The plug-ins introduced here come from Applied Science Fiction (ASF) and can be found at www.asf.com. The free trial versions are fully functional but put a watermark into the image. If some of the filters are grayed out, this indicates that the image was probably opened in an unsupported mode. Older versions of ASF plug-ins support only 8-bit; the newer versions also support 16-bit color depth, which makes them fully compatible with Photoshop CS, CS2, CS3 and CS4.
This plug-in is available in the versions Digital GEM, Digital GEM PRO, and Digital GEM Airbrush PRO. All versions deliver the basic functionality to remove film grain from an image. The plug-in Airbrush PRO belongs more to the artistic field. With the airbrush function, portraits can be modified to make people look like flawless creatures with porcelain skin.
Corrections using Nikon Scan’s GEM are fixed into the image file. Any adjustments attempted later require a rescan. It is more convenient to work with the Photoshop plug-in, which allows you to experiment with different settings.
This plug-in comes with the versions Digital SHO and Digital SHO PRO. The PRO version is interesting because of its additional adjustment controls. Digital SHO corrects blown-out highlights and underexposed shadow areas by optimizing contrast and exposure. You can do the same thing with Curves, but not as easily. Digital SHO works just like DEE, D-Lighting, or Photoshop’s Shadows/ Highlights.
Since Photoshop has already integrated the function Shadows/Highlights from version CS on, this SHO plug-in is worthwhile only for those who use older Photoshop versions. But in this case you should think about upgrading to a more current version of Photoshop to enhance your workflow.
This plug-in is used to restore colors in scans from faded originals. It comes in two versions: Digital ROC and Digital ROC PRO. Only the PRO version supports 16-bit color depth. Also, Nikon Scan uses ROC (see Chapter 7). VueScan and SilverFast offer comparable functions. Compared with other scanning programs, the Photoshop plug-in has the advantage because you can experiment with different settings without the need for a new scan each time. In addition, the plug-in has finer controls for color correction than the scan programs. This is the reason why you should choose the ROC plug-in if you can afford it. To work with the trial version is no option whatsoever, as it stamps all your pictures with big watermarks.
All the ASF plug-ins mentioned here are implemented in Nikon Scan; VueScan and SilverFast also have similar correction filters built in. Although they cost extra, the advantages of using plug-ins are obvious: You can try out the effects of various settings on your scan without having to continually make time-consuming new scans. Plus, in most cases, the plug-in has enhanced capabilities comparable to the scan programs. If you have the choice, you should take the plug-ins for these corrections and not the scan programs.
