PaperScan Free 2.0 broadens web-format support, promises faster file saving

Orpalis has released PaperScan Free 2.0, a major new build of its cleanup and optimisation tool for scanned and PDF documents. The free version, which is limited to batch scanning and optimization of 10 pages at a time, adds a number of new features and options, plus promises improved performance with specific file types.

PaperScan Free 2.0, which is also available in paid-for form as Home or Professional Editions, opens with the promise of dramatically faster file saving using the TIFF format, along with improved performance of all document imaging filters.

The program adds support for saving files in the WebP image format, which has been developed by Google to provide a smaller alternative to traditional PNG and JPEG formats. Users can now also save PDF files with Fast Web View mode enabled.

Version 2.0 also adds an option to create a new page based on the current selected area on-screen -- accessible from the Edit menu -- and adds an option to show or hide the viewer toolbar. It also adds a dedicated annotation toolbar to the right-hand side of the screen for easy access to its annotation tools, although these -- along with much of the program's advanced functionality -- are restricted to the Professional version only. Another Pro-only addition is support for scanning with separator sheets.

The update is rounded off with a number of unspecified improvements to the UI as well as bug fixes, and comes with the promise of improved persistent settings behaviour.

PaperScan Free 2.0 is available now as a free (for personal use only) download for PCs running Windows XP or later. Also available for purchase are PaperScan Home Edition 2.0 for $49, and PaperScan Professional Edition 2.0 for $149.