Epson Perfection 1240U Color Flatbed Scanner

by Epson

Product Details

Product Manual [212kb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 17 x 10 x 6.8 inches ; 8.4 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 11 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B00005200B
• Item model number: B124011
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (59 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
  • #74 in Electronics > Camera & Photo > Printers & Scanners > Flatbed Scanners
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 4, 1999

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

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

Product Description

24V AC / DC adapter for Epson Perfection 1240u Scanner Specification Input :100-240VAC (50-60Hz) Output: 24Vdc 2Amp

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

82 of 82 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nearly Perfection, January 7, 2001

By 

"greykitty" (Palm Bay, FL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Epson Perfection 1240U Color Flatbed Scanner (Office Product)

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.

45 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars For the Money, It's the Best, May 9, 2001

By 

Ty Williams (Westerville, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Epson Perfection 1240U Photo Color Flatbed Scanner (Office Product)

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.

70 of 73 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, but..., December 3, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Epson Perfection 1240U Color Flatbed Scanner (Office Product)

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!

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