Universal scanning utility supporting most TWAIN devices, with powerful options but a dated interface
Universal scanning utility supporting most TWAIN devices, with powerful options but a dated interface
Pros
- Supports nearly all scanners
Cons
- Clunky, unattractive UI
EasyScan lets you make the most of any TWAIN-compatible scanner for Windows.
EasyScan is a Windows program that lets you access a scanner. It supports practically any scanner that has a Windows device driver and can adhere to the TWAIN standard. TWAIN is a standard that regulates communication between digital imaging peripherals and software, and support for it is prevalent among digital imaging solutions created for Windows PCs.
EasyScan not only works with scanners but other peripherals that may include scanning functionality, such as multipurpose printers. It’s worth noting that most scanners do come with either propriety or third-party software. Nevertheless, some companies have gone out of business and other companies have stopped making scanners. In a lot of cases, that’s made getting the proper software difficult.
EasyScan is a universal solution that can be used for homebrew equipment as well, and it can be used as often and for as long as you like at no cost. It also has a host of options. In fact, it supports all options supported by TWAIN. It’s much more likely that EasyScan will often an option your scanner doesn’t support than the reverse. In that case, the option will just be grayed out.
EasyScan features image orientation and resizing options. There’s a preview option built it, which you can force refresh at any time. You can lock settings in as you fiddle with other options, and when your scanned image is just the way you want it, the program offers numerous output formats.
The user interface is a bit of an eyesore. It uses a very basic and outmoded Windows aesthetic. There are many user-customizable settings that are just loosely organized. The buttons and labels are very small and crammed into as tight a space as seemingly possible. Nevertheless, learning your way around the UI isn’t hard, and if you lack other software options, you can easily overlook this shortcoming.
Pros
- Supports nearly all scanners
Cons
- Clunky, unattractive UI
Pros
- Simple and lightweight program, under 1 MB in size.
- Compatible with older Windows versions and PCs.
- Works with almost any TWAIN-compatible scanning device.
- Available in several languages.
Cons
- Lacks the more powerful image editing features found in modern software.
EasyScan is a software tool that lets you easily scan documents and images, regardless of the make or model of your scanner. It takes advantage of the TWAIN protocol, which is used by nearly all modern imaging devices and allows them to communicate with PCs running different operating systems or using a variety of imaging software, all without requiring the installation of additional drivers or plug-ins.
Even though all scanners and all-in-one devices sold today come with software provided by the manufacturer that lets you save the documents you scan to your PC and perform basic image editing tasks, EasyScan can nonetheless be quite useful for many people.
The software is lightweight and simple, taking up less than 1 MB of storage space. It also supports older versions of the Windows operating system, like Windows 95, 98, NT and 2000. Some of the latest scanning tools, such as those provided with scanners and printers sold in stores today, may not be compatible with these older platforms and require you to find a third-party imaging program. If you have an older PC that you would like to repurpose as a scanning, copying and printing station, at home, at school or at a retail business that you operate, EasyScan can make that happen.
EasyScan can be used for simple scanning tasks that use the default settings to scan the whole page, but it also lets you change a variety of settings for the scanning job. You can choose whether to scan in color, grayscale or black and white. You can zoom in on the picture, select only part of a page to scan, rotate the picture and even select a specific RGB channel for artistic effects. Images can scanned at various resolutions, up to the maximum supported by your scanning device. The software's user interface has been translated into several languages, which is perfect if you want to use it as a teaching aid or at a public scanning kiosk in another country.
The application's interface has been designed with simplicity in mind, with most settings and options being available in the main window. Help files and a quick reference guide are included, giving explanations on how to use the software and what the different settings are for.
Pros
- Simple and lightweight program, under 1 MB in size.
- Compatible with older Windows versions and PCs.
- Works with almost any TWAIN-compatible scanning device.
- Available in several languages.
Cons
- Lacks the more powerful image editing features found in modern software.
