The amount and type of virtual memory. Or in other words, what's your Photoshop scratch disk setup like?
4. Also, how much free space do you have on your regular, system disk?

Perhaps you could also compare memory settings in your CS vs. your CS3. Finally, do you have any other applications running at the same time?

[Tom Westbrook]

I'd guess you're running out of memory. If you're using the Photoshop Import method to capture your scans, you're far better off using Silverfast in its standalone mode to produce a TIF file which you can later convert in Photoshop.

[sanking]

Sandy,

Both of your problems sound very much like some kind of system resource shortage.

I notice you didn't mention your memory setup at all, by which I mean all of the following:

1. The amount of physical RAM
2. The amount of RAM reserved for Photoshop
3. The amount and type of virtual memory. Or in other words, what's your Photoshop scratch disk setup like?
4. Also, how much free space do you have on your regular, system disk?

Perhaps you could also compare memory settings in your CS vs. your CS3. Finally, do you have any other applications running at the same time?

Marko,

I have 3 gig of RAM.

I will check oin the RAM reserved for CS3. Normally I set up a program with a huge excess for Photoshop since I deal with many very large files.

As for scratch disk, I have a very large external set up for the scatch.

However, I can make the same scan with Photoshop CS3 using the Epson 3.0.3 driver that is currently on the Epson web site, which made me think that what I have is a SilverFast compatibility issue with CS3 rather than a system, memory or scratch disk issue.

Sandy

[sanking]

I checked the scratch disk and memory issues.

Currnently I have about 150 gig of free space on Scratch Disk One, and 200 gig on Scratch disk Two. So I think scratch disk is not an issue.

As to memory, I have 2200 mb of Ram alloted to CS3, which is just at the top of what CS3 recommends as optimum.

And as I indicated earlier, there is no problem at all with CS3 and the Epson driver with the 4990. Everything really looks toward a specific problem of my version of SilverFast with CS3.

Sandy King

[Henry Ambrose]

I'd cut back the RAM allocated to PS to maybe 50% (in your case maybe 1500 MB) and give it a try.

[Marko]

Henry beat me to it. If you allocate too much memory to Photoshop, you can easily run out of system memory when working with big files. I know it sounds as a paradox, but it is the balance that really matters.

So, try what Henry said, scale back to 50% and see if the problem goes away. If it does, then start increasing it in 10% chunks until it starts appearing again, and then start reducing it in 5% increments until it goes away again. That should put you in the right ballpark, and if you want to nail it really precisely, you could repeat the same approach in even smaller steps.

[sanking]

Henry beat me to it. If you allocate too much memory to Photoshop, you can easily run out of system memory when working with big files. I know it sounds as a paradox, but it is the balance that really matters.

So, try what Henry said, scale back to 50% and see if the problem goes away. If it does, then start increasing it in 10% chunks until it starts appearing again, and then start reducing it in 5% increments until it goes away again. That should put you in the right ballpark, and if you want to nail it really precisely, you could repeat the same approach in even smaller steps.

No, that did not do it. I cut back the memory to 50% and the scan still hangs up at the beginning with SilverFast.

Meanwhile I made about ten scans with CS3 and the Epson 3.0.3 driver for the 4990, all of them 6X7 RGB files at 4800 ppi. No problem at all.

Anyone out there from SilverFast listening?

[Scott Kathe]

I run Silverfast Ai on the older white 20" iMac with OS 10.4.11, a 2.16 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo and only 1 GB of RAM. I haven't tried to run the 4990 with Silverfast Ai 6.5.1r2 (a little different from yours?) from within CS3 10.0.1. It's a little inconvenient that way but I haven't crashed anything yet and it's been about 5 months with this setup.

Scott

[Henry Ambrose]

One last trial is cut the PS allocation to 1 GB.

After that I'd write Silverfast. They are responsive if a bit slow at times.

[Marko]

No, that did not do it. I cut back the memory to 50% and the scan still hangs up at the beginning with SilverFast.

Meanwhile I made about ten scans with CS3 and the Epson 3.0.3 driver for the 4990, all of them 6X7 RGB files at 4800 ppi. No problem at all.

Anyone out there from SilverFast listening?

How about your problem #1? Did adjusting the memory help with that?

[Brian Ellis]

Silverfast used to have a section on their web site devoted to problems posted by users and the Silverfast response. You might check there to see if there's been any mention of a compatability problem between SF and CS3. Or you could call Silverfast, they were helpful to me the several times I called.

[SAShruby]

Hey Sandy, going to digital printing? What happenned to AZO or Lodima?

[sanking]

Hey Sandy, going to digital printing? What happenned to AZO or Lodima?


Peter,

My workflow starts with film, which I scan and then make digital negatives. I print in alternative processes, usually carbon but also kallitype and pt./pd. I don't print much at all in silver, AZO or otherwise.

Sandy King

[sanking]

How about your problem #1? Did adjusting the memory help with that?

Marko,

Negative. Adjusting the memory did not change anything. The scan still hangs up at the very beginning.

I will check on the SilverFast site as Brian suggests. Until I find a solution the Epson software for the 4990 works perfectly with CS3 and my operating system.

Sandy