Confused By Flatbed Scanners? Find Out How To Choose The Best High Quality Flatbed Scanners

By Sam Simms

There are many options for those in the market for high quality flatbed scanners. Consider how the machine will be used then consider the following.

Additional or upgraded features will add cost to the overall price. Most features are worth the additional price only if those features are useful on a daily basis.

Scanners can get input from any number of sources. Flatbed scanners can handle documents, photographs, slides and negatives. Sometimes an adaptor is needed to accommodate slides or negative. Also, some types of scanners can accommodate three dimensional items. Items eligible for scanning will be limited by the size of the scanner bed. If posters or other large format media will be scanned, make sure the bed is large enough to accommodate those items.

Resolution drives quality. The more information the scanner captures initially, the more information per pixel, the higher the quality of output. Quality of output is limited by the resolution of the input. Optical resolution and color depth should be considered when choosing a scanner. For professional applications, 4800 dpi will provide enough digital information to output very large images with a great depth of color and shadow. 48-bit color is best for high-end output. When evaluating scanners, be aware of the dynamic range each model offers. Dynamic range is the difference between the darkest and lightest portions of an image. A higher number signifies more subtleties in an image.

The amount of output that can be accomplished in a given time is directly related to the speed of the scanner. Of course, the more information that the scanner acquires the slower the process will be. Most spec sheets will assess speed in ipm (images per minute) or ppm (pages per minute).

Before purchasing, check the basics to make sure the new high quality flatbed scanner will work with existing equipment. Check the connection interface. USB is very common, but do not assume that it is standard. Platform compatibility should be considered. Consider whether all the software needed is bundled with the equipment. Look to see if image-editing software, color calibration and driver software are included. - 31403

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