Key Features of a Scanner to Evaluate

Just about everyone these days has used a scanner at one time or another for either business or personal use. The ability to pop a photograph or document onto a scanner and send it to someone else’s computer immediately is an incredibly useful feature for many applications. While most of us have used scanners we’re probably not too familiar with the actual features of them. We often take the specifics of these intricate machines for granted and simply use them as we need them but if you’re looking to purchase one yourself it is important to understand the key features of a scanner.

•  The type of feeder – first of all, you’ll need to identify the type of scanner you need. The feeder refers to how the document is fed into the scanner itself. There are flatbed scanners where the document is placed directly onto a flat surface to be photographed, and there are sheetfed scanners where larger documents are fed into the scanner. The most popular scanners in use today for personal and business use are flatbed scanners while sheetfed are usually reserved for industries that require the scanning of much larger images and materials such as the print and design world.

•  Software compatibility -One key feature of a scanner is the type of software it requires to operate and whether or not that it is compatible with your particular computer. It is important to identify if the specific drivers needed to make the scanner work with your computer are included with the scanner itself. Without them, the scanner will be all but useless to you.

•  Resolution/Color Depth – If the quality of the image scanned is important to you then you want to pay attention to the resolution as well is the color depth that a particular scanner is capable of. Resolution refers to the dots per inch, or DPI, the scanner generates with the higher DPI numbers resulting in much higher quality images. Color depth refers to how much color can be injected into each pixel of the particular scanned document. Choose high numbers for the highest quality images.

•  Size of scanned image - most traditional flatbed scanners can handle up to legal size paper which is 8.5 x 14″. If you need to scan images larger than that you may need to upgrade to a large format flatbed scanner or even a larger sheet-fed scanner.

•  Additional Features – Many scanners today are what are called all-in-one scanners and they allow you to make copies of a particular document as well as fax it. If you’re using your scanner in an office environment, then you may want to purchase a scanner that includes these types of additional features.  Your overall cost for office equipment will be lower while the convenience of using all these features will make life much easier for you.

•  Warranty/Service – As is often the case with electronic equipment, problems can and do occur. This makes one of the key features of any scanner the warranty or service plan that it includes. Make sure the warranty that your scanner includes results in no out of pocket money from you in case the scanner breaks down during the warranty period.

•  Price – While it may not be obvious to some, price can often be one of the most important features of any scanner. If you are comparing several scanners at one time with identical features then price may end up being the ultimate deciding factor.

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Choices When Buying a Large Format Flatbed Scanner

Purchasing a large format flatbed scanner, like any piece of electronic equipment, can be a tough and often frustrating process. There are so many choices involved that it can make the decision maddening. It is important to take a step back, make a list of all of the things that are important about your purchase, then proceed carefully as you make your way into the mire of the scanner marketplace. Armed with the proper information about your needs and after having done some research on the products available, purchasing a large format scanner may not be so difficult after all.

First of all, you want to take into consideration the exact nature of the documents or materials you will be scanning. For instance, if the majority of the documents you will be scanning are black and white text documents, then the actual resolution and color depth capability of the scanner is not as important. However, if you are scanning high quality photographs or artwork, then you will want to make sure that the final scan quality is the highest possible. These features are extremely important as higher quality resolution machines can be much more expensive.

The next choice to be made is the general size of the documents you will need to scan. Large format flatbed scanners will have a large footprint in your home or office so if space is a consideration, you may want to go with the smallest scanner that will serve your needs. If you are looking to scan extremely large images or materials such as design blueprints, large pieces of art, or even signs (such as is needed for advertising) then you may even want to look at extremely large sheet-fed scanners. These will allow you to scan material much larger than you would be able to on a large flatbed scanner.

Software compatibility is certainly an issue as well when looking to purchase a scanner. It is important that the scanner you purchase contains the proper drivers for your computer so that the scanner and your computer will “work together.” This is one of the major considerations that many people simply overlook in their haste to purchase a flatbed scanner. It is helpful to check reviews of software compatibility for the type of scanner you are looking to purchase so that you don’t run into problems early into its use.

Speaking of problems, the last consideration we will look at is that of the type of service program or warranty offered with the scanner. If your scanner does develop a problem, the severity of it can be greatly lessened by a quality service program or all inclusive warranty. If you are purchasing a large format flatbed scanner, chances are you are going to spend a good deal of money. This investment is well protected by choosing a scanner with a quality warranty that will result in your not paying any additional amount for breakage or electronic failure of the scanner during the warranty period.

The above considerations are all important when looking to purchase a large format flatbed scanner. Remember to do your due diligence and keep the information we mentioned in mind as you search for your machine. Good luck and happy scanning!

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5 Reasons for Using a Scanner at Home

People oftentimes look at computer use as either home or office. The stuff they do at the office they don’t have to do at home and vice versa. For the most part, this holds true, but if you take some time to look at all the ways we can use technology, we will find ourselves doing more at home now than we ever thought possible. Let’s take using a scanner at home for instance.

I remember when I gave my mother a scanner for Christmas two years ago. She looked at it like it was something that just landed from outer space. I could see her eyes bulge and her hands begin to shake as she looked at all the buttons and lights. She was afraid of this thing, but I told her not to worry…that I would get her set up and using it in no time. The fact is, two years later, Mom uses that flatbed scanner weekly if not daily. She is a pro and has found out how to manipulate documents better than I ever could!

I thought I would list some of the things my Mom uses the scanner for to demonstrate 5 reasons for using a scanner at home:

1.  Recipes – One thing about Mom, if she isn’t cooking, she is probably looking for a new recipe to work on later. She loves sharing recipes with her friends (who she has reconnected with online) and she often scans recipes that she has dug up from her file she has kept for years.

2.  Scanning Photos – Grandmothers dote on their grandkids and my mom is no exception. She loves to use her flatbed scanner to create collages of all the grandkids to send to our extended family and friends all over the world.

3.  Clipping Magazine Articles – If you are a newshound like my Mom, you might like to do what she does. Once a week, she gathers a few of the most interesting stories from her newspaper or most recent magazine delivery and clips. She scans them and emails them to keep everyone she knows informed about what is going on in the world.

4.  Medical Insurance Information – My mother and father, like many who are getting older, have had some medical issues. The amount of information that goes back and forth between them, the doctors, and the insurance company is staggering. Whenever info needs to be transmitted, Mom acts as the go between and scans all the documents and sends them where they need to go so everyone has a copy of the originals. This has cut down on disputes in a HUGE way.

5.  Legal Paperwork – Although Dad runs the family business, Mom is the one that takes care of much of the paperwork. She used to do everything by hand, but now she does it all by computer. Whenever payroll info has to be sent to the accountant, Mom just fills it out, scans the original, and sends it on!

Above are just 5 reasons out of the many to use a scanner in your home. They are extremely useful and help to keep you in touch with the rest of the world in a convenient and very efficient manner. Just ask Mom!

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Basic Scanner Specifications

When shopping for a scanner it is important to understand all of the terminology to make appropriate comparisons. Here is an explanation of the most common scanners spec you will see.

RESOLUTION

When talking about resolution, you are just looking at how high quality the image is that your scanner will produce based on the original image and pixel size. There is a grid to consider when talking about resolution, and the DPI (which stands for dots per inch) tells you how many pixels are on that grid. 300 dpi is the typical resolution for the majority of home scanners, but it can mislead you to think that there are more due to marketing strategies. Keep in mind that, regardless of the number of scanner head stops, you won’t get a higher resolution than the number of sensors that the print head carries; just focus on the lowest number. With a 300×1200 dpi scanner, you can just get an image that is 300 dpi.

BIT DEPTH

Bit depth just means how much information a scanner can carry for each pixel it examines; this will determine the colors that you can get within the scan. With low bit scanners, you won’t get anything but black and white, and the scans will not be of great quality. You can get 24 bit scanners a lot nowadays, despite the fact that there are 36 and 30 bit scanners ou there. The higher your bit depth is, though, you can run into problems with compatibility; your PC might not be able to send that much info. For the most part, you should be perfectly happy dealing with 24 bit scanners.

DYNAMIC RANGE

Dynamic range looks at what kinds of different colors you can capture with a scanner, making it not unlike bit depth. The higher your dynamic range can be, the better colors you will have, and it is measured on a scale from 0 to 4. 2.4 is the dynamic range offered by the majority of flatbeds, making it perfect for personal things, but the quality is not the highest you can get (3.2 or more).

METHOD OF SCANNING

You can use two varying ways of scanning: CCDS (charge coupled devices) or CIS (contact image sensors), to record images. With CCDs, you get better images, due to the fact that the image is scanned through a variety of photo cells and sensors. You will find most of this in a normal flatbed scanner you could own. However, CIS scanners are using just one sensor row and a light, which makes for thinner scanners, but ones that don’t give you the best image that you could possibly find, sacrificing space for quality.

SCANNING AREA

When talking about the scanning area, we just mean how big a document the scanner can handle. With a sheetfed scanner, you can usually take on whatever size document you like, whereas flatbed scanners are somewhat restrained. Flatbed scanners typically just deal with normal letter sized paper, but you can get bigger flatbeds that will handle larger stuff.

SCANNER SPEED

You might not really be able to figure out how fast the scanner goes, as there’s no way to record it. For the most part, though, it will take longer to scan a document at a higher resolution. You might want to get something that is faster, if you have to scan a lot at once. If you’re just scanning every once in awhile, though, you might be okay.

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Types of Scanner

When purchasing a scanner it is not only important to understand the key features of a scanner, but also what types of scanners are available. Scanners come in many shapes and sizes – here are some of the most popular choices.

Flatbed Scanners

Most people would quickly recognize the flatbed scanner without any trouble. These are the desk-sized scanners that have a glass surface for scanning one page at a time – simply lift the lid, place the paper on the glass and hit the scan button. There are several versions of this basic scanner; the biggest difference is usually whether it will handle only standard paper or if it can scan larger sheets like legal-sized paper. Many of these scanners are part of a multi-use machine that also includes a printer, which can be a great way to reduce the amount of space you need for all your computer devices. A flatbed scanner works well if you’re scanning one or two pages, say from a newspaper or magazine, or for more unusual items, like DVD cases. A high resolution flatbed scanner is also a great way to scan in those old photos.

Photo Scanners

However, if you plan on scanning in several large stacks of photographs or negatives, then you might want to consider a photo scanner instead. While photo scanners are usually more pricey than the standard flatbed scanners, they provide a much higher resolution and much better print quality. These specialized scanners also include the software you’ll need to edit your photos as well as a variety of other tools for converting slides and negatives. Flatbed scanners are fine for scanning the occasional photo or picture, but if you really want to capture the full range of color and character of an image, then you’ll need to use a photo scanner.

Sheetfed Scanners

For those who will be scanning a large number of pages rather than pictures, a sheetfed scanner may be the solution. Sheetfed scanners are usually smaller than flatbed scanners and will fit into offices with little extra space. Their small size is possible because sheetfed scanners have a lower resolution, which is of minimal concern for most documents. Rather than having to lift the lid, place a sheet of paper on the glass, lift the lid, remove the sheet, add the new sheet, and just continuing this routine with every document, the sheetfed scanner lets you feed a stack of paper and scan it all automatically. Sheetfed scanners will usually cost more than other scanners, but they can save you a great deal of time and effort during your average business day.

Portable Scanners

The newest type of scanner is the portable document scanner – a handheld scanner that lets you scan just about anything, no matter where you are. These scanners come in a variety of sizes, some as small as a pen, up to more chunky devices with a higher resolution. Though none of these portable models have the resolution ability of a flatbed scanner, they can be handy for anyone who needs to scan while on the road, such as a salesman or research assistant. It takes some work to learn how to take full advantage of your scanner’s capabilities, but these machines are an easy way to gather all your information into one handy digital location for easy review and editing.

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