Getting good scans with my CanoScan LiDE20

[Ken Rogers]

I am new to scanning, but am familiar with the basics of scan resolution and print size. I normally invoke the scanner through Photoshop, and this opens up the ScanGear CS window, giving me all sorts of options.

I notice that my scans are quite dark when I use the "recommended" color setting. I try to bring the image to life afterwards with Levels and Curves, but the shadowy detail is dead. When I use the "Canon ColorGear Color Matching" option instead, the scans seem brighter and healthier, even when printed.

It seems strange that I would discover such improvement from messing around with these technical settings, which were not easy for me to find. Can someone tell me how to know what the best scanner settings are, and if I am scanning properly?

Another quick question: I've heard people say that my scanner is "more than enough" to perform quality print scans for professional print jobs (I can get over 720 PPI if I need to). Is there any great increase in quality if I go out and buy a more expensive scanner? I do not scan film, just prints.

Ken