Rahul Sharma (Editor)

TWAIN

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Standard(s)
  
TWAIN

Developer(s)
  
TWAIN Working Group

Platform
  
x86, x86-64, PowerPC

Website
  
www.twain.org

Original author(s)
  
TWAIN Working Group

TWAIN httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediaenee6TWA

Type
  
Application programming interface

Operating system
  
Linux, OS X, Microsoft Windows

Initial release
  
February 1992; 25 years ago

Stable release
  
2.3 / 21 November 2013; 3 years ago

License
  
LGPL (Data Source Manager only)

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TWAIN is an applications programming interface (API) and communications protocol that regulates communication between software and digital imaging devices, such as image scanners and digital cameras.

Contents

TWAIN is not a hardware-level protocol; it requires a driver called Data Source for each device.

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History

The design of TWAIN began in January 1991. The TWAIN group was 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 officially an acronym, but it is a backronym. The official website notes that "the word TWAIN is from 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. It was up-cased to TWAIN to make it more distinctive. This led people to believe it was an acronym, and then to a contest to come up with an expansion. None was selected, but the entry Technology Without an Interesting Name continues to haunt the standard." For example, the Encyclopedia of Information Technology lists "Technology Without an Interesting Name" as the official meaning of TWAIN.

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, classic Mac OS, macOS, 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:

  • Atalasoft, a Lexmark company
  • Avision
  • Dynamsoft
  • Kodak Alaris
  • Fujitsu Computer Products of America
  • Visioneer,Inc.
  • Epson
  • Hewlett-Packard
  • InoTec GmbH
  • Picture Elements
  • Drummond Group
  • ExactCODE GmbH
  • Panasonic System Communications Company North America
  • Microtek International, Inc.

    • References

    TWAIN Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA