When using a scanner, most people use the software that comes with it and scan images into a photo-editing program such as Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro to apply corrections and effects.

It's possible to use a different method, though, with dedicated scanning software such as Lasersoft Imaging’s Silverfast Ai. This product works directly with each specific scanning device, so you need to check that your particular model is supported – there's a list of compatible scanners on the Lasersoft website.

Silverfast Ai Studio is at the top of the Silverfast range and includes sophisticated functions such as automatic calibration, automatic frame alignment, noise reduction through multiple exposures and direct export to PDF.

Pay extra for the so-called IT8 version of Silverfast of the software and you can use a special colour target, laid on the scanner, to automatically calibrate it to produce truer colours. The process is surprisingly simple and colour reproduction is much improved.

Silverfast Ai Studio can be installed as a standalone application, or as a plug-in for Photoshop (or Photoshop Elements) if you have that software.

Auto-frame alignment combined with auto-frame recognition enables the user to place several different photos on the scanner flatbed at the same time and have the software both recognise and rotate them so they are all aligned horizontally and vertically. On our test scanner the process wasn't perfect – it thought it recognised a few things that weren't photos.

Silverfast Ai Studio’s multi-exposure scanning can improve the dynamic range of transparencies (negatives or slides, rather than prints) by scanning them at different light intensities. The shadowed areas in photos benefit considerably from this technique, which effectively reduces noise speckles.

The program could really have done with a simpler pricing structure. It comes in four main versions: SE, SE Plus, Ai and Ai Studio. Ai and Ai Studio can be bought in sub-versions with IT8 colour calibration and with or without an IT8 printed target for auto-calibration. They can also be bought as download or CD versions, at varying prices and you’ll pay a different price depending on the make and model of your scanner, too.

While all scanner users will benefit from the expertise built into Silverfast Ai Studio and from the depth of its feature set, you have to decide whether you value your images enough to pay over £150 for those scans, or over £220 if you want automatic scanner calibration, too.

The cheaper SE version of the software costs around £50. Although it misses many of the advanced features above, might be a better fit for many home users.