Overview button gone for scan preview

I think this is Epson’s fault. There was a recent upgrade to the scanner driver.

The overview button no longer shows up in the import/scan feature.

It will do an overview scan on first entering the import window. After that, the only way I know to get a fresh overview is to exit Devonthink and re-launch.

My scanner is on my Epson Ecotank 8550, which is an amazing printer. But I sure would like my overview button back!

Any tips or suggestions about what questions I should raise with Epson?

I guess the best is to tell them just that, “Overview button gone for scan preview” and add what driver version you now have, macOS version, and other details. Also, prior to contacting Epson, perhaps search the interweb a bit and see what comes up. I found something which may help. "My preview window stopped showing | Tom's Hardware Forum

Your Google skills exceed mine! However, I’m still not where I need to be. Epson support opens on Monday, so I’ll proceed with them and post the result here in case anyone else has similar problems.

In the meantime, Image Capture has an overview and will scan to the inbox, or I can just scan full pages in DT. Usually, if I’m scanning something like a check I crop to what matters.

There is an admin password for the printer that is supposed to default to the printer’s serial number. No go on that. Off to Epson I go when they open.

searching “Epson Ecotank 8550 default password” comes up with lots of ideas you can try today before the Epson support opens up (or while you are waiting for them to answer).

For your other question, I searched “Epson Ecotank 8550 overview button gone for scan preview”. There are many ideas there also.

I honed my Google search skills over the 25 years since I started using them… It’s not hard. :wink:

2 Likes

I have a Brother scanner/printer and I have the same problem with missing the overview button since updating Devonthink

Brother mfc j985dw

The overview button is essential and would not have updated Devonthink if I knew it would take away the overview button.

I strongly suspect something in the printer driver. I can’t get into my printer’s admin account. When I solve this, I’ll post what I found.

Overview button is available but not in devonthink.

That’s what I see, too. If I can, I’ll get Epson support today. Unfortunately, today is proving to be one of those Mondays…

My Epson ET-8550 is awesome. Epson support, not so much. I would still buy the printer again, but, egad, support is not good.

There is a workaround to the missing overview button, at least on my system.

In the Devonthink scan importer, use the gear button near where that wonderful overview button used to be. Choose the disconnect function.

Next, reconnect the scanner. It will do an overview scan and continue with a multipage document.

However, there are still certain issues.

Multipage scans will go into the imports folder if you’re not careful. I confess, I’ve never completely figured out the imports folder.

Right-clicking on a binder name in the imports will let you save it, but I can’t tell that saving it does anything.

If you tell Devonthink to create a new binder on the first page, each time you disconnect/reconnect you’ll need to use the binder selector to reselect the binder you’re building.

But disconnect/reconnect/reselect the binder seems to work.

I would still buy the printer again, but, egad, support is not good.

That’s sad considering their support for their commercial grade products was stellar back in my printing and graphic arts days.

I can’t test this idea here as I don’t have this Epson printer or software. Does it preview as you like if you call the Epson software direct, independent of DEVONthink, and then save the new document it creates into the DEVONthink Global Inbox? Once there, DEVONthink will import it, and you can even setup some smart rules to do something “smart” with the incoming file.

This separates the Epson software from DEVONthink for the time being.

This is basically how I used the scanner prior to discovering the disconnect/connect tap dance.

Also, the problem isn’t previewing the files. The problem is the overview button in the importer. I can’t get a pre-scan to create custom selections from in Devonthink.

The Mac Image Capture program still has an overview button and will allow custom selections for the scan area.

It’s your fault. Epson’s support would probably seem fine if I hadn’t been spoiled by certain other vendors. :rofl:

1 Like

Thanks for the clarification.
We’ll have to look into this. Can you hold the Option key and choose Help > Report bug to start a support ticket so we can look at the logs this upcoming week?

Ticket headed your way!

Appreciate any help.

Hey, @hownowcan - there’s a workaround and a full fix on the way.

The problem isn’t that the overview feature isn’t working, it’s that the button isn’t getting drawn.

If you click just to the left of the scan button, where the overview button should appear, you trigger the overview function.

Many thanks to the Devonthink support team for looking into this!

So, why didn’t I find this myself? Some could point to a lack of initiative, but I prefer to blame too many Saturday morning cartoons as a youth. Yeah, that’s it, those cartoons Mother said would rot my brain…

2 Likes