SCANNER

 

What is a Scanner?

In simple terms, a scanner is an electronic device that can scan handwritten or printed documents and pictures and convert them to digital file format.

In computer terminology, it is an input device capable of scanning images and texts on paper. The scanner then converts into a digital file and store it on the device.

The scanned document can be viewed, shared, edited, and even taken printouts on a computer. The function of the scanner is very simple and works on the principle of reflection and transmission.

A bright light flashes to convert a document into a digital copy and is reflected on a sensor (photosensitive element) after passing through a series of mirrors and lenses.

Most scanners have these sensors or media as an electronic integrated circuit called a charged coupled device (CCD). The photocopy displayed on the CCD converted the light process into a digital photo into an electronic signal for further processing.

The technology used by low-cost small pot digital cameras is a complementary metal oxide semiconductors (CMOS) because of the economical, low energy consumption and affordable designs resulting in easy integration into the equipment.

Some innovative designs of CMOS technology are gaining popularity in commercial digital cameras (DSLRs), but CCD sensor technology is leading the market in high-end commercial DSLRs despite being expensive.

Many computer software programs work together to import data directly from the scanner to the scanner. Most scanners have plug-and-play options with basic software for the operation of the scanner. 

Some software programs have plug-ins that are installed to enable them to use images directly from scanners. The Adobe Photoshop plug-in allows you to create images directly from the scanner. Adobe Acrobat and other software have optical character recognition technology that allows them to recognize scanned text.

Once the text the document is scanned, the software containing the OCR converts the document into digital text that can be edited into a Word document. Some software can even scan documents with text, including formatting to be stored in physical format.

Types of Scanners

Scanners are a boon for businesses because they can easily manage all documents in digital format and save them as records.

Scanners appeared in most offices and large organizations due to the record of many documents, but nowadays almost everyone is using them for scanning tasks.

Below are some common types of scanners available today and you can choose one of them that will suit your needs.

The flatbed scanner is the most common and simplest scanner available on the market for use in both home and business. It can be placed on the surface of a flat desk and has a lid under which documents are placed on the glass and scanned. Thick books, files or magazines, etc. The lid is useful for scanning.

The documents are placed on top of the glass and there is a light-capturing sensor moving under the glass, usually a CCD or CIS display. You can also scan transparent slides and film negatives but a transparent media adapter will be required.

With Flatbed Scanner you can scan almost any type of document by size. Some flatbed scanners come with Bluetooth or wireless connectivity and the added features of an automatic feeder.

Uses of Scanner

A scanner is an essential part of computer hardware using light sensor technology to scan and convert a physical document or picture into a digital, computer-readable format. The scanners are capable of scanning black and white or color documents or pictures. High and low-resolution scanners are available in the market and you can choose one depending on the type of their application. The most common use of the scanner is for copying and it is also an alternative to your normal copier machine.

In other words, if you don't have a copy photocopier machine and you need many copies of documents, photographs, presentations, etc., then the scanner comes to your rescue as it creates a digital file of your physical documents. As long as the printer is connected to the computer, you can get as many copies of the available digital files as you need. 

The scanner helps to keep important documents in digital format, known as digital archiving. In this, the scanner will scan the physical documents and all the documents related to your personal and business, important documents, letters, contracts, certificates, tax documents, etc. Will make digital copies of.

It is important to have a digital file of the original documents as it is very easy to get back the information and details in these documents if the original file lost.

Research work done for school, college, or business purposes requires a lot of data and information and some of this information will be available in books taken from libraries or other sources.

Before the advent of digital photography, all photographs were taken with a traditional film roll camera and were only available in hard copy format. Scanners help you convert these hard copies of photos into digital copies, which can be shared with your friends and family on the Internet.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Scanners

Scanners are beneficial in increasing the speed and efficiency of work at home or in the workplace. Even modern-day printers have multifunctions with inbuilt scanners capable of meeting your needs. The important thing is that you do not need to buy a separate printer, the scanner will thus save your space.

Compared to traditional fax machines, scanners deliver quality results with high-resolution outputs that challenge themselves to reproduce quality images and text. Scanners are designed to handle photos, text, design, graphics, and more.

Unlike fax machines, which require a dedicated phone line to operate and deliver results, scanners are independent and do not require any assistive devices to operate, and files are stored digitally on your computer.

If the fax machine needs a phone line between you and the recipient, the scanner is reliable, and you can scan the document and send it to others via email or digital mode to rely on it.

Scanners are environmentally friendly because they create digital copies of your documents, photographs, important files and can be shared via email via the internet when the fax machine needs the paper to make a copy and every time it is sent to the recipient. Paper is required to produce print output.

Scanning in a scanner is a good use of time which saves time and energy, but in the case of a fax machine, you have to spend time, energy, and effort each time exchanging a page. The scanner is very easy to use and does not require any complicated setup and configuration.

Furthermore, built-in scanners that are part of a multifunction printer only require simple fine-tuning and adjustments to keep them in use.

Once the setup is complete you just need to select the color or black and white type with the photo, document or photo, or text and the scanner will complete the process and the file will be sent depending on the selected output directly attached to your email account directly on your computer.

The scanner provides flexibility to save scanned documents or images in many formats, including PDF documents. Flatbed scanners require a large amount of space and can be expensive for high-end commercial use. Sheetfed scanners run the risk of corrupting the original document.

Conclusion

Hopefully, if you have gained enough insight into scanners and the types of scanners available in the market, now it will be easier for you to choose the right scanner to suit your needs.

The Flatbed Scanner is a multifunction scanner and can scan both images and documents, but each requirement is different and specific, so you should make sure you know what purpose you are going to use the scanner for when you choose a scanner to suit your needs.

The document size will define if you need a large or portable scanner. You will need a large scanner to scan legal and A4 size documents but a portable scanner will be fine for small documents. Output resolution 200 dpi is sufficient for the documentation but images need at least 600 dpi. Some scanners will not work with all software so you need to choose a scanner that can easily integrate with the software on your computer.