Advice and Deals on Flatbed Computer Scanners

A scanner is handy device to have in any home or office. Often times you may want to email a photo you have on print or make an electronic form of a paper document. The computer scanner is the most practical way to get the job done.

The most popular type of scanner is the flatbed scanner. Because of its size, this type is best suited for use with a desktop computer. However, there are some more compact scanners that you could possibly carry along in your travels. They are presented further down this page.

Here are some features to look for in a scanner:

• Scanning Element

  The scanning element can be either be a charge-coupled device (CCD) or Contact Image Sensor (CIS). Scanners that use CIS are less expensive. They are also thinner than CCD which has made way for more compact scanners. In addition, they use a lot less power than CCD. The only downside is they do not show depth of field well. What this means is when you try to scan something that is not completely flat against the scanner like a page in a book, there will be shadows. If you need depth of field, go with a CCD scanner.

• Resolution

  Look for a hardware resolution of 600x1200 DPI or greater. Do not pay too much attention to the interpolated resolution - that type of resolution is done through software and does not represent true detail.

• Interface

  Look for USB support.

• Supported Media

  The scanner should be able to handle 8.5"x11" paper. Support for negative film is also a plus since you get better quality prints with them.

• Height

  I like scanners with a low height profile. It does not affect functionality, but just makes it more compact and modern looking.

• Color depth

  The standard internal color depth is 48-bit, although the output image will be in 24-bit color at most. Having more internal colors just allows the scanner to pick better matching colors.

Check out the top 10 scanner sellers for some other popular choices.