Scanners Review

Archive for July, 2010

You do not have a digital camera using the computer's ability to edit images. Continuing improvements in scanners, it is cheaper and easier to take pictures in digital images, you can enhance, resize, and share. And flatbed scanner are not limited to printed copies. Our test shows that the best flatbed scanners now a struggle for expensive film when it comes to scanning slides and negatives. This is no smallcompletion, reflecting an improvement in the resolution that new scanners deliver more and better accessories to hold film strips or plates safe for Sharp, accurate scans.

What's available

A number of readers come from companies, including Microtek and Visioneer, which made their name in scanning technology. Among other brand computer manufacturers and specialists in photography as Canon, Epson, Hewlett-Packard and Nikon.

What type of scannerTraditional – flatbed, sheet or film – depends largely on how you use it. If you lack space as a multifunction device.

flatbed scanners. Over 90 percent of flatbed scanner on the market. It works well for text, graphics, photographs, and everything is flat, including a kindergartner drawing last year. Flatbed include optical character recognition (OCR) that converts words into a printed page into a word processing documentfile on your computer. It contains the basic image editing software. Some shops may throw in a flatbed scanner for free or for a few dollars more if you have a desktop computer.

An important specification for a scanner is the maximum optical resolution, measured in dots per inch (dpi). You pay more for a higher resolution.

Price range: less than $ 100 for 600×1, 200 dpi $ 100 to $ 500 high-resolution models of

Flat models. The models can Platesautomatically to a stack of pages loose, but sometimes the sites give their entrails. It can not explore anything much thicker than a sheet (which means that a photograph may be too often). This type of scanner is often the one that comes as part of a multifunction device can print, send and receive. A growing percentage of multi-function devices, but also a flatbed scanner. Sheets scanners also use OCR software.

PriceSeries: $ 100 to $ 600

film scanner. seriously photographer, a film only scanner that scans directly from an original slide (transparency etc.) or negative. Some may think that all the children.

Price range: $ 400 to $ 800

Major Features

Although the quality of images from a scanner produces depends on the software with it, there are several hardware features to consider.

You start to run the driver software scan with the scanneror an extract button. Models with buttons automate routine tasks for the scanner as you would with other office equipment. On some models you can use the key functions. All these tasks can be performed by the scanner software without using buttons. A copy / print button starts a scan and send a command to display the results on the printer to print, effectively making the two units function as a photocopier. Other important features in a seriesmodels scan to file, scan to a fax modem, scan to email, scan to Web, OCR scanning, erasing, scanning, saving, start the scanning software, and power.

You can also start operating a software program like a word processor that meet a standard known as TWAIN. A scanner driver software you can set an example of scanning on the screen and crop it or adjust contrast and brightness. If you are satisfied with the edited picture, you can create athe last scan and move the image into a running program or save it on your computer. You can change the broader picture with a specialized software application for image editing. And to scan text from a book or a letter in a word processing document file on your computer, run the OCR software.

Many documents combine text with graphics such as photographs and drawings. A useful feature that many software programs available on the scanner, called multi-mode scan, you can break these hybridsin different sections that can be overwritten in a process of scanning. You can view, for example, that the articles in a newspaper article that is pure text with OCR software is independent of the section of graphical elements. other scanners require a separate scan for each section of the document.

Some models come with adapters designed flatbed movie film or slides to scan, but if you need to search for a film or slides is often best in aseparate film scanner.

How to choose

Consider how much resolution you need. If you have a scanner only for hard copies, especially to see the 1200 models red dot per inch (dpi), they are generally cheaper models. You can always have a scanner set to work less than full resolution. In fact, most scans of photos pictures and text need only 150-300 dpi. (The images are displayed on the screen, 75 dpi is sufficient) scans with high resolution. Savelonger and files as large as possible, but usually add little.

For films and negatives, the resolution of 2400 dpi. The high setting is needed to provide sufficient detail to capture an image created from a 35mm original can be enlarged.

When comparing specifications with special attention to the native resolution optics. It 's more important than the "interpolation" or "best" solution, which is useful when scanning line drawings.

Consider color-bit depthfor movies. If you plan to make enlargements of prints or negatives or slides to scan, pay attention to a specification known as color-bit depth. The higher-bit color depth (24-bit basic, 48-bit is best) the better the scanner can differentiate between the subtle nuances of light and darkness.

Consider a multifunction device. If you do not have high demands on a scanner (for example, you can not have a scan film or slides) and a printer for general use, especially in a tight space, amultifunction printer / scanner / copier can serve.

Do not sweat the quality and speed. Most scanners we've tested recently was considered very good according to their ability to reproduce color photos of a maximum optical resolution. The rest has been reviewed well in that scans were less sharp colors less accurate.

Speed is important when you expect to be regularly scanned. In our recent tests the fastest of about 10 seconds, a 8×10-inch photos, scan at 300 dpiwhile the slowest takes about 40 seconds.

Do not sweat the software. All the scanners we tested recently with scanning software, photo editing and optical character recognition (you can scan text directly into a word processing document). Some software to create digital photo albums or other projects. All models also software, often integrated directly into the hardware can restore the image defects caused by the original injury.

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A slide scanner is an excellent addition to anyone's photographic repertoire. If you are the type of person who still enjoys the standard shots for the film, which probably noticed That the chips are on your computer is it somewhat a difficult process. Until recently. People with a standard 35mm to go to a professional, it is converted into a computer file was a rather long process and takes a fair amount of money every time you had to go toPhoto developer. If you have a lot of the movie to convert, add the cost in time significantly.

Fortunately, this is not the case. With the advent of the scanner has all these fancy computer peripheral standard slide film image files to your computer (generally.jpg. Gif, or.png file) in the comfort of their homes. All this requires is the purchase and installation of specialized slide scanner hardware. This slide scanning hardware is available online and in stores, and only a PC or Mac to view properly. And 'slide scanner can exist that work with Linux or Unix, you should have a computer store to get more information about whether a particular model of scanner will work with the operating system.

If you are really interested in buying a scanner to do slides, please be aware that these devices tend to be a bit 'more expensive. Expect that most> Scanner to vary between $ 500 and $ 1,000, high-end scanners will let you use the types of film in a wide range. The most expensive scanners tend to be able to take the quality of the film scans. Before going to the store is a good idea to determine exactly why you have a slide scanner, a primary model will do, will save a huge amount of money in the long term.