September 2024

AFFORDABLE SCANNER

Scan prints, 35mm transparencies and documents with 4800 dpi resolution and 48-bit color using the Microtek ScanMaker s450. With the built-in 35mm transparency adapter, you can easily scan positive and negative 35mm slides and filmstrips. The 8.5x11.7-inch scan bed features a Zero Boundary design that extends the scan area closer to the edge. ColoRescue technology lets you restore faded photos. It’s compatible with Windows and Mac. List Price: $99. Contact: Microtek, (310) 687-5940, www.microtekusa.com.

Publish photography books that are fit for a bookstore shelf using Blurb, an online service that allows anyone to create and sell his or her own books. Once you’ve downloaded Blurb’s BookSmart software for free, choose from hundreds of professionally designed templates into which you can drag and drop your images, then add photos, text and more. The software features built-in photo-layout tools and lets you edit text as you go. Blurb prints the book with four sizes to choose from: 7x7, 8x10, 10x8 and 13x11 inches. Using the company’s online bookstore, you set the price and keep all sales profits. List Price: Starts at $13. Contact: Blurb, www.blurb.com.

CARTOON CREATOR

Have fun with your stills and video footage by making them look cartoon-like with Digital Anarchy’s ToonIt! Using advanced algorithms, the tool creates cartoon shading and lines quickly and easily. After analyzing an image, ToonIt! reduces its color palette and detects where the important edges are. The edges are used to shape and control areas of color. You can customize your “toon” effects with styles like Flat Cartoon, Graphic Novel, Line Art and Pen & Ink. You can combine various styles and outlines for even more variation. List Price: $295. Contact: Digital Anarchy, (415) 586-8434, www.digitalanarchy.com.

MULTIPURPOSE PLUG-INS

Shortcut complex Photoshop tasks with onOne Software’s Plug-In Suite 3, which is now compatible with Adobe Photoshop CS3 and Intel-based Macs. In one comprehensive plug-in bundle that features Intellihance Pro 4.2, Mask Pro 4.1, PhotoFrame Pro 3.1 and Genuine Fractals 5, create masks of difficult subjects like hair and glass and retain transparency, add unique border and edge effects, and increase size by 1,000 percent without losing detail or sharpness. List Price: $399; $299 (upgrade). Contact: onOne Software, (888) 968-1468, www.ononesoftware.com.