TWAIN

For other uses, see Twain (disambiguation).

TWAIN is a standard software protocol and applications programming interface (API) that regulates communication between software applications and imaging devices such as scanners and digital cameras.

The latest version of the TWAIN standard is TWAIN 2.1, released on July 8, 2009. TWAIN 2.1 features include support for MICR, PDF/A, automatic image rotation, infrared pixel type, auto-sized images, automatic color detection, and automatic selection between feeder and flatbed.

History

The design of TWAIN began in January, 1991. The TWAIN group originally launched in 1992 by several members of the imaging industry, with the intention of standardizing communication between image handling software and hardware. Review of the original TWAIN Developer’s Toolkit occurred from April, 1991 through January, 1992.

The word TWAIN is not an official acronym; however, it is widely known as "Technology Without An Interesting Name." The official website notes that "[this name] continues to haunt the standard."

The word TWAIN is from Rudyard Kipling's "The Ballad of East and West" — "...and never the twain shall meet..." — reflecting the difficulty at the time of connecting scanners and personal computers.

Release history

• TWAIN 1.0, February, 1992 - Initial Release.
• TWAIN 1.5, May, 1993 - Performance Enhancements.
• TWAIN 1.6, February 5, 1996 - Page Length Detect & Buffer Transfer.
• TWAIN 1.7, August 19, 1997 – Production Scanning Features.
• TWAIN 1.8, October 22, 1998 – More production scanning features that were omitted in version 1.7 of the Specification.
• TWAIN 1.9, January 20, 2000 – ICC Color Profiles, Mac Support for Cocoa.
• TWAIN 2.0, February 22, 2008 – Unix/Linux support, check scanning support, open source, 64-bit.
• TWAIN 2.1, July 8, 2009 – Supported on Windows 7 (32 and 64 bit), support for automatic color detection.

Vision statement

The TWAIN Working Group is a not-for-profit organization which represents the imaging industry. TWAIN's purpose is to provide and foster a universal public standard which links applications and image acquisition devices. The ongoing mission of the organization is to continue to enhance the standard to accommodate future technologies.

Objectives

Objectives of the TWAIN Working Group and standard include:

• Ensure image-handling software and hardware compatibility
• Keep the specification current with the state of current software and hardware while maintaining backward compatibility
• Provide multiple-platform support
• Maintain and distribute a no-charge developer's toolkit
• Ensure ease of implementation
• Encourage widespread adoption
• Open Source Data Source Manager
• LGPL Open Source License
• BSD Open Source Sample Application and Sample Data Source Application

Supported technologies

TWAIN provides support for:

• Production, high-speed scanning
• ICC Color profiles
• Digital cameras
• Multiple operating system platforms including Windows, Mac OS, and Linux

TWAIN Working Group membership

Today the TWAIN standard, including the specification, data source manager and sample code, are maintained by the not-for-profit organization TWAIN Working Group.

Board and associate members of the TWAIN Working Group include:

• Adobe Systems, Inc.
• AnyDoc Software, Inc.
• Atalasoft Inc.
• Avision Inc.
• Dynamsoft Corporation
• Eastman Kodak Company
• Fujitsu Computer Products of America
• JFL Peripheral Solutions, Inc.
• Epson, Inc.
• Hewlett-Packard, Inc.

See also

• Windows Image Acquisition (WIA)
• Scanner Access Now Easy (SANE)
• Image and Scanner Interface Specification (ISIS)

External links

• TWAIN Working Group
• Overview of TWAIN and TWAIN Data Sources
• TWAIN: Linking Applications and Images - A White Paper by Hewlett Packard
• 9 Rules for Evaluating Web TWAIN Components - A White Paper by Dynamsoft
• ScanTWAIN Open Source Example of using TWAIN 2.0 from Linux
• TWAIN 2.1 specification

This article was originally based on material from the Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, which is licensed under the GFDL.