Epson Perfection 1640SU Scanner

The Epson Perfection 1640SU is a high-performance flatbed scanner that is ideal for general image and document scanning. The 1640SU color scanner boasts resolutions of up to 1,600 x 3,200 dpi with low-noise CCD. It uses Epson's Micro Step Drive technology for optimum speed and consistency in a workgroup scanner. It has a maximum interpolated resolution of 12,800 dpi.

The 1640SU features a large scanning area with high-speed capabilities. The start button can be customized for easy one-touch scanning. For optimum color images, the 1640SU offers 42-bit internal and external color depth. It can capture 440 billion colors and 16,384 shades of gray, making even the most subtle color changes vibrant. The 1640SU is perfect for artists, professionals, and graphic designers. For even more advanced workgroup needs, you can purchase the optional film adapter and automatic document feeder.

The 1640SU comes with SCSI or plug-and-play USB connectivity for ultimate versatility. The 1640SU features a bundle of useful software. Adobe PhotoDeluxe allows you to enhance and edit your images with ease, while Xerox TextBridge Pro offers OCR editing. Epson TWAIN software will let you simplify those complex setup procedures and implement automatic scanning. The 1640SU also includes Epson Smart Panel which enables scanning to e-mail, OCR, and photo-editing applications. --Megan Dugan

1 Bad Support. No Windows XP driver...
Be aware buyers. Epson still doesn't have windows XP driver for this scanner. There is absolutely no reason the drivers are not ready as of Feb 2002. Even the ones coming out is not certified by Microsoft. I usually like Epson printers but this scanner is totally useless with my Windows XP system.

2 Returned Scanner
Scanning on the Epson 1640SU initially worked well. It was very fast, and the documents looked very good on my display. However, two of the main reasons that I wanted to use a scanner were making copies of documents and faxing documents. After I started using the Epson 1640SU scanner, I found out that I could not do either function, even though they say that they can. After days of effort with Epson technical support, I found out that the scanner would make copies, if I had an Epson printer, which I did not. Finally, one of the technical people referred me to a 3rd party SW firm that had a "patch" that would allow copying to non-Epson printers. I tried that, but my non-Epson printer was apparently not on their list, so it still did not work. Then, in order for me to fax a document, I found out that the process involved a multistep operation that I was never able to make work. After a week of effort trying to make this work, I sent the scanner back. I sent a note to Canon and HP asking them specifically about the faxing and copying, and they both replied that they work with any printer and any fax SW. I will probably try Canon or HP.

3 Product very good - communication very bad
Perfection 1640SU is my first scanner, so i can not compare it to anything, but it works very well for me.I think that it is very good product. However, my problem is - communication with Epson technnical support. There is no simple way to resolve simple question of scanner/printer compatability, other than long-to-wait pay-phone connection. To request assistance in initial installation i was invited to fill form with mandatory questions i have no idea about (sound card type, port address, irq etc). It took day of contacts with Gateway to find it all out, by then i spent money on telephone conversations with Epson and resolved problem. By the way, my installation problem resolved when i changed order of things: turned on computer first and scanner second, opposite to what is written in manual.(This was brilliant idea of Epson tech. support specialist over the phone). Since than i have no problems, and hope it will be like this forever.

4 Great upgrade scanner
The Epson 1640u is a great upgrade scanner from a 600x1200 dpi scanner. With the recent drop in price it costs as much as my original 600x1200 scanner. The color and detail is very good. While the scanner is slow for high resolution scans using a USB connection (though a SCSI-2 connection is also available if you buy the cable and card), it still is quicker than the 600x1200 dpi scanner it replaced for more detailed scans. It is highly recommended for photo albums that don't need 8x10 photos.

5 Fast, accurate, quiet, great support under Linux
I got this scanner to replace a UMAX 1220S that I had before. The UMAX had one big problem - I couldn't turn it off. It sat on my SCSI chain and if it saw any traffic it would stay on - since I have CD-ROMs on the same chain it was on constantly! After a while being constantly turned on must have hurt something because after a while I started getting chromatic distortion on sharp edges. So it became time to replace my scanner.

After a lot of research, I settled on either the 1240U or the 1640SU - one thing that helped me decide on Epson instead of another brand is that Epson has helped the Linux scanner programmers (the SANE project) to write drivers for their scanners, unlike other manufacturers that seem to want to keep their hardware interfaces a secret.

After some more deliberation, I decided to go for the 1640SU over the 1240U. The deciding factor? Was it the increased resolution? No - for my purposes 1200dpi would be enough. Was it the fact that it has both a SCSI and a USB interface? No - I had already decided that I didn't want the hassle of a scanner connected to my SCSI port and that I was going to use a USB scanner. So what was the deciding factor that made me spend an extra $$? It seems silly, but it's true - the 1640SU has a power switch. Yes, I was tired of a scanner with no power switch and no way to turn it off. The 1240U is supposed to go into "sleep mode" after some time of not being used, but then again my 1220S was supposed to do that, and you know how that turned out. Also, I had read that there were issues with scanning wide material on the 1240U (supposedly reflections from the ribbon cable inside can leave a bright band across the scan), plus the 1640SU had generally better reviews. So I bought it.

I can say that this scanner does everything I expected and more. The Windows scanning software works fine (I made sure to follow the instructions when I installed it), and then I tested on Linux. My first test was a disaster - the preview looked awful, and the scan was completely green. Then I compiled the latest version of sane (www.mostang.com/sane) and xsane (same site) and tried again. This time it worked perfectly! For grins I tried a 1600x1600 scan of a magazine cover (combined text and picture). The borders of the text were sharp with no chromatic distortion, and I could see all of the halftone dots in the scan. Perfect! As an added bonus, the scanner is *much* quieter than my previous one. The 1640SU makes a low whine when scanning, while the 1220S made a loud rumble. In my opinion, the quietness shows just how much better constructed this scanner is. Also, it has a smaller footprint than the 1220S (although it is somewhat taller).

All in all, I am *very* satisfied with this scanner.

6 Excellent Scanner
I found installation flawless, and operation reliable. I've had no problems with this machine at all. I'm running Windows 98 and I scan into Photoshop. When I "Import", Photoshop opens the Epson Twain software and I am able to scan without any problems. I can also The quality is quite good for the money I paid. I'm quite pleased with the product.

The only thing I don't like is in the software. I cannot access my scanned image in Photoshop until I close Epson Twain. Even minimizing it doesn't work. However, that is minor.

7 READ the instructions and know ahead of time
I've read the reviews and they weren't very flattering on this scanner. But after careful re-readings it became apparent that most of the complaints dealt with either incompatibility with printers and/or installation of the supporting software. I've run into these problems myself in the past and slowly, but surely, have discovered that they were due mainly,on my part, by not reading the instructions thoroughly. I decided to put my computer know-how, 3 years of playing around with it, to work and see for myself how 'awful' this product may be. (Amazon has a return policy-thank god)

After receiving the item i decided to put everything aside initially and just go over the installation guide, noting any ambiguous or difficult to follow passages. The only discrepancy was noted when the guide notes instructions for only Window 95, 2000 and Mac operating systems. (I have a Window ME) I decided that i will follow the instructions for the Window 2000, as it is supposed to be nearly the same product as the millenium edition. It may be just me but the instructions weren't very difficult. The only minor complaint is that the manual didn't contain any detailed instructions on using the 'TWAIN' software and its properties. This can only be found in the actual software manual on the monitor. (go to start button, go to program, go to epson smart panel for scanner, go to user's manual)

After the initial read-through i began the installation of the hardware, its connections and finally the software installation. But before i did this i made sure the hard-drive on my dell pentium 2 was defragmented(using the comupter system tools) to organize and clear up any unused space, followed by a restart. I followed the instructions for the Window 2000 on my Window ME thoroughly, noting there was some minor differences in the process but nothing confusing. After the hardware calibration and software installation, i by-passed the optional softwares for now, it prompted me to restart the computer.( It is also noted in the manual guide that the scanner should always be turned on first before the computer itself.) After restart, i started the program,just installed, and the rest was history. Everything ran fine, including the software. The included extra, photoshop limited ed., was really useless since you can't save any changes of the image to your hard-drive.( you can only do that with an upgrade at an additional cost!) After playing around with some of the setting i found the 'TWAIN' as well as the smart panel program to be very novice friendly and efficient.(advanced users will probably feel contempt for this simple program)

My first scan was at a resolution of 97 dpi at 100% size of the scanned item. ( 1:1 ratio ) The results were pretty outstanding! At higher resolution the images were so huge and sharp that it used space up to 600 mb on my harddrive! For folks who want to scan and send pictures to friends via emails, a 97 dpi is more than you will ever need, really!. it's as sharp and big as the original print you just scanned. At 300dpi, the image is sharp enough to detect dust and paper texture of the scanned item. At 1200 dpi, the image requires so much space and processing power that it takes more than 10 minutes for the single scan! ( only useful if you are a graphic artist or want 8"x10"s or bigger prints out of your printer. the size of the image on your monitor does not translate equal size in the printed product.)

After careful reading of the software instructions found in the program itself, you will find simple steps to save the scanned images to your hard-drive.(e.g. after the scan, close the twain panel. you will see the index panel pop up with a icon image of the scan. click twice on the small icon image to see the full-sized image. this new window has a file button where you can save it to any application or hard-drive of your computer in many different formats, including jpeg and bmp.)

All in all, i found this scanner to be of excellent value and image quality. All i can say is to take your time in the installation and prepare ahead of time to get acquainted with the manual guide. who really cares if it take you an hour or two, just as long as it gets done right the first time. i've had this product for several days now and so far have made approximately 80+ scans without a glitch.

If you are one of those types who can't stand reading through a manual then you will most likely skip or reverse a procedure and cause error messages to fly around. remember, a computer functions on exact sequential commands and so it's often necessary to follow the directions to the letter.

If you are looking to scan images for emails, collecting images on your hard-drive or CD and web-site auctions, this scanner is actually an overkill. the epson 1240 will more than fit the bill for casual users. Hope this helps out anyone out there looking for a good value.

8 Initial Impression
I just got my scanner last week and I honestly haven't used it much, but that's because my package came WITHOUT the Photoshop LE disc. I called Epson customer service. The guy was really nice and said they'd send it out right away, so I'm waiting.

I had no problem installing the scanner at all. It was up and running in less than 10 minutes.

So far, my biggest complaint is the Photodeluxe program. I think it's horrible. When I try to scan through Photodeluxe I get an error message saying there's a problem with my scanner. I have to open my TWAIN program to scan.

I also think it's awkward to use as far as functionality is concerned. Steps for cropping, making color corrections and other functions are laid out in tabs on the top of the screen, which is nice for people who really need their hand held, I guess, but it's kind of cheesy. "Advanced" functions such as enlarging are hidden in a little button at the bottom of the screen. Boy, I can't wait until I get my Photoshop disc!

But, all in all I think I will be happy with this scanner once I get Photoshop and really learn my way around the Perfection.

9 Excellent hardware, bad software, terrible support
I purchased the 1640SU scanner for our office. We use the scanner on our "image cneter" computer which is shared by everyone in the office.

The hardware works well: the image and color quality is superb, and the scanning speed is pretty good. The TWAIN driver and control works well, and there's a simple "auto mode" for people who want to scan their documents without worrying about scanner settings.

Because our "image center" computer has only USB expansion (no PCI slots), we cannot use a SCSI interface that would speed up scanning tremendously. This has the unfortunate side-effect of seriously slowing down scanning at the highest resolution when the scanner has to temporarily stop scanning while waiting for data transfer to complete. This leads to a "back hitching" of the scan head which slows things down considerably.

As I mentioned, this scanner is installed on a shared computer. Unfortunately, there is a really bad bug with the Epson Smart Panel software when installed on a networked Windows 2000 system. When this software is installed, it prevents people from logging in and using the computer -- it repeatedly throws an error dialog box that won't go away. We had to uninstall the program. That's too bad, because if the ESP program worked, it would have made the scanner even more useful and easy-to-use -- the ESP software allows you to assign a preferred scanning software to the push-to-scan button built into the scanner.

The big problem with the Epson scanner is the awful technical support. Epson's web site is practically useless for technical support; and their non-toll-free telephone-support line, while cheerful, was useless. With our problem with the ESP software, Epson would not support the software; instead, they referred me to NewSoftInc (who wrote the software for Epson). NewSoftInc's web site is even less helpful, and I've not been able to get technical support, even after waiting on the phone for 25 minutes!

Overall, this is a good scanner. I would have given 4 stars, even with the ESP software issues; but given the terrible technical support, I've decided to bump them down to 3 stars.

10 Scanner problems
While the scanner is a good one and I'm happy I bought it, it was VERY difficult to get it installed. The accompanying software for the twain driver was insufficient and it needed to be downloaded from the Epson website and unzipped. It took tech support hours to figure this out. I later found out that this is a normal problem with Epson scanners. My advice is to be sure to buy the extended warrenty/tech support if one is offered. Epson's tech support number is NOT toll free and was stated by another reviewer not to be very helpful.

11 Epson Perfection 1640 SU Flatbed Scanner
Purchased a month ago and have scanned about 2300 photos and documents. This is my second scanner - first was HP 5pSE SCSI. I think this Epson 1640 SU is outstanding. It is fast, provides excellent detailed scans, and I haven't had a single problem with it. Feel free to e-mail me with specific questions at doug@domifamily.com.

12 software is a nightmare
This scanner is extremely hard to use. The abilities of the scanner far exceed what most people can use. I've installed and re-installed the software and I still cannot use most of the features. I know there are bugs in the software, but to date, Epson has not provided any patches. The software does not seem to be compatible with other "twain" compliant applications. I'm going to setup my old mustek scanner which is very user friendly. When Epson developed this scanner and software, they threw away the concept of being "user friendly". As a matter of fact, they went out of their way to weave a thread of "arrogance" into their software.

13 Epson continues to rule the scanning wars
Without question, the best value on the market for scanning power. It's quick, crisp and comes loaded with software you can use. Adobe 5.0LE is all most people would ever need. Nice that it supports both serial and USB hookups. Epson's 1200U reigned until it's replacement, the 1240U was released. The 1640 is the next step up. Both are 42 bit. I love this scanner and would highly recommend it. Spend the few extra bucks, you'll never regret it.