Both SilverFast and Photoshop Elements are powerful image optimization programs. If you are working with scratched, dusty negatives or old, tattered images, you will need both to restore their quality. For all other activities, however, one or the other will suffice. By knowing the strengths and weaknesses of each program, you will be able to decide which program to purchase based on the type of image processing you do the most.
SilverFast
- SilverFast is a program that you can use to optimize images as you scan them. The program integrates with the scanner, in some cases using its hardware, to remove defects from negatives, photographs and paper documents. In the case of scratches, the software utilizes a scanner's ability to radiate infrared light. This light passes through negatives easily, but reflects off of scratches and dust. You can use the Multi-Exposure feature to capture more color details than with a scanner alone. SilverFast's Multi-Exposure feature causes the scanner to take several exposures, each longer than the last.
Adobe Photoshop Elements
- Adobe Photoshop Elements is a version of Photoshop that is targeted to hobbyists and artists. It is a less expensive version of Photoshop and lacks several abilities that the full program possesses. For example, with Photoshop Elements, you cannot export printer friendly images in the CMYK color mode. You can, however, use the program to perform touch-ups on images, inlcluding on images that you capture with a scanner. Among the tools that you can use are the Red Eye Removal Tool, the Clone Stamp Tool, the Spot Healing Brush Tool and the Color Replacement Tool.
Overlapping Features
- Both pieces of software contain tools that you can use to improve the overall appearance of an image. For instance, with SilverFast's Auto IT8 Collaboration feature, you can quickly calibrate your scanner in such a way that it will create accurate images with greater consistency. Badly calibrated scanners sometimes create images that contain a dominant hue that is not present in the original. You can correct such issues in Photoshop Elements or you could prevent them with SilverFast.
Using One or the Other
- SilverFast cannot correct issues that exist in the original image. For example, if a subject in an image has red eye, SilverFast cannot correct this when it scans the image. For this, you would have to use a program like Photoshop Elements. Conversely, Photoshop Elements cannot put data into a scanned image that was not present in the original. You can use it to simulate this, but it would not look as good as if you had simply used SilverFast to grab as much color detail from the original image as possible. Therefore, each program has limitations, and which one you use depends on how much editing you need to do to the resulting image.
