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- Presto! Color---README.DOC
-
- Presto! Color, copyright 1993/1994 Pink Soda, Inc., P.O. Box 958,
- NY, NY 10024-0541. 212 874-3581, FAX: 212 874-0578
- email: Pink.Soda@tbr.com
-
- Presto! Color
- 3-Pass, 24 bit COLOR SCANNING SYSTEM for Black and White Scanners.
-
- Turns your old scanner into a Color scanner. Works with black
- and white (1 bit) scans and 16/64/256 grayscale images.
-
- ----------
-
- QUICK START
-
- Unzip all files into the same subdirectory, all files must exist
- in the same subdirectory.
-
- Type PRESTO and ENTER at the DOS prompt.
-
- Select number 6--Presto! Color Demo/Tutorial.
-
- -------------
- Legal Stuff
-
- Shareware Version: you are granted the rights to use Presto! Color for
- personal use. You are free to distribute the Shareware version provided
- that all the files are included. Vendors may offer the shareware version
- in catalog sales only. For other commercial distribution, e.g., in a
- book, package, or rackware, permission must be obtained from Pink Soda,
- Inc.
-
- Disclaimer: Pink Soda, Inc. makes no warranty of any kind either expressed
- or implied. Pink Soda, Inc. does not guarantee the merchantability or
- fitness of Presto! Color nor does it guarantee that it will meet your
- needs. Pink Soda, Inc. will not be liable for any errors or for incidental
- or consequential damages in connection with the furnishing, performance, or
- use of the Presto! Color product or documentation. This document contains
- proprietary information. No part of this document may be photocopied,
- reproduced, or translated without the prior written consent of Pink Soda,
- Inc.
-
- -------------
-
- Scanning Tips
-
- First, obtain 3 pieces of transparent plastic. Virtually any
- transparent RED, GREEN, BLUE will produce some results. You
- can obtain these at your local art supply store.
-
- The Shareware version is calibrated to the most common red,
- green, and blue "filters" available at art supply stores and
- to the intensity of a HP ScanJet scanner. The registered
- versions come with color-balanced filters and auto-calibration
- for each image.
-
- You my want to calibrate your "filters" before you scan. See
- the section below regarding how to change the default values
- set into the Shareware System. Calibrating your filters should
- result in more accurate color images.
-
- Note that the Shareware version only supports 256 grayscale
- scans. Order the registered or Demo version if your scanner
- does not support 256 levels.
-
- 1. Do a preview scan
-
- Select the image area to be scanned.
- Important: Set all values at default. DO NOT
- ADJUST Brightness, Contrast, or other values.
- DO NOT press any AUTO setting button.
-
- 2. Place your image on the scanbed.
-
- Select a bright and colorful picture for your
- first scan.
-
- TIP: lightly tape the image to the side of the scanner
- in order to keep the image from moving during the
- 3 scan passes.
-
- 3. Do 3 scan passes.
-
- You will do 3 scans: one through the RED filter by
- placing the red filter between the image and the
- glss, one through the GREEN filter by placing the green
- filter between the image and the glass, and one through
- the BLUE filter by placing the blue filter between the image
- and the glass. These will become the RED, GREEN,
- and BLUE channels of the image.
-
- IMPORTANT: Each scan MUST be done at exactly the same
- values. They may look completely black, that's OK.
- Each scan MUST be exactly the same size in pixel width
- and pixel height.
-
- Select a resolution of no more than 100dpi and
- do a small scan to begin with (file size of 30k or
- so). Remember, your 256 gray level scans will end
- up becoming 4 times larger as color channels.
-
- Sequentially place the RED/GREEN/BLUE filters between
- the image and the scanner and scan.
-
- 4. Save your scans in GIF format.
-
- The Shareware version accepts only GIF files as input.
- Either save your scans directly in GIF format or use
- a conversion utility to convert them to GIF format.
-
- TIP: Name your scans with a consistent naming scheme. For
- example MOM-R.GIF, for the red scan, MOM-G.GIF for the
- Green scan, and MOM-B.GIF for the blue scan. That way
- they will be easy to remember and recognize when you
- are prompted for the filenames.
-
- 5. Run Presto! Color
-
- Change to the Presto subdirectory, and type PRESTO and
- press ENTER.
-
- Select 1--Create Color Image from 16/64/256 Grayscale scans.
-
- NOTE: The Shareware version will only work with 256 grayscale
- scans. Order the Full Demo or the registered version if your
- scanner does not support 256 levels or is color sensitive.
-
- The program will prompt you for the filenames of your scans.
- It will then process the scans.
-
- NOTE: Processing time depends on processor speed, size of the image,
- and memory and disk space available on your system. If you have
- an older system, limited memory, or limited disk space, processing
- may take a while--be patient.
-
- When complete, you will be prompted for a filename to save
- the 256 color GIF image file.
-
- NOTE: the Shareware version will also produce a 24 bit
- TARGA (TGA) file (16 million colors). This file will always
- be named IMAGE.TGA and will be overwritten each time
- you use Presto! Color. If you wish to save the TGA file,
- exit Presto! Color and rename the IMAGE.TGA file.
-
- ---------------
-
- To VIEW an Image File
-
- Select 3--View at the Main Menu.
-
- You will be prompted for a filename. The file must be in
- GIF format.
-
- Files on disk for you to view:
- FISHPC.GIF
- WOMAN.GIF
- OLIVIA.GIF
- ELVIS.GIF
- LYDIA.GIF
-
- ---------------
- Calibrating Your RGB Filters
-
- The following calibration routine will adjust for the sensitivity of your
- scanner and the relative color balance between the filters you are
- using. Note that color balance is also a factor the filters themselves and
- the degree to which they emulate the computer's version of red, green, and
- blue.
-
- IMPORTANT: If you have the registered versions of Presto! Color, DO NOT use this
- calibration routine. The registered versions automatically calibrate each
- image as they are processed.
-
- 1. Scan each filter (yes, JUST the filter) against a white
- background. Scan at default values. Image size of 100 x 100.
- IMPORTANT: These scans MUST be in GIF format, 256 gray levels,
- and MUST BE NAMED: CALIB-R.GIF, CALIB-G.GIF, CALIB-B.GIF
- respectively for RED, GREEN, and BLUE.
-
- 2. Run the program CALIB.EXE.
- This will read the above files and produce a histogram for
- each. The X axis (the bottom horizontal figures) will contain
- hexidecimal values. Find the highest column of Xs and note
- the hexidecimal value below it. Write down this value for RED,
- GREEN, and BLUE.
-
- NOTE: If one or more of the histograms shows only values to
- left of of 08, rescan the CALIB files and increase the
- brightness (just the brightness) by 5 or 10 %. This value
- must be kept the same for all 3 calibration files.
-
- IMPORTANT, if you have to adjust the brightness in this way,
- you will have to use the same brightness value when you
- do your image scanning. Please write it down.
-
- 3. Look up the the values corresponding to these in the following
- chart and write them down.
-
- 00=126 04=124 08=122 0C=120
- 10=118 14=116 18=114 1C=112
- 20=110 24=108 28=106 2C=104
- 30=102 34=100 38=98 3C=96
- 40=94 44=92 48=90 4C=88
- 50=86 54=84 58=82 5C=80
- 60=78 64=76 68=74 6C=72
- 70=70 74=68 78=66 7C=64
- 80=62 84=60 88=58 8C=56
- 90=54 94=52 98=50 9C=48
- A0=46 A4=44 A8=42 AC=40
- B0=38 B4=36 B8=34 BC=32
- C0=30 C4=28 C8=26 CC=24
- D0=22 D4=20 D8=18 DC=16
- E0=14 E4=12 E8=10 EC=8
- F0=6 F4=4 F8=2 FC=0
-
- 4. Edit the PR000007.SPF file.
-
- Open the PR00007.SPF in edlin, edit, or Windows notepad or
- other plain text editor.
-
- It will Look Like This:
-
- GL %1
- UNM
- D G 255 B 255
- B R 118
- CON R 118
- TR
- TS TEMP-R.TMP 24
- GL %2
- UNM
- D R 255 B 255
- B G 120
- CON G 120
- TR
- TS TEMP-G.TMP 24
- GL %3
- UNM
- D R 255 G 255
- B B 104
- CON B 104
- TR
- TL TEMP-R.TMP
- A
- TL TEMP-G.TMP
- A
- G R .7 G .7 B .7
- TR
- SM .5
- TS %4 24
- MAKEP
- MAP
- GS %5
- Q
-
- IMPORTANT: Change ONLY the values noted below.
-
- Replace the number 118 in the following lines
- to the value you obtained for RED:
-
- B R 118
- CON R 118
-
- Replace the number 120 in the following lines
- to the value you obtained for GREEN:
-
- B G 120
- CON G 120
-
- Replace the number 104 in the following lines
- to the value you obtained for BLUE:
-
- B B 104
- CON B 104
-
- Following this calibration routine will result in the most
- accurate scan you can obtain from the filters you are using.
-
- --------------
-
- Troubleshooting
-
- If your image is coming out too dark or black.
-
- Your scanner may be color sensitive (usually to green or red). The shareware
- version may not operate with these scanners. Try the calibration
- routine outlined above or order the registered or Full Demo version.
-
- Your scanner may not be sensitive enough. Follow the calibration
- routine noted above.
-
- If your image is coming out too red, too green, or too blue.
-
- This will be mainly due to the RGB filters you are using. Order
- either the registered version which includes 8" x 10" calibrated
- RGB filters or the Full DEMO version which includes 5" x 5" samples
- of the RGB filters.
-
- Also, make sure your are typing in the correct file name at the
- input prompts. For example, accidently inputting the GREEN scan
- as the RED scan, the will result in very bizaare colors.
- If this is the case, process the files again, and pay attention.
-
- ---------------
- About the Shareware Version
-
- I apologize that the shareware version is so limited. The reason for
- this is that the Full Demo version, which I had intended to be the shareware
- version, is 2M big. With the sample scans, the Full Demo version creates
- a 1M ZIP file. I felt that that was too much to ask a person to
- download.
-
- ---------------
-
- --------------
-
- The following files constitute the shareware version and
- MUST exist in the same subdirectory.
-
- PRESTO.EXE The Presto! Color program.
- PRESTOC.EXE The Presto! Color engine.
- PRESTOC.INI The Presto! Color initialization file.
- PR000007.SPF Data file
- PR000002.SHW Data file
- PRESTO.DOC User's Manual
- README.DOC Quick Start and information file.
- README2.DOC General Information
- ORDER.DOC Order form.
-
- Tutorial Images:
- DBW.GIF
- DCOLOR.GIF
- WOMAN.GIF
-
- Practice Scans:
- FISH-R.GIF 256 grayscale scan for RED channel.
- FISH-G.GIF 256 grayscale scan for GREEN channel.
- FISH-B.GIF 256 grayscale scan for BLUE channel.
-
- Sample Images:
- 256 grayscale scans processed with the Presto! Color registered version:
- Select 3 from the Main Menu to view:
-
- WOMAN.GIF
- FISHPC.GIF
- --------------------------------
-
- Other Versions of Presto! Color
-
- The DEMO version can read TIF/BMP/TGA/PCX/WPG/GIF and other formats
- and will save your scans in GIF, TIF, or TGA formats. The demo
- also incudes auto calibration which adjusts for color imbalance.
-
- The registered version ($34.95) can read and write to all formats.
- It also includes Gamma Correction and other features (scaling,
- rotating, resizing etc.) It comes with a set of 8" x 10" color-
- balanced RGB filters and a printed manual. Image size up to
- 640 x 480 (roughly a 6" x 4" image if printed to a standard
- color printer, e.g., QMS, Iris, Canon, Kodak).
-
- Presto! Color Pro requires a 286 or better processor (386
- or better recommended) and 1M of memory (4M recommended) and
- can process any size image.
- ------------------------------
-
- Image Processing Programs
-
- Although an image processing program is not required, it is recommended.
- You can the sharewre versions of Paint Shop Pro for Windows or Image
- Control for DOS from Pink Soda. Duplication fee is 5$ each. This does
- not include shareware registration fee.
-
- -----------------------------
- GET PRESTO! COLOR! AND FLIP! FREE
-
- If you enjoyed using Presto! Color, please upload this shareware version,
- PRESTOC.ZIP, to your favorite BBSs.
-
- For each BBS you upload to, you get a $3.00 credit towards any purchase
- of Pink Soda products.
-
- When ordering, take your discount and attach a list of the BBSs you
- uploaded to. Name, address, and bbs phone number MUST be included for
- verification.
-
- OFFER ENDS OCTOBER 1, 1994. CREDITS MUST BE TAKEN WHEN ORDERING.
- CREDITS EXPIRE OCTOBER 31, 1994.
-
- -----------------------------
-
- ORDER FORM
-
- Mail to: Pink Soda, Inc.-- Dept. SH, P.O. Box 958, New York, NY 10024-0541.
- FAX Orders: 212 874-0578 e-mail: Pink.Soda@tbr.com
-
- Disk size: 3.5" (720k)______ 5 1/4" (1.2M)______
- not available on 5 1/4" DD 360K.
-
- Please Send Me:
-
- Quantity Price S&H Extension
-
- Presto!Color ________ $34.95 $2.50 _________
-
- Presto! Color Pro ________ $99.95 $2.50 _________
-
- Full Demo Version ________ $10.00 none _________
-
- RGB Filters (8"x10") ________ $14.95 $1.50 _________
-
- Flip! ________ $10.00 $1.50 _________
-
- FLIP! full demo ________ $ 5.00 none _________
-
- PaintShop Pro ________ $ 5.00 none _________
-
- Image Control ________ $ 5.00 none _________
-
- N.Y. residents please ad 8.25% Sales Tax _________
-
- TOTAL: _________
-
- Name: __________________________________
-
- Address: _______________________________
-
- City/State/Zip__________________________
-
- Charge my: VISA MC AMEX/OPTIMA
-
- Card No. _______________________________ exp. date: ___________
-
- Print Name on Card: ____________________________________________
-
- Signature: ______________________________________
-
- Phone No: _________________________
- required to confirm charge orders
-
-