Color Balance in ZooProcess and Vuescan

In order to perform a background or sample scan, one needs to set a series of scanning parameters in both ZooProcess and potentially Vuescan too.

Our question relates to color balance parameter settings.

p. 19. Using the Vuescan neutral color balance
"We set Vuescan to scan images using the "neutral default white balance from the first version of ZooProcess up to now because it gave automatically good quality images in 8bits even if they looked whitish.

p. 20 We studied in more detail the color balance options. We observed it was possible to use the "none" option to scan and get 8 bit image with more contrast.

Later on in p. 20. "we have not yet compared the identification results from "none" and "neutral" methods on the same samples.

So from this discussion it appears to us that either "none" or "neutral" could be used. However, on p.20 there is a statement that says "This "None option must be selected in the calibration section and in the "SCAN BACKGROUND" tool to ensure proper setting of all the procedure.

Later on p. 29. As the Scan background tool is recommended for manual color balance processed images, this option is set as the default one.

We are confused! When performing a background ground, what setting should be used? None, Neutral, or Manual? We assume that whatever method is selected for the background scan, the same method must be selected to scan all subsequent samples in that project?

We are also confused regarding the manual's discussion of color balance settings and which part of the text refers to settings in Vuescan and which refers to settings in ZooProcess. Must we also set the parameters in Vuescan to match the parameters in ZooProcess? For example, in the Scanning Procedure Dialog Box we can set "Process 8 bits image using None color balance." In the Vuescan dialog box there are ten color balance options. Do we also set this to None?

Thanks - Mark Benfield/Malinda Sutor

Dear Mark,
I dont have much time now to respond in detail. If you keep ALL default parametres in Zooprocess at all steps (installation, create project, scan background, scan convert and process images...) and you DO NOT modify anything in VUESCAN, you will be OK !
You will thus apply NO color balance as you will scan RAW 16 bits images in the "raw" folder.
You will normalize your images during the conversion and get the 8 bit normalized image in the "scan" folder.
You will get fully inter-calibrated images with other Zooscans.
You will get a background corrected image in the sample folder inside the "work" folder.
If you have changed anything during the creation of your project or during the scan, delete it and create a new one.
The background is processed as the sample is. No worries about that.
Best regards
Marc P.

PS: We will try to organize another training before summer.