Scanner hardware often outlasts the operating system support provided by the manufacturer. This often means buying a new computer makes your scanner obsolete. That doesn’t need to be the case. VueScan can extend the useful life of your scanner no matter how old it is.
I first discovered VueScan way back in 2002. I downloaded the trial version on an old Macbook, launched the VueScan application, and without issue scanned documents natively on a UMAX scanner that hadn’t seen new Apple drivers since 1998.
You don’t have to be a Mac user to appreciate this level of compatibility—VueScan aworks for Windows and Linux. You also don’t need a 15 year old scanner either. If you have an old scanner, chances are good it will work with VueScan. The software is compatible with thousands of flatbed scanners, film and slide scanners, as well as automatic document feeder scanners like the Fujitsu Scansnap.
The TWAIN drivers typically used for scanning are bypassed entirely, which seems to be more effective in terms of program speed. In my several trials of VueScan over the years, scanning performs faster than when using native drivers in some cases. Most of us can get by with the basic preview, crop, and scan solution at the core of this application.
What type of scanning does VueScan support?
The basic version only supports flatbed scanning and .jpg files as output. A standard version adds support for optical character recognition, as well as PDF and TIFF file formats. The standard version also adds support for document feeder type scanners. If you need to scan film or slides, the professional version will be the one you want.
If you are a power scanning user the professional version includes a long list of additional features more comprehensive than I can document here. Lets just say, if you wanted to configure something about your scanner, this app can probably do it. Most of us probably have a scanner or two that still works from a mechanical standpoint, but is no longer supported by our most recent operating system upgrade.
A trial version lets you try all the advanced features, but watermarks scanned images. Pay versions come in 3 versions depending on the type of scanning you plan to do with prices ranging from $24.95 up to $149.95. There’s also an option to pay monthly if you only need the software for a small project.
Is VueScan Safe?
One of the questions I get about VueScan is whether or not VueScan is safe to use. VueScan support over 7,000 scanner models. Like I mentioned earlier in this article, I first used it in 2002 on an old Macbook. It still works with older scanners today. The software won’t harm your computer and it does a fantastic job of bringing new life to your old scanner.
