The Epson Perfection 1240U is a flatbed color image scanner that's easy to use, is fully automatic, and operates with one touch of a button. Precise and clear images are produced as a result of its 1,200 x 2,400 dpi hardware resolution and Micro Step Drive technology. True 42-bit color depth brings colors to life. The plug-and-play USB connection makes setting up a breeze.
Complete with a premium software bundle, the 1240U scanner includes Adobe Photo Deluxe, NewSoft Presto!, ArcSoft Photo Printer, and much more. Scanning speed is a zippy 7.0 milliseconds per line for color and 6.5 milliseconds per line for gray levels. This scanner is compatible with both Mac and PC computers, and although this unit does not come with a transparency unit, it can accept one as an optional add-on. The Epson Perfection 1240U measures 10.6 by 17.14 by 3.66 inches and weighs 6.17 pounds. It comes with a limited one-year warranty. --Linda Anderson
Ideal for the home and small business user the Perfection 1240U is extremely easy to set up and use. With a true optical resolution of 1200x2400dpi, fast scanning speeds and an amazing 42 bit per pixel color depth for accurate color reproduction, the results from this scanner are outstanding. Plug & Play USB connectivity and 3 QuickStart buttons allow the scanning and sending of data with a single press of a button. The enhanced Epson Twain driver features a Full Auto mode enabling minimal intervention. New features such as Document Type Recognition and Auto Skew Correction, ensure high quality scans requiring little, if any, subsequent software manipulation.The Perfection 1240U is bundled with a comprehensive range of bonus software, including Adobe Photo Deluxe for image manipulation, and Textbridge Pro for scanning text documents. In addition, Epson Smart Panel enables customization of the Start buttons as well as offering scan to e-mail, scan to OCR, scan for creativity and scan to application and photo print.
1 Worked GREAT.. at FIRST!
Okay.. had I posted a review for this scanner within the first few months of owning it, I would have given it rave reviews a-la most of the other reviews here. I'm glad procrastinated. I noticed dust starting to appear in my scans. At first they were negligable, easilly mistaken for a spec on the picture itself, but I can fully attest that over time the dust will accumulate under the glass and your scans will have a considerable amount of noise. Sure your software can clean it up, but a quality scanner shouldn't make you do that manual work. So in short, I only recommend this scanner if you love dust! I wouldn't take it for free if someone gave it to me! The only reason I rated 2 stars instead of 1 is becaus it did work well for the first few months. After sitting, it's become useless to me.
2 I have no complaints about this scanner!
This scanner replaces an old UMAX scsi scanner. From setup to first scan this scanner is a breeze. My wife uses it everyday and it hasn't given her one problem. It's fast, reliable and worth every penny.
3 Fast, sharp...DUSTY
An excellent scanner worthy of 5 stars if not for an inordinate amount of dust on the underside of the platen. I had been warned about this by previous customer reviews but decided to purchase one anyway with the hopes that mine would be different. Wrong. Thank goodness for Photoshop's Dust & Scatches filter which corrects the problem, though obviously does not solve it. Methinks another scanner is warranted...
4 Fast, crisp . . . DUSTY
A great scanner with excellent features that would have rated 5 stars if not for and excessive amount of dust on the *inside* of the scanner glass. I read about this problem from previous customer reviews, but decided to purchase it anyway, hoping perhaps my scanner would be dust-free. Nope. Thank goodness for Photoshop's Dust & Scratches filter which puts a band-aid on the problem, but obviously does not cure it. Methinks a replacement scanner is warranted...
5 Epson Perfection 1240U
The scanner is very easy to use. Produces great scans. I have had no problems with it thus far. Before I ordered this scanner I did some extensive research and frankly I was a little concerned about all the hoopla about dust getting under the glass. I have not had this problem. The scanner has NOT disappointed me. A great buy for the money.
6 Didn't work! No Support!
The Epson scanner was easy to hook up, had straight forward directions for use, and it easily scanned a document to be printed. It would not scan a document into a program so that it could be edited. Having sent several e-mail requests for help to Epson, and not receiving one response, I returned the scanner.
7 Best scanner period!
Great quality positive and negative scans. Very speedy. Very well built. Only draw back is you have to exchange the top everytime you want to scan slides.
8 Very fast, excellent image quality, easy to use
After dorking around with ...flatbed scanners, I decided to fork out for the Epson 1240U Photo scanner. For a few bucks more, I got a LOT more scanner. This machine is remarkably fast. It needs only a few seconds to warm up prior to the first scan. After that, it zips right through every image the instant it's asked. The image sharpness and color quality is usually top notch as scanned. Little adjustment is necessary and if so, one or two buttons can be clicked to perform instant outstanding corrections. What's cool is that, if desired, there are many customizable settings to play with if the defaults aren't to your liking. Or you can go the one-touch route which offers clickable choices for what you want to do. I've had zero problems with it. The setup was quick and easy. I wouldn't bother with any other scanner. Bottom line, I get top-quality images in seconds. No more plodding through minutes of repeated warmups, scans and manual image adjusting.
9 Great Scanner Great Price
I have a HP 4C on my desktop and wanted a small scanner, primarily for photo scanning for my laptop. I wanted small,quality and inexpensive in one scanner. I read everyones reviews and the 1240 seemed the hands down winner. A week and a couple hundred photo scans later, I would agree. I was very impressed that I could put 4 4x6 photos on the glass and the software would scan them individually....My 4c won't do that. All of this for a $X. Everything I read suggested the newer 1250 is a step down so I'm glad I bought a 1240 when they were still available.
10 Excellent Scanner!
This scanner is very affordable yethas outstanding preformance.
The TWAIN Drivers ... automaticallt decting settings, but you can aslo switch to pro mode, allowing you full controll of the scanners features.
The image quality is superb.
The Photo editing software that come bundeled is of course not really that usefull, but you can't expect to get Photoshop included at that price. Photoshop and this scanner make an excellent combination
The Epson 1240U is well worth your money
Pieter Kapsenberg
11 Good Scanner
The only drawback that I've found so far in my one week of use is that you cannot position whatever you are copying all the way to the upper right corner. You have to position whatever you are copying about 1/4 inch away from the right edge or that edge will be cropped off. However, the included owner's manual does state that so there were no surprises but it is annoying.
Four 4x6 photos do fit will on the scanner.
12 Quality Problems! READ!
I bought this scanner after doing a very large amount of research. Time and again, this scanner popped up among the best. Upon throroughly testing the scanner, I'd say the reviews were right. Great color scans, fast, and works well with my Windows 98 computer. ONLY ONE SERIOUS, SERIOUS PROBLEM: When I bought this scanner, the glass had particles UNDERNEATH. That means that every scan of a photo you take appears with dust, etc. ON the photo. Sure, you can take software & clean this mess up, but do you know how much of a PAIN it is after only 2 photos?! I returned the scanner & replaced with the same model. Maybe it was just that first scanner, right? WRONG AGAIN. Again, the same issues arose with particles underneath the glass! Worse yet, the bottom side of the glass had "WINDOW SMEARS", such as when you clean your glass windows at home! Ok...maybe it was the store? Right? So I went to another store (online) and bought the 3rd one of these. AGAIN, SAME PROBLEM! THUS: 3 Epson 1240U scanners came ALL with dust & other unknown particles!
In all, I wasted about 6 weeks between, returns and credit card crediting for 3 scanners. Don't get me wrong, this a fantastic scanner, yet these quality problems of having particles underneath the glass is unacceptable! I'm not being hard on this product either. Out of all the brands I've used, this particular model (perhaps even the entire line?) has some serious issues. If you do get this scanner, make sure that you don't have this problem--the ODDS will definitely be against you. Good Luck! ...
13 Very good scanner for the money. Could use better software.
I just bought this scanner after reading many helpful reviews here on Amazon. Thanks to these people, I knew what to expect and how to overcome some of the minor shortcomings of this product. This is my first scanner and I've had one weekend of satisfying experience with it. It's true that the software that comes with this scanner could be better. You should visit the Epson web site and download the update for the latest TWAIN driver and EPSON SMART PANEL software. If you don't get the SMART PANEL update, the copy function apparently only works with Epson printers. After downloading and installing this update, the scanner worked fine with my Canon BJC-600e printer. The TWAIN driver is a very good piece of work. The SMART PANEL and other bonus software is OK, not great. The OCR software is mediocre. If you need this function much, plan on investing in other software. The Presto OCR seemed to work better than TextBridge, but I haven't used either much. I was disappointed that there seems to be no way of manually adding an application (like WordPerfect) to the OCR if it doesn't detect your application automatically. (The 'scan to application' function has this capability.) Still, I'm very satisfied with my purchase. I don't expect to use OCR much. I had a hard time deciding between this scanner and a Canon (which seems to have better software), but I decided to go with the apparently better hardware quality of this scanner. (Software can be updated. Hardware can only be returned if defective.) I had no trouble setting it up (aside from the inconvenience of having to download software updates). The instructions are clear. (Take the time to read them through first.) The quality of the scans are very good.
14 NEED AN EPSON PRINTER WITH THIS SCANNER!
After seeing all the rave reviews of this product, and ensuring that it was compatible with my existing computer system, I ordered this product....and lo and behold, it would not scan to my Hewlett Packard printer!! I tried and tried. I then consulted with Epson, who advised me that this scanner is only made to copy to an EPSON PRINTER!! Imagine my amazement, as there is nothing indicated within the technical specifications to indicate this! In summary, I'm a disappointed buyer and have already returned the product for a refund.
15 Great scanner at great price
Easily installed and works great. Moreover, I got at a very good price from Amazon. Whatever time I have gotten to work on it, it has performed very good. Very clear scans and software that came with it is also very good for editing.
16 Best buy for your money....
I bought the Epson after returning the Canon D660U at Best Buy. I was very disappointed in the Canon because it had a lot of dust under the flatbed glass. I exchanged it and the next one had the same problem. After all the reviews I read in computer magazines I decided to give this Epson a try. (Cheapest price I could find was here on Amazon.) I primarily bought it because of the flexibility it offers, scanning negatives (you can do 4 in one scan) + regular scans.
Personally I can only tell you good things about this scanner, especially the smart panel software. The problems I had with the Canon turned out to be the best thing for me. This scanner is much quicker and produces much better quality scans.
I don’t use it to copy or do “ocr” work with it, but the function where you can launch an application after doing several scans is a great feature. ---By the way that the way to create scans (almost) directly on your harddrive, just set it up so it will launch a new application you specify, then use the save as feature to specify the fileformat (read manual).---
I always use the manual scan option which lets you pick the twain driver. And whatever you say about the rest of the software package, the Twain driver is great. I scan negatives from 2 different cameras and you can save settings that are optimized for each individual one. Even the position(s) where to scan are saved. The twain driver is also where you would adjust the scan colors or the brightness + contrast if you don’t like the defaults. If after all the adjusting you still don’t like the result just use the Photoshop 5 LE that is included, one of the best photo editing software packages out there (I found it to be a nice bonus, it’ll cost you [price] in stores)… Granted I might have an easier time with the software + options because I’m a programmer and use computers all day long, but a novice can get up and running in no time. Don’t forget that you always have learn how to use new software!!! One advice I can give you is to install the smart panel software right away and read the manual.
I can’t tell you what customer service is like, I haven’t needed them yet.
17 Excellent Film Scanning
I needed a replacement for my 4 year old Mustek 600. A local retailer had an excellent price on a 1200x2400 dpi Microtek 4700. I tried it out and although it's scanning quality was quite good for photos, it was marginal for transparent materials. Since I need to do some film scanning, I returned the Microtek and got the Epson 1240U Photo (at a much higher price).
Scanning of photos is very quick and yields excellent results. When I tried it with 35mm film, I was surprised at the quality. I had some B&W astro photos that I had previously scanned on a $4,000 Minolta film scanner. I scanned them on the Epson and was astonished that the quality was actually better than the film scanner. The Epson results were sharper and had bettery gray scale rendition. I also scanned some color slides and even 16mm film strips and got acceptable results, although for those, I suspect a dedicated film scanner would have done better. The TWAIN driver uses an unsharp mask filter by default, making scanned images appear very sharp at the expense of a little pebbling in some smooth areas. That's probably why lots of people have reported this scanner as producing sharper images than others. Although to be fair, when I tried some sharpening filters, including unsharp masking, on the Microtek, I was able to get the image as sharp as on the Epson, but the pebbling was worse than what the Epson produced. It appears that Epson's filtering algorithm is quite good. With the unsharp mask on the Epson driver turned off, the focus is a little softer, more similar to many other scanners. For most pictures, I leave the unsharp mask turned on because the overall results are better.
I use an Alps MD-1300 Dye Sublimation printer. Scanned photos printed on the MD-1300 are almost indistinguishable from the originals.
Driver installation is not completely automatic, so read the manual and follow the instructions. It didn't work when I tried it on my own before reading the manual because the procedure is a little different from the usual Win98 driver installation. The only problem I found with the software is that the TWAIN interface didn't work with a very old version of WinFax Pro 4.0. It works fine with WinFax Pro 10.0, iPhoto Plus 4, and MGI Photo Suite. I didn't install Adobe Photo Deluxe because I had tried it previously and didn't like the user interface and slow speed.
Overall, this is an excellent scanner and I would highly recommend it.
18 Does Exactly As Advertised
This scanner has not failed, had no software problems or "surprises" in over 1600 35mm slide scans in the first month I owned it. I also have found the scanner to work very well when scanning objects, such as coins, other type collectables for recording inventory. I rate this scanner A+. This is my second Epson product that has quality and produces for the buyer a quality product.
19 poor color quality - poor customer service
Color quality is poor. My greens are nothing like the original. All the adjusting in the world does not help me get good quality.
Their service is nonexistent as far as I can tell. They promise a reply within two days but they must be measuring in dog years.
20 Scanner is great
I am a new scanner owner, but the Espson seems to be everything I need. I scanned several photos and posted them to internet pages fairly easily, the quality of the scans is great.
My two complaints are:
1) There is no on-off switch. When you plug it in, the scan bulb turns on for 15 minutes and then goes into sleep mode. To really turn it off, you have to unplug it.
2) Some glitches in the software that comes with it. "Copy" function would not send to one of my printers. Email to Epson tech support said "That's a problem with software, you have to contact them." Email to them went unanswered.
Overall, though, I am pleased with my choice.
21 some software difficulties
The scanner itself is the best option in this price range. The Epson software is sound, but the included package from newsoft, inc. is pretty terrible. I still have not received satisfaction from that comapany. The "one-touch" capabilitites that their application "Smart Panel" is supposed to make possible would be nice had I received a working copy. Once installed, that application either freezes my machine, or does nothing when I select the scan for creativity option. The real disappointment came when I contacted them for a solution. I have sent multiple e-mails and received no response. When I telephoned them, I got a pre-recorded message informing me that I had better chances of getting satisfaction online. HA! It's a good thing I don't need their software, or I would have probably returned the unit. If you already own Photoshop, do not bother with the PhotoDeluxe application that is included with the unit. Stick to Photoshop, and set up all your scans manually, and this unit is great!
22 Almost Perfect
I am a novice when it comes to understanding computers and its related jargon, however, I do find them fun to use. The Epson 1240U Photo very definitely falls into the "fun" category. It was simple to set-up and the directions in the documentation could not have made it easier. I sanned my first picture within a short time after receiving the scanner. I scanned some slides the next day. One was printed and given to my daughter as it was a photo of her first haircut. Although I have had the scanner for a couple of weeks I am only scratching the surface. I've saved copies to floppies and just yesterday burned a CD-R. My intent is to archive several hundred slides and photos on CD's before the pictures totally deteriorate. The lack of an on/off switch, although not a problem, just makes it necessary to go through the process of unplugging the scanner. This is not a real problem in that the 1240U has a sleep mode and doesn't require unplugging until I am turning the whole system off. I am sure there are better and more expensive scanners, but this fits my bill. Also, the price from ... was better than any retailer or internet price. What else can be said, price and performance are almost perfect for the novice like me.
23 1240U works good But!
I’m running Windows 2000 with a P4 and 512 mega bites of ram. I had major problem with a UMAX that I bought less then a year ago. I was not happy to spend another $130.00 or so on a new scanner. I need a scanner for my business and home so I picked up an Epson 1240U Scanner and shot my UMAX. No, I sold it....
Installing the UMAX software for Windows 2000 ... big time. I work with computers all day long with my business. There is no reason for a UMAX to create software that has a work around that requires a tech support person to help you. The UMAX harware is good
The Epson was not too difficult to install. Please read the manual. The first time I did not. Lets say I don’t care to talk about the mistakes I made. (READ)
I noticed two problems with the Epson. The small problem first. I like an update wizard for new firmware. The biggie was the ability to save a scanned image directly to my hard drive. I have to send out the image though the Internet and receive it via my E-Mail. ... All other functions seem to work well. The Scanner does a very good job of scanning to my printer and sending off E-Mails.
24 Should have known better......
After reading reviews about installation problems, I should have known better. It took several hours to install and even though the Epson patch fixed the scan/copy function I still had occasional error messages. It had debris under the scan bed just like many other customers complained of which is unacceptable. On the other hand, the scans were very crisp and sharp. HOWEVER, all scans of photos were noticably darker than original. I could not for the life of me fix this problem. Even my poorly rated HP4200C took better scans without having to edit the photos. Will send it back in morning. I will not purchase another Epson product.
25 Overall better scanner than the Canon 1240U
After returning the Canon Canoscan N1220U I bought recently because of a loose USB port on the back and because of unsatisfying slightly fuzzy scans at high resolutions, I went and bought the Epson Perfection 1240U for cheaper than the Canon.
Both scanners have similar technical specifications such as scanning resolutions as high as 1200x2400 but the Epson Perfection 1240U produce higher quality images. The colors are slightly more vibrant and the quality of the scan is sharper and clearer even at high resolutions which is better in the end if you plan on doing lots of retouching or other detail-oriented graphics work.
Though the Epson doesn't have a design as stylish as the slim Canon, it is a quieter. The Canoscan 1220U has a small annoying buzzing sound during previews but becomes quiet during the actual scans. The Epson is overall pretty close to silent and faster. I found myself having less time to wait for the scans to come out (though both machines are not slow by any means).
Unlike the experiences of some other reviewers, I had no problems with dust on the scanner inside. The Epson has a lid that comes off for you to fit bulgy items while the Canon only has a cover that rises up to 1 in. So forget trying to scan a dictionary on the Canon! (but who would want to do that anyways...)
As a graphic/web designer on my spare time, I also tend to scan small objects such as necklaces, motherboard circuitry... etc and the focus of the Epson on such 3D items is better too. When I scanned the back of an old hard drive, the Canon 1240U produced fuzzy edges and unclear electronic circuits while the Epson gave close to photographic image clarity.
Though the Epson is better overall, it is not deprived of some little annoyances (that you can live with though). The buttons of the Epson can not be redirected to other applications if you don't install the Epson Smart Panel software. But even with that installed, it will only allow you to customize the main scan button. I haven't found a way to reconfigure the 2 other buttons. The Canon has only one button but its own panel allows you to customize all the panel buttons to your likings.
The lack of a power button on the Epson could have been an additional benefit but it doesn't bother me too much either. The Epson Perfection goes into some sort of stand-by mode after a few minutes to avoid using too much energy.
Finally, the Epson doesn't have as good softwares included as the Canon N1220U. The Textbridge OCR (which doesn't recognize colors or pictures in articles at all) of the Epson is not nearly as good as the Canon's Omnipage pro. I haven't figured out a good way to capture editable text with the Epson yet. Maybe I'll have to go buy an good OCR software now. Canon also includes Photoshop LE while Epson only offers it with the Perfection 1240 PHOTO. On the basic Perfection 1240U, you get Adobe Photodeluxe which is surely more user-friendly for families but not as powerful for Photoshop/Fireworks accustomed people. But if you already own a quality image editor (Photoshop, Fireworks ...etc), you won't find the lack of good software on the Epson a hinderance to your creativity.
I also didn't like how I couldn't turn-off the automatic "load at start up" Epson Smart Panel. I like to keep control of what loads when Windows start up and only the Canon allowed me to do that.
Overall, the Epson is better in terms of quality pictures. If you are a design focused person or prefer portability, you'll enjoy the sleak shape and light weight of the Canon 1220U. But for me, the versatibility of the Epson takes over the Canon. In the future, if you even want to scan negatives, you can buy the add-on for the Epson Pefection but you can't do that with the Canon N1220U.
26 Epson Perfection 1240U Color Flatbed Scanner by Epson
Excellent scanner, very happy with image quality. No problems, except the Xerox software supplied with the scanner is quite [bad]. Takes many a click through to many pages to do what, for example, Cannon software can do on one page, really simply.. Would get 5 stars otherwise.
27 Fast with good color
Got frustrated with the speed of my Microtek E-6 so I bought the Epson 1240U. Very fast, very good colors but one annoyance is it's inability to scan edge to edge on the bed. Otherwise a very good scanner for the price.
28 Stunning Scans Equaling High End Scanners
The quality of the scans in both reflective and transparency mode is spectacular. I am a graphic artist and web designer, and after having problems with the transparency adapter on my HP5370C (not problems really, the damn thing just wouldn't work)I decided on the Perfection 1240U photo scanner. Epson provides a separate transparency "cover" and a variety of templates from 35mm to 4x5 which perfectly position your image for scanning.
Scans are very fast, and although there is a sort of "humming" noise when the scanner is operating it really is almost negligable, contrary to some who say it is a noisy scanner.
Setup is quick and easy and you're scanning in 10 minutes or less. My CD-Rom had the patch that fixes the "copy" mode so you can use it with printers other than Epson brand. Just a minute or two to install the patch. I use a variety of printers from HP Laserjets, and Epson large format to a Tektronix 1200 dpi printer.
In this price range, there is no equal in my opinion, and I have used UMAX, HP, and Mustek scanners. If you want a scanner that does an outstanding job without draining your bank account, order this one!
29 Epson 1240U Scanner - Better Than Just A Home Use Scanner
1. The PROS - I have had my new scanner for approx. 3 weeks now, and am very satisfied with it. Installation was easy, quick, and presented no problems whatsoever, and that includes the software that came with it, although a bit time-consuming to install.
The included transparency adapter/hardware appears to work fine for scanning in my 35mm negatives. However, I haven't had a chance to fully utilize and test this.
The quality of the pictures and documents scanned far exceeded my expectations, and are a vast improvement over my old Umax 1200p Astra, which I considered a good scanner until I tried my new Epson.
The USB connection substantially reduced the amount of memory and resources used by the scanner, speeding up my computer.
And once I installed the NewSoft patch, correctly, which required two tries because the patch doesn't correctly install itself and directions for installation aren't fully detailed, the scanner and it's copy utility work fine with my HP 970cxi printer.
2. The Cons - There does seem to be a bug in the scanner, as I am unable to scan only a selected part/portion of a picture/doc. The scanner insists on scanning the entire picture/document, which is a problem I didn't have with my old scanner. However, I consider this more of an annoyance/inconvenience, as it is easy to edit the scanned picture/document to extract only the part you want with the software provided.
The lack of an off/on button is also an annoyance, but my old Umax scanner didn't have one either.
I am not thrilled with the software included with the Epson scanner. First off, because it is obsolete, meaning not the current versions. The included, and primitive/incomplete, Photoshop LE 5.0 is about worthless as a graphic's editor, etc., with the included PhotoDeluxe 4.0 being significantly better, altho far from ideal also.
And although the pictures scanned into PhotoDeluxe 4.0 look really good, I should say exceptional quality, on my monitor, when I print them, the quality of the printed photo is not what I saw on my monitor. Whereas, with my old Umax, which came with PhotoDeluxe 2.0 & primative versions of Presto Pagemanager, etc., the situation was just the opposite...monitor screen quality was poor, and coloring not true and sharp, but after editing, the quality of the printed photos, with the exact same printer I'm currently using, was exceptional....better, in most cases, than the pics you get back from the developer of your film. Thus, it appears that the problem lies in the changes between PhotoDeluxe 2.0 & 4.0, and how each version sends the picture info to my printer; and/or with the NewSoft patch; not with the Epson scanner or my printer. I do like PhotoDeluxe 4.0, but will probably uninstall it, and re-install the 2.0 version to see if I get the same quality printouts I got with my old scanner.
The printout quality of pictures using Photodeluxe 4.0 is good, they're just not quite as clear, sharp, and true as they were on my monitor screen subsequent to scanning them in with the Epson 1240UP. And it is difficult to edit a monitor screen picture that appears perfect, but doesn't print the same as what you see, so that the resulting printed photo is exactly the same as the high quality picture on my monitor. Whereas with my old scanner and PhotoDeluxe 2.0, the scanned screen picture was usually lower quality, thus, I could edit the quality of the picture on my monitor and get higher quality printouts than I was seeing on my monitor.
3. Bottom Line - My personal opinion is that the Epson 1240UP o is a very good scanner for home use and also for small business use, and I'm happy with my purchase, but it's not perfect. However, the imperfections are minor, with most due to the outdated, incomplete, and rather primitive, graphics software included with the scanner; and/or to the NewSoft patch required to enable Epson's scanner to work with non-Epson printers. If one can afford a really good graphics program, this Epson scanner would probably be equivalent to the quality of a costly professional scanner, but at a much lower price.
Recommendation - If you buy this scanner, before you install it, go to the Epson website, read the FAQ's, and download the current driver. Then go to NewSoft's site and download the Epson patch if you don't have an Epson printer. Then follow Epson's instructions for installing the scanner, but instead of installing the driver and patch on their cd, install the current driver and patch you downloaded, then install the graphics software as directed...making sure all programs are shut down, except for explore and systemtray, before installing anything. I think, from my own installation experiences, that one of the reasons people are having problems with this scanner is either: (a) a failure to correctly install it, the current driver, the patch, and/or the software; and/or (b) the kind of computer, processor, monitor, graphics card, and printer they have. I have a 650mhz Athlon processor, 256mb's Ram, a Samsung 950p monitor, a Matrox Millenium Max G400 graphics card, HP 950cxi printer, and Windows 98SE...and both the Epson scanner and it's transparency unit seem to work fine on my system, with no installation or other serious problems whatsoever, except for the Newsoft patch installation which has to be installed to the correct Epson folder to work, which it doesn't do on it's own.
30 A Keeper
My HP scanner went out and I got the Epson as a replacement. The Photo version comes with a film/slide attachment which seems to work great. The scanner is easy to use and very accurate. The only beef is no on/off switch.
31 Fast, easy to use, and wonderful color reproduction!
I have previously owned HP and UMAX scanners in this category, and this Epson is far superior. I had it installed and scanning through Photoshop in under 10 minutes. I am amazed at how accurately it reproduces the color & contrast in my photographs. (Both my UMAX and HP always scanned very dark). I have reduced my 'touch-up' time in Photoshop by 50%.
I was also pleasantly suprised with the quality I'm getting from scanning black & white negatives. I'm seeing much more detail in the scans than the photo lab was able to produce in the prints.
I am thrilled with this scanner!
32 Great Quality Scanner
I don't know what people are talking about, I had no problems whatsoever setting this up. I have Windows Me and I just followed the directions that came with the scanner. It worked perfectly. You do, however, have to go to epson.com to get the added software to allow a printer that isn't Epson to work with the photocopy buttons,etc. The only reason I didn't give this a 5-star rating is because there is dust on the glass inside the scanner, and it shows on the scanned photo. Shame on Epson for not having better quality controls in place. Also, I agree that Epson should be punished for not having an off switch on this otherwise great scanner.
33 Fast, great quality scans for next to nothing!
I have used a $4000 Agfa and I don't see much difference. You might see a difference in scanning negatives, but prints and other normal sized material come out great on the Epson.
Plus, the epson is at least 4-5 times faster than any scanner I've used! A 300 dpi 42bit color photo scan on the epson only takes about 10-15 seconds max, and that's start to final display.
I don't know about all the different software interfaces and programs, but the minimum TWAIN 5 driver installed on my Mac os9 dual G4 450 running Photoshop 6.0 runs flawlessly.
So if you're a Mac user looking for no-hassle, high-quality, fast scans, at a low price--get the 1240u!
I'll have to try it on my win2000 machine and get another opinion posted.
34 For the Money, It's the Best
I purchased this scanner after having a positive experience with its predecessor (1200U, at a local lab). The set-up was amazingly simple (as it should be on a Mac) and the first scan was done 10 minutes after the UPS man left.
The scanner delivers exceedingly good results in reflected mode (scanning from a print.) The colors are good and the focus is sharp. There is a noticeable level of noise in the blue channel. This is a problem that plagues all entry level scanners and is far more controlled in this model than in many others.
In transmissive mode (scanning from film), the scanner fares slightly worse. When scanning slides, the sensor has some trouble seeing into the shadows. Though this is to be expected with a Dmax of only 3.2 (which does seems accurate). Again, this is typical of an entry level scanner and better controlled here than in other models. It delivers crisp, saturated images with accurate colors. When scanning traditional black and white films (Tri-X, Tmax, Delta, Neopan, ect) there is a slight amount of chromatic abberation. This means that the transition from a highlight to a shadow isn't crisp but is a very small rainbow. This problem can be avoided by using chromagenic (dye-based films). By this I mean use color-process film such as Ilford XP2Super or Kodak Black and While Plus. When scanning consumer grade color films (Kodak MAX and family, Fuji Superia and family, Agfa HDC and family), the scanner does an excellent job. Using the auto color correct button yields acceptable color more than 90% of the time. However, the scanner doesn't quite know what to do with professional grade films such as NPS, NPH and 160VC/NC. These films require scanning a piece of the film base to use as a mask in Photoshop.
The software is easy to use and makes intelligent decisions the majority of the time. The so-called "curves" tool provided int he TWAIN driver is truly pathetic. You're far better off getting the scan close in the driver and then fixing it in Photoshop.
A note about the published resoloution, the real resoloution of this scanner is 1200 ppi(pixels per inch). The 2400ppi Epson quotes comes from micro-stepping the sensor and really doesn't gain you anything other than a more cumbersome file. The 1200ppi resoloution isn't really enough to make prints from 35mm film. It takes at least 2-1/4 (6x6) to make a print (I'm talking 8x10 prints). This being said, it makes wonderful copies of 35mm prints if you have them. From medium format film or larger, this scanner will deliver the data needed to make stunning prints. I am well satisfied with the results I achieve from 6x6 and 4x5 negatives.
Overall, this is a wonderful scanner that I feel is well worth the money. It's limitations are minor and its benefits numerous. It provides a scan quality that almost rivals the... Nikon in the lab down the street. Anyone interested in digital photography on a budget should own this scanner.
35 Good scans, limited software
The scanner functioned well but I was unable to get it to scan into WORD 2000 as an insert without having to format the insert(the size was 1.3x1.7 in. not 8.5x11 in. as scanned). They do not even have WORD 2000 on their system to be able to dublicate the problem. I have owned an HP, and ASTRA scanners an did not have this problem. You can not scan transparencies unless you buy their adapter, the twain will not be active for this option unless you plug in their lid. The copy utility can not be set to default to your settings, it returns to color normal each time it is opened. I spent several hours with tech support and the said the would get back to me on these issues. Their answer was to buy Lasersoft software...so I could control the settings. I returned the scanner.
36 Fine Hardware, Lousy Software
Installation of the scanner involved some trials and tribulations. Actually I'd grade the ease of installation about normal for modern PC hardware, which is a left handed compliment. When finished, and after an hour of at least courteous and competent technical support from a nice fellow with a thick Russian accent, the machine worked flawlessly, producing fast and accurate scans. It comes with lots of bells and whistles that to me were irrelevant to the task at hand.
The real rub, as it were, came with the TWAIN software interface. I bought this scanner for the purpose of replacing my UMAX 1200S in order to reap the benefits of increased speed and resolution. After reading the reviews, I had expected to be able to cut my typical scan time from 60 second per page to maybe 15 (b&w 400 dpi)I found to my dismay that the TWAIN software was not well-suited to the task of repeated scanning of documents with custom settings.
My old UMAX VistaScan software, whatever else its faults, once adjusted and set for a particular scanning modality, remains at that setting until told to do otherwise. The Epson TWAIN 5 software,OTOH, resets itself to default values for each scan which is a real pain in the rear for scanning lengthy documents unless one wants to use the default settings.
I gather from the support guy that most see this as an advantage. For my purposes, though, it essentially more than negated any gain in speed from the hardware. Although I can see that this would be a great scanner for a customer who didn't intend to put the scanner to hard use, the Epson Twain 5 software did not suit my needs. I returned it today. Now, if only I could have used the UMAX TWAIN software with the Epson scannner, I'd have been cooking with grass.
37 Great great great!!!
Installation was 1-2-3. In less than 30 minutes I had it up and running. Its quiet, fast and the scans are great. I've read all the other reviews and decided just to go ahead and buy it. Well, Epson has another winner. No problems with the installation into a Compaq and the Epson 1240 with an Epson printer combo works great.
38 Saving Scanned Pictures
I purchased the 1240U to scan family pictures to the computer's hard drive. I am very disappointed that this scanner seems to do everything but scan photos directly to the hard drive. I don't want to send photos directly to email or to the printer. I want to save them on my computer. There is no easy way to do that. Even tech support said "sorry". Using the watered-down version of Adobe provided with the scanner I could save them to the hard drive but only in the adobe format, not as a jpeg, etc. I went out and purchased Microsoft's PictureIt 2001 and now scan the pictures through that program and save them in the appropriate file format. I would have returned the scanner except I purchased it over the internet.
39 Experienced multimedia professional
This is a great little scanner. It's fast and produces high quality scans for this price range. I've been in multimedia & video game production for 15 years and have had and/or used 10 different models, from high-end to consumer. Some scanners are slow, may be more difficult to use, or will produce uneven coloration/lighting across scans -- but not this one. Its full automatic mode will be a boon to first time scanner users, but the panel has plenty of control for more experienced users.
40 Disappointed - Continued
My scanner is now working. It was a Windows Me problem. I had to completely redo my computer. I hadn't had much chance to use the scanner yet. I still have to load my printing programs. I have an HP 990C printer, so it won't print directly from scanner to printer. I think I'll wait a few days before downloading that fix from the Epson site. I'm hoping to eventually change my rating to a five star.
41 Disappointed
I have had my scanner for two days, and have yet been able to install the driver. I first talked to Epson technical support, then to Gateway technical support two times, then emailed Epson technical support. They blame each other. I think it might be a Windows ME problem. I will next be trying to install it on my sister's computer with Windows 98, so I can make sure the scanner itself isn't defective. I have the feeling I soon will be returning it. I gave it three stars only because I don't know if this is Epson's fault.
42 Amazing Scanner
I cannot praise this scanner enough, or even its predecessor the 1200U. The quality and speed you get from this higher end consumer scanner is great! The ease of use and consistent results are never ending. Near pro quality at a much smaller cost.
I am amazed by some of the gripes about this scanner...first of all, why does it seem like everyone who has one also has an HP printer, if you're going to have a quality scanner, you should have the best in output as well, epson photo printers are the best around. Second, this smart panel issue, that is a convienence bells & whistles feature...of which I have never needed to use, but that's just me. Besides, you should be using Photoshop or similiar for your scanning to get the most control out of it. Third, noise? Someone earlier said that it made terrible noises...if your scanner is making very loud noises, then there is something wrong with it, this is one of the quietist scanners I've ever heard. 4th, power switch, as a Mac user, I'm used to devices not needing to be powered off, sleep mode, almost no power consumption and its ready to go when you want to use it.
I'm not trying to slam anyone else for what they have experienced, just trying to show that some of these bad reviews I've read have been soley based on little annoyances and does not seem to reflect the quality and excellence of this scanner. I have recommened this scanner, and I used to recommend the previous model as well. Many of which have purchased them because of the obvious quality.
5 stars, big thumbs up on this one!!!
43 Great Little Scanner
Upgraded to this scanner from an old Astra 1200s SCSI unit. This scanner is MUCH faster and takes better scans. The driver was easy to install and has not been any trouble. The one-button scan feature is pretty useless. In short, beautiful, fast scans.
44 .......a followup to my previous review
I remain satisfied with my purchase of this scanner. I did notice a number of reviews posted for the model 1240U (non-photo scanner). That model is the same as this but lacks the slide/transparency adapter cover. It has a number of complaints regarding the incompatibility with HP printers. The printer fails to recognize the scan-to-printer function. I downloaded the Newsoft software patch recommended by Epson and everything functions correctly with my HP-832C printer.
45 Alot of what you'd expect, some things you wouldn't.
When I installed this scanner, after reading all of the positive reviews and glowing comments, I guess my expectations were a bit high. First off let me say that the scanner itself is very high quality and worth every penny. It is fast and clear and worthy of its rating for utility. But.....I must also comment that for such a highly rated scanner to NOT have an on/off switch bugs me. You actually have to plug in the scanner to use it and then unplug it when you are finished with it. And the noise this scanner makes, eeek! It is a cross between a star wars movie (laser type noises) and a power drill. It is much louder than my cheap Mustek scanner from 7 years ago. It is a good scanner if you want high quality at a reasonable price, but you will be crawling under your desk to turn it on and off, and if you have pets they may hide under the bed when it is in operation.
46 Missing part at a hefty price
This is a good scanner for the money, but if you're looking to scan slides or transparencies CAVEAT EMPTOR. The necessary EXTRA part (#B813172) is a 'precision' piece of plastic that costs an additional ~$100. Include this cost in your calculations and be aware.
47 Excellent Scanner
As quick as lightning and quiet as a hum this scanner produces output that is incredible especially for the modest price. The only anomaly I found was that scanned items were a bit brighter than real life. This is probably due to the "sharpen" image setting that can be found when you scan an image in photoshop, etc. Overall an excellent and valuable buy.
48 Scanner Incompatible with Our HP Printer
After purchasing the Epson Perfection 1240U scanner, we found out that it was incompatible with our HP DeskJet 882C printer. I contacted Epson Technical Support by e-mail for assistance. When I did not hear from them after several days, I decided to telephone their long-distance number. The person I spoke to suggested downloading additional non-Epson software to resolve the problem.
The download was made but the copy-utility problem remained. Another phone conversation with Epson ensued. This time the person told me to talk to the software company. An e-mail response from the software company eventually offered no solution either.
Since neither Epson nor the software company could solve the copy-utility problem, we returned the scanner and put an end to our costly and very disappointing experience.
49 dumb panel
I've had the 1240u for 2 months .Running off aMac G4 with 192 mg's ram and Photoshop 6.0. It scans with the twain from photoshop acquire with no problem , in fact I must say" excellent" . The Copy utility works great. Text bridge is a Mickeymouse version with no support feedback whatsoever. "dumbpanel" takes about 3 or so minutes to locate and showup (lots of memory given to it) Email only with Outlook xps and Photoscan button only with Photodeluxe. If you avoid the simple stuff it's a good scanner.Epson phone does agood job but many of there techs did not no what to do. Newsoft is the worst.
50 A diamond in the rough
I eagerly awaited the arrival of my Epson Perfection 1240U Photo scanner and now I am impatiently awaiting further help from Epson to tangle out the problems. It was fairly easy to install. The first few scans were very impressive. Then I noticed that certain features did not function, namely the EPSON Smart Panel and the scanner buttons, both of which are proclaimed to be outstanding features in Epson literature. (Evidently, you have to use an Epson printer, but I am not sure about this.) Then, when I tried to run my Family Tree Maker program I was dismayed to immediately get two error messages and the termination of the program. My first response from Epson was a 21-step set of instructions that essentially told me to reinstall the Family Tree Maker and/or the scanner, something I had already done several times. (Family Tree runs fine if the scanner is not installed.) Now I am trying to decide if I can afford to wait on further help or if I should return the scanner and cut my losses. (I have not even tried to use the negative/transparency adaptor yet.) It is difficult to understand why Epson released the scanner without addressing these problems first (assuming they are not unique to me). The basic scans are excellent.
51 Nearly Perfection
I just received this scanner a few days ago and I'm very impressed. The image quality is astounding. It's also very fast, taking a mere 7 seconds to do a full area preview and 10 seconds (not including seek time) to scan a 4x6 color photo at 300 dpi.
Setup was simple and straightforward, and the supplied documentation was ample, covering both setup and use of the scanner as well as installation of the various software packages. After hearing about the problems with the copier software and HP printers, I downloaded and installed the patch from the Epson support site before even using the scanner for the first time. I have an HP DeskJet 722c and so far there have been no problems, and the one-button copier feature has worked flawlessly.
Are there problems with this Epson scanner? Yes, but they're more annoyances than anything else. First off, there's no on/off button. The manual says to unplug the scanner after use. C'mon Epson, you can do better than that... It's not critical that the scanner be turned off however, as after a few minutes it goes into "sleep" mode and all that's left is the telltale green LED saying the unit is on. Also, the manual says to position your document about a quarter inch from the edge of the scanner bed as there is a small area that the scanner doesn't read (in other words, don't push your document or photo to the plastic "stop" at the edge of the glass). This fault is offset, however, by the scanner's very cool ability to locate and align a document automatically. Yes, it's true: put a photograph anywhere on the bed, and even if it's crooked the scanner will find it, scan it, and automatically rotate it to square it up!
All in all, this scanner is worth every penny and I highly recommend it if you're looking for an upper-end home scanner.
52 Printer Compatibility and Cleanliness Problems
Epson's software is not compatible with my Hewlett Packard 970 CSE desket printer. The consequence is that the copy function and photo print function don't work. The maunual and advertising don't address this problem. It would also appear that the scanner has contamination inside (under the glass) - as no matter how much I clean the outer glass surface my images have dust features.
53 Printer Compatibility and Cleanliness Problems
Epson's software is not compatible with my Hewlett Packard 970 CSE desket printer. The consequence is that the copy function and photo print function don't work. The maunual and advertising don't address this problem. It would also appear that the scanner has contamination inside (under the glass) - as no matter how much I clean the outer glass surface my images have dust features.
54 incompatible with HP Printer
While the Epson 1240U gets such good reviews from ZDNet, PCWorld, etc., I found it doesn't work well with my HP Deskjet 932C. In fact, it's becoming a nightmare. Epson told me to download a patch that would help with this and now my HP printer is having problems. The printer started have problems right after I downloaded the Epson patch so it makes since the patch called it. Also, HP technical support believed this to be the cause as well. I'm within my 30 return period, so I'm returning this scanner while the returning is good!
55 Blazingly fast and easy to use!
I remember the old days when personal scanners were new. What an ordeal to scan the image, get it into a graphics editor, convert it, etc. Not anymore. Those days are over now that the Epson Perfection 1240U is here. It's fast like you would not believe, with three different one-touch buttons directly on the scanner. One button will scan and send it directly to the printer. Another button will scan it and open it in your own Graphics editor. And yet another button will pop up a chooser menu. These options include scanning it to an email message.
But wait! There's more! I tested the OCR scanning cababilities of the Perfection, and I was very happy. Easy to use and very accurate, without the usual headaches that accompany scanning to OCR.
All in all, Epson has a winner here with a terrific product that lives up to everything it says it will, and all at a reasonable price.
56 Excellent Scanner
While playing with my new toy, I have scanned documents, photos and many objects (a clock, a clay animal, a candle, a box, my hand) to email, fax, print and play with in Adobe. I find it extremely fast (color, 1200x2400, and B&W) compared to other top-of-the-line scanners on the market. Also, I like the fact that I can later easily add a transparency unit and 42-bit color scans are really nice.
I read many reviews on the net about various scanners (magazine recommendations and user opinions), Amazon had the lowest price for this model at the time and, subsequently, I purchased this one. I wouldn't say it was perfect because I wish it had a power switch. This scanner does live up to its reputation --- excellent.
57 Great scanner!
The Epson 1240U is a superb scanner - the photos scanned remarkably quick and the quality was excellent. The only drawback is the Epson Smart Panel software. The photo print function does not work unless you own an Epson printer. I own an HP DeskJet. The copy function included in the Smart Panel will now work with HP printers but only if you apply a free patch from Newsoft. It's available at their website... The other included software is great. I would highly recommend this scanner!
58 Excellent, but...
The hardware on this scanner is excellent: very fast and accurate. But, the supplied software for photocopying won't work with my printer (HP 2500C). Epson product support has yet to get back to me about this, so in the meantime I've had to download third-party software in order to use the scanner as a photocopier. Otherwise, highly recommended!
