How do scanners switch colors?

[Roy J. Tellason]

I have a recently-acquired Mustek MFS-6000CX scanner here, and after
resolving software and interfacing issues, I find that I can't get the
colors I'd expect out of it, though it does fine with either "LineArt" or
"Grayscale" modss.

When I try to do a color scan, the colors are *way* off.

During the scan, the software says stuff about "getting red data", "getting
green data", "getting blue data", etc. and sounds like it's making
another pass for each of these. Obviously something changes between them,
but what?

Been a technician for decades now, but never got inside of one of theese...

Is there a FAQ somewhere that explains how they work? This brand familiar
to anybody?

 

[Tim Mitchell]

In article <lb%eb.3028$if4.2388120@newshog.newsread.com>, Roy J.
Tellason <rtellason@pa.net> writes

I have a recently-acquired Mustek MFS-6000CX scanner here, and after
resolving software and interfacing issues, I find that I can't get the
colors I'd expect out of it, though it does fine with either "LineArt" or
"Grayscale" modss.

When I try to do a color scan, the colors are *way* off.

During the scan, the software says stuff about "getting red data", "getting
green data", "getting blue data", etc. and sounds like it's making
another pass for each of these. Obviously something changes between them,
but what?

Been a technician for decades now, but never got inside of one of theese...

Is there a FAQ somewhere that explains how they work? This brand familiar
to anybody?

This type of scanner normally uses a different colour of light for each

pass. The red pass is lit in red light so you only see the red parts of
the picture.
--
Tim Mitchell

 

[Laurence Payne]

I have a recently-acquired Mustek MFS-6000CX scanner here, and after
resolving software and interfacing issues, I find that I can't get the
colors I'd expect out of it, though it does fine with either "LineArt" or
"Grayscale" modss.

When I try to do a color scan, the colors are *way* off.

During the scan, the software says stuff about "getting red data", "getting
green data", "getting blue data", etc. and sounds like it's making
another pass for each of these. Obviously something changes between them,
but what?

Been a technician for decades now, but never got inside of one of theese...

Is there a FAQ somewhere that explains how they work? This brand familiar
to anybody?

Try a scan with the cover open. Do you see a different-coloured light
on each pass?

 

[Roy J. Tellason]

Tim Mitchell wrote:

In article <lb%eb.3028$if4.2388120@newshog.newsread.com>, Roy J.
Tellason <rtellason@pa.net> writes
I have a recently-acquired Mustek MFS-6000CX scanner here, and after
resolving software and interfacing issues, I find that I can't get the
colors I'd expect out of it, though it does fine with either "LineArt" or
"Grayscale" modss.

When I try to do a color scan, the colors are *way* off.

During the scan, the software says stuff about "getting red data",
"getting
green data", "getting blue data", etc. and sounds like it's making
another pass for each of these. Obviously something changes between them,
but what?

Been a technician for decades now, but never got inside of one of
theese...

Is there a FAQ somewhere that explains how they work? This brand familiar
to anybody?

This type of scanner normally uses a different colour of light for each
pass. The red pass is lit in red light so you only see the red parts of
the picture.

Not in this case. The light source is what appears to be a small
flourescent bulb, no doubt of a specific color temperature...

 

[Roy J. Tellason]

Laurence Payne wrote:

I have a recently-acquired Mustek MFS-6000CX scanner here, and after
resolving software and interfacing issues, I find that I can't get the
colors I'd expect out of it, though it does fine with either "LineArt" or
"Grayscale" modss.

When I try to do a color scan, the colors are *way* off.

During the scan, the software says stuff about "getting red data",
"getting
green data", "getting blue data", etc. and sounds like it's making
another pass for each of these. Obviously something changes between them,
but what?

Been a technician for decades now, but never got inside of one of
theese...

Is there a FAQ somewhere that explains how they work? This brand familiar
to anybody?

Try a scan with the cover open. Do you see a different-coloured light
on each pass?

Good idea, I'll give that a shot. But the light I have seen seems to be
the same so far as I've noticed.

My guess is that they're putting a filter in front of whaterver's in there
that picks the light up _after_ it's reflected off whatever you're
scanning.