Scanner; to Profile or Not?

[Randy]

Hello all,
When creating a profile for my Microtek 4800 scanner (using Profile Prism), I am asked to do this using the default (or none) scanner settings.
I have recently found out about calibrating and/or neutralizing my scanner to read shades of gray, say 127, 127, 127.
My question is should I profile my scanner after or before calibration, or not at all?
Some folks recommend not profiling the scanner, merely scan at 48 bits, then send it to Photoshop (for editing) as an untagged file and convert it to my PS working space.
Thanks for your help,
-Randy

 

[Welles]

Calibrate, then profile. In general, the more professional equipment and work flow, the more important color management becomes, until, in a totally professional work setting it is vital. I'd suggest calibrating your scanner, then making a profile and trying it out just for the experience. You should find that the colors of imported scans are much more accurate and you need less adjustment in Photoshop.