The quality of a scanned image with Epson Scan is poor. What should I do?

  • The solution will depend on the problem you're having. See the solutions below for your problem.

    Image Consists of a Few Dots Only
    • Make sure the document is placed on the document table with the side to be scanned facing down.
    • When scanning with the Black&White setting in Home or Professional Mode, adjust the Threshold setting.
    Line of Dots Appears in All Scanned Images
    • If a dotted line appears in the image, clean the scanner glass with a soft, dry, lint-free cloth (paper towels are not recommended), or use a small amount of glass cleaner on a soft cloth, if necessary. Don't spray glass cleaner directly on the glass.
    Straight Lines in Image Appear Crooked
    • Make sure the document lies perfectly straight on the document table.
    Image is Distorted or Blurry
    • Make sure the document lies flat on the document table. Also make sure your document is not wrinkled or warped.
    • Make sure you do not move the document or the all-in-one while scanning.
    • Make sure the all-in-one is placed on a flat, stable surface.
    • Select Unsharp Mask in Epson Scan's Office or Professional Mode.
    • Adjust the Auto Exposure setting in Epson Scan's Professional Mode.
    • Increase the Resolution setting in Epson Scan's Home, Office or Professional Mode.
    Image Colors are Patchy at the Edges
    • If your document is very thick or warped at the edges, cover the edges with paper to block external light as you scan.
    Image is Too Dark
    • Adjust the Auto Exposure setting in Epson Scan's Professional Mode.
    • Check the Brightness setting in Epson Scan's Home, Office, or Professional Mode, or adjust brightness using the Histogram in Professional Mode (see Epson Scan Help).
    • Check the brightness and contrast settings of your computer monitor.
    Back of Original Image Appears in Scanned Image
    • If your original is printed on thin paper, images on the back may be visible to the all-in-one and appear in your scanned image. Try scanning the original with a piece of black paper placed on the back of it.
    Ripple Patterns Appear in Image
    A rippled pattern (called a moir) may appear in a scanned image of a printed document. It is caused by interference from the differing pitches in the scanner's screen and the halftone screen in your original. To reduce this effect:Image Colors Do Not Match Original Colors
    • Change the Image Type setting in Epson Scan's Home, Office or Professional Mode. Select different combinations of this setting and the others mentioned below.
    • Try selecting a different Tone Correction setting in Professional Mode.
    • Check the color matching and color management capabilities of your computer, display adapter, and software. Some computers can change the palette of colors on your screen. See your software and hardware manuals for details.
    • Printed colors can never exactly match the colors on your monitor because printers and monitors use different color systems: monitors use RGB (red, green, and blue) and printers typically use CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black).
    Scan Area Not Adjustable in Thumbnail Preview
    • Create a marquee or adjust the existing marquee to select the area you want to scan in Home, Office, or Professional Mode.
    • Switch to the Normal preview (if available) in Home, Office or Professional Mode and preview your image again.
Published:  Mar 25, 2010 Was this helpful?​ Thank you for the feedback!
Was this helpful?​
Please tell us why this was not helpful.​