Begin the process of buying high quality flatbed scanners by first performing a simple needs assessment. Consider the following when determining which features to purchase.
Determine the price range suitable to the budget. Once a price range is established, similar models with comparable features will group together making comparison shopping easier.
Most flatbed scanners have no trouble scanning documents or photographs. Most can scan negatives though an adaptor may be required. If you need the ability to scan three-dimensional objects, there are scanners that can deliver that as well. What you will be able to scan will be limited by the size of the scanner bed. Be aware that some manufacturers produce beds that measure in feet, so size need not be a limiting factor.
Resolution is what separates high quality flatbed scanners from those of lesser quality. Resolution is the term used to describe the amount of digital information the scanner is able to record about the image being scanned. The higher the resolution, the more information captured. Resolution is directly related to output quality, so find the highest resolution available within budget. Professional shops tend to scan at 4800 dpi for highest quality jobs. Color depth and dynamic optical range are also measures of information obtained by the scanner.
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).
Other factors to consider include software bundling. Know which software comes with the unit. Most will, at minimum have driver software. Color calibration software is helpful. Other software bundled with the scanner may include image editing packages as well. Check also for platform compatibility. Be sure that the scanner is compatible with the platform and operating system to which it will be connected. One last detail to check is the connection interface. Do not assume that all units have USB interfaces
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