Scanning for the right device

Kavita Kukday / TNN / Nov 26, 2007, 00:00 IST

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Having a scanner handy can bring you as close as possible to a paperless home or office.

Among all the devices in the office, scanners are probably the least understood of the lot. For most it's that box which sits in the corner and works somewhat like a copier, nothing more. But the truth is, there is a lot you can do with a scanner. Need an editable version of all those newspaper clippings you've been saving for future reference? Need to convert that shoe box full of old pictures and store them for eternity?
Scan them all.Empty that entire rack full of files, bills, tax sheets and make them searchable at one click. A scanner can do that, too.
So all in all, getting a scanner is a good idea. But which one to buy? There are umpteen choices, which makes things somewhat complicated—but not if you follow these basic buying rules.
What is your scanning personality type?

Light users
First off, you would need to figure out what is it actually, that you need scanned. Say for instance you are the kind who wants to use a scanner to digitize a few documents or one odd picture every now and then. Well, in this case a flatbed scanner would be a good idea for a couple of reasons. First, flatbed scanners (the ones that look like your regular copier machine) let you scan one page at a time. This makes them really easy to use. Second, they are also pretty cheap—you could fetch a decent flatbed scanner for under Rs 3,000. A couple of good options to consider would be Canon Canoscan or HP Scanjet varieties.

Heavy users
Flatbeds are avoidable if you are a heavy duty user. If you need to scan anything over 30 pages a day, opt for a sheet-fed scanner—something like a Fujitsu ScanSnap. You can only scan single sheets into it but it will scan pages fast, front and back, without having to do anything other than just click a button. Also, the pages are scanned direct to a common file format called PDF, which is fairly easy to work with.
Portability
If you travel frequently, no doubt you'd like your scanner handy while you globe trot, so opt for a portable model. NeatReceipts, for instance, makes good portable scanners. Handheld scanners also let you scan your business cards—having them in a digital version is a big boon, as searching though your contacts becomes easier.
The ease of having all in one
Multifunction devices (also called ‘all in ones') combine a printer, a scanner, and sometimes a fax machine. These are good options that come with a great cost advantage, since you get three devices for the price of one. Again, Canon, HP and Lexmark are good options to consider.
A few technicalities
That was for the four broad usage categories. But before you decide what to buy, here are a few more points to consider.
Optical resolution
For displaying photos on the internet or printing 3x5 or 4x6 snapshots, 100 dots per inch is a good resolution. But if your work involves scanning a lot of documents with text, then 300 dpi is what you should look for. If you want to print larger pictures and do high-end editing, go for higher resolution—2400 dpi would be a good idea.
Software
Another very important specification to look at is the OCR (optical character recognition) software that your scanner comes with. A scanner doesn't simply convert a physical document to a digital one; it also turns it into a document that is editable. What makes this editing and searching possible is the
OCR software that comes with the scanner.
Most scanners come with pretty powerful OCR software, but for professional work look for higher-end scanner models that also include Adobe Photoshop for more extensive image manipulation.
Ports
Most scanners come with a USB 2.0 port, which is fast enough for most jobs. But if you are looking at doing some high-end scanning, then go for a scanner with FireWire connection for great speed.
One-touch buttons are a plus
Finally, it can be simply great if you can find an option that has pre-programmed buttons for emails, photo scanning and other common tasks. These can save you a lot of time and effort if you do some heavy duty scanning.

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