Scanners
How many times do you look at your old photos and think, "Wouldn't it be great if I could e-mail them to my friends and family?" Only there is no way of getting the photos to the computer...or is there? A scanner is the perfect solution for taking all those pictures created before the advent of digital photography and scanning them to a disc. With the latest editing software you can remove any flaws and e-mail them so that everyone can remember those great Kodak moments. Scanners do more than just photos, though: they can digitize any type of image or text, making them perfect for both the home and office. Imagine, an office devoid of paper clutter! Amazing.
So how do you choose the right scanner? It's easy. Follow these steps:
- Figure out what type of scanner you're looking for. More information on this follows just below.
- How much will you be scanning? Your answer will have an influence on which scanner will suit your needs.
- What will you be scanning? If you're planning to regularly scan photographs, you will need a scanner with high resolution.
- There are several other factors you should take into consideration, such as your scanner's individual functions and what accessories you will need to accompany your desired device.
Scanner Types
Flatbed
- Flatbeds are flat out the most popular type of scanner for homes and home offices.
- They are also reasonably priced for such versatile devices. Depending on the features and resolution you choose, they can range from $100-$400 or more.
- The cover is usually on a flexible hinge (sometimes called expansion top) which allows for scanning large, bulky items, such as textbooks. Also an excellent choice for scanning photos.
- The large flatbed allows for scanning large or small documents at reasonable speeds.
- If you want increased convenience and enhanced speed, you may want to consider spending a little bit more for the larger sheet-feed flatbed models, which run for $400-$600.
- Most flatbeds are color
scanners, however, there are monochrome versions as well.
- The downside is that they take up a lot of space and can be bulky; they are also not very portable. However, a convenient (and bargain-friendly) option is a multifunction device, which scans, prints, and copies all in one tight package (see below).
Feedsheets
- Also called automatic document feeders or path-throughs.
- Helps feed both tabloid and legal-sized documents, as well as oversize documents.
- Businesses and home offices can appreciate the speed and simplicity of a feedsheet scanner. Keep in mind that while the faster the models get, the more costly they will be. Some models can cost several thousand dollars.
- Perfect for anyone with a need for high-volume scanning of a single document.
- Option of color or monochrome scanners.
- Not recommended for scanning photos or textbooks.
Portable
- Also called handheld scanners.
- Handheld scanners are useful for small passages and documents, such as business cards, photos, and other documents while on the go. There are even business card scanners that cost around $50.
- They are portable and take up hardly any room on your desk.
- Some models happen to be cheap alternatives to flatbeds, often under $100.
- Wireless models are available but those are often quite expensive. They may, however, be quite good for business travelers. More affordable options are those that connect to a computer via a USB cable .
- Not suitable for any high resolution scanning or large documents.
Photo Scanners
- 35mm film and slide transparencies can be effectively digitized with film scanners, which are usually of very high resolution and offer fine quality images via special backlight scanning technology.
- They tend to be more expensive, but are perfect for professionals in the graphics and publishing industry. Less expensive models are available for photo enthusiasts, topping off at around $300.
- If you need to scan film slides, but can't afford a photo scanner, go for a flatbed that comes with some transparency adapters .
Multifunction
- These include not only a scanner but also a printer, copier, and a fax machine.
- For the price, they are great for students or for people on a budget.
- They take up very little space.
- Don't expect excellent quality on all the various components on the system, but expect decent overall performance.
- Visit the multifunction printers buying guide for more information.
Speed & Capacity
Depending on how often and how much you need to scan at any one time, you will want to choose one scanner over another.
- Large Items = flatbeds: If you need to scan large or bulky items, you would be better off with a flatbed that can accommodate various-sized documents and objects. However, keep in mind that you need to hang around to remove the object, load the next, etc.
- Need for Speed = sheet-feeds: If speed is of the essence, go for a sheet-feed scanner that can handle scanning multiple documents consecutively. You can load the items, program the scanner, and walk away without having to worry. You can get faster models that scan an 8x10 in 10 seconds at 300 dpi. Perhaps try a corporate scanner like the Fujitsu ScanSnap fi-5110 EOX .
Resolution: What is dpi?
Dpi, or dot-per-inch, is a measurement of optical and interpolated resolution, which together, determine the detail and the color quality of your scans. It is also sometimes called ppi. While optical resolution is what will be the true measure of an image's quality, interpolated resolution is what will most often be listed for a scanner's resolution by the manufacturer. Be careful not to choose a scanner simply because it looks like it has a higher resolution: bigger is not always better.
- Like most office machines, the least expensive models deliver a lower resolution and should be used for those who only need to scan printed text material.
- Most sheet-feed scanners have very low resolution because they are aimed at scanning simple text and graphics.
- Flatbed scanners generally have around 1200dpi, which is more than enough for scanning basic graphics, text and photos. If your interest is primarily in scanning photos, you may want to choose a photo flatbed scanner .
- Scanners have the ability to adjust the resolution for different jobs; however, though the resolution can be lowered, it cannot be raised higher than the maximum stated.
What's the Right Resolution?
- For basic photo editing and uploading graphics to the internet, 1200 dpi is usually sufficient. It can be found on most flatbeds.
- For professional applications, you may prefer to aim for a slightly higher resolution around 2400dpi.
- For film scans and negatives that you plan to enlarge, you should have a minimum of 2400 dpi or more, and keep in mind that such high-detail images take up lots of room on your hard drive. Don't worry about interpolated and enhanced resolutions. Most models are interpolated, and enhanced versions are only needed for doing line art.
Factors to Consider
Color Depth: Also known as bit-depth. This is an important spec to look for in scanning negatives and slides because it will allow more contrasts and differentiations. Just to give you an idea of what to look for, 24-bit is low, 48-bit is high.
Document Feeder: There are some flatbed models that are built with a document feeder. These models are usually more expensive, but also more versatile.
Optical Character Recognition (OCR): This may be an important software feature to look for if you are scanning text documents and will edit them after scanning. Otherwise, the scanner will process the text as an image instead of an editable text document.
Software Bundles: Software comes with your scanner to help with processing and editing. Generally, these programs also make emailing and printing easier as well, and some might help repair damaged-looking originals. The most important consideration should be that it's easy to install and as intuitive to use as possible.
One-touch Buttons: Many scanners come with this function; however, it is often more effective to just use the scanner-utility software instead.
Transparency Adapters: Primarily used for specialty work with transparencies.
Connectivity
- USB ports: For fast scanning, make sure that your printer has a 2.0 USB port to hook the scanner up to, otherwise you can buy a 2.0 USB card.
- FireWire: Some of the most recent scanners are FireWire-compatible--if you buy a scanner that is FireWire only, make sure your computer has the right port.
Major Manufacturers
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