SilverFast SE: scanning software

by LaserSoft Imaging

Product Details

Product Manual [4.24mb PDF]

• ASIN: B0006PIR9A
• Date first available at Amazon.com: November 22, 2004
• Average Customer Review: 1.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #27,166 in Software (See Top 100 in Software)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Silverfast is NOT fast at all!!, September 11, 2009

By 

L. Meister "Aggression session" (MO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: SilverFast SE: scanning software (CD-ROM)

Silverfast has to be the worst scanning application available. If you have the choice between this and another, then I suggest you go with the other (whatever it might be). In my case, I had to buy this scanning software because I have a UMAX scanner with a Mac and had to update my scanning software which means I was forced to purchase this garbage. Let me say that it does scan, but it's slow, slow, slow even at 200-300 dpi. Even the preview scan is slow. And now I have a permanent hot line that shows up on the left side of every scan that did not happen until I "updated" to Silverfast SE.

The quality of the scans (aside from the approximate 5-pixel line running through every scan) isn't terrible, but it's not great either. Luckily, in my case, most of everything I scan gets heavily painted and altered in Photoshop with the scan acting as the sketch, but it's just so darn slow. I would say that it's probably 5 times slower than your average Epson scan - using the same resolution settings, of course. I just hate it. I haven't upgraded to their newer scanning software because I absolutely don't trust it and don't want the hassle. Customer service is non-existent (in my experience) as the other reviewer stated.

So now I have to buy an Epson scanner and scrap my old one, only because I'm tired of this god-awful application. I personally would like to give it negative stars if possible.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Bad product. Bad support. Don't waste your money., September 21, 2010

By 

Luis Esteves - See all my reviews

This review is from: SilverFast SE: scanning software (CD-ROM)

I tried SiverFast SE Plus with the HDR module, was really disappointed with the software.

You can't use iSRD (IR dust removal) in SE Plus with Epson and Microtek scanners due to "licensing issues" according to SilverFast support. For iSRD you need the separate HDR module which costs an additional $100. Then have to scan as 64bit RGBi and then do the dust removal separately in the HDR application! Huge multi-step pain in the butt.

The iSRD issues with Epson and Microtek are NOT well explained on the SilverFast product site. And the fact that you need to export from SE to process iSRD doesn't seem explained AT ALL.

Even worse was in comparing the full-size scans I felt SilverFast looked more processed and noisy than the scans out of the original Epson software! (This is something you really can't tell in the demo as it only permits saving files with a max of 150 DPI.) This was too much and I requested a refund and bought VueScan instead.

To add insult to injury SilverFast sales first resisted talk of a refund and is now not replying to emails at all basically forcing me to file a dispute with the credit card company and file a complaint with the BBB.

Bad product. Bad support. Don't waste your money.

For me, despite some flakiness, VueScan is hands down the better software. IR dust removal is MUCH easier to use than in SE Plus + HDR mess and the resulting scans, in my opinion, look more natural.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars SilverFast SE, August 12, 2009

By 

Charles C. Dell "Chuck Dell" (Lima, OH USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: SilverFast SE: scanning software (CD-ROM)

An extremely disappointing product; in fact, the most disappointing I've EVER purchased on Amazon. The ap installs on my PC's, but will not open. The SilverFast web site says there is a free update available, but even though the product is registered in my name, the "Free update" is NOT accessible, will NOT download and is virtually useless. The SilverFast web site is one of the worst and least helpful I've ever run across in my 15 years of working with PC's.