If you want fine control over your scans, the VueScan's Advanced settings provide a flexible and powerful range of options, with various colour restoration and sharpening filters, white balancing and colour profile selection. This makes it easy to create files suitable for different purposes from a single scan. This means you can, for example, export your scan as text, a searchable PDF, a TIFF image and a JPEG in a single operation. One of our favourite features is the ability to simultaneously save files in multiple formats.

For quick and easy scanning, a step-by-step mode guides you through the process with a series of simple pull-down options. VueScan places more emphasis on functionality than having a glossy interface, and we found it considerably easier to use and configure than most manufacturers' scanner interfaces. The extra features are useful if you intend to do high-quality image editing and archiving, so we prefer VueScan Professional. You also only get free updates for a year, as opposed to the unlimited updates provided by the Professional version. VueScan Standard is cheaper at $40 (£26), but it can't save unprocessed raw scans and doesn't support IT8 colour calibration or ICC colour profiles - which ensure that your scans match your monitor and printing hardware. It's available in Standard and Professional versions.

This makes VueScan perfect if your scanner is no longer supported with driver releases for your current operating system, although some scanners will still require their original drivers. The Windows version has a generic driver that allows you to use almost all the supported devices. Versions are available for Windows, Mac OS and Linux. Hamrick Software's VueScan Professional is our favourite cross-platform scanner interface, supporting over 1500 USB, SCSI and FireWire scanners, from budget flatbeds to professional 35mm negative scanners and sheet-feeders.

Hamrick scanner