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Have you been to a website and admired their photos? Wondering how to get your 1976 vacation photos online as well? All it takes is a scanner. A scanner is smaller than a copier but works very much like one (without the printing part). It has a bright light inside which either moves across the image you are scanning, or the image is moved across the light. Instead of printing the output, it converts it into a digital image which is displayed on your screen. This image can then be saved to disk and uploaded to your personal website. They can also be sent via email to all your friends and Uncle Jerry in Oklahoma. You'll first need to determine what interface will serve you best. Parallel port type should work on any computer that has an LPT port (commonly called a printer port). Becoming more popular is the USB interface. If you have both types of ports, you should opt for the USB if your pocketbook allows. It is faster, and allows for hot-swapping of USB devices. That means you can plug in and unplug the unit without turning off the computer. Some older models came with their own card that had to be installed into the computer. Next, which type scanner will you need for the type of media you want to scan? Flatbed scanners are most common. You simply place the photo on the glass, load the scanner software, and on most software, click the prescan button. On the preview image, outline the actual part you wish to scan, then click scan. Voila! So easy even an adult can do it. Handheld scanners are just that, and are physically about 4-5" wide. You hold the button on the side and slide the scanner down the picture, trying to keep a steady hand and an even pace. The upside to these, they are very inexpensive, and the software that comes with them usually uses few resources. Since the pictures are smaller they also take up less ram and less hard drive space. The downside, the results are usually a little crooked or stretched since it is limited to your ability to regulate the speed and direction. Fun for kids and hobbyists, but not for professionals. Photo or business card scanners are specifically for this type of item. You insert the photo or card into the front. The machine slides it through and automatically scans it for you. These come with special software specific to the purpose of the scanner. Many fax machines today will act as a scanner for input into your computer. Pay attention to the features on the one you wish to buy, as some are black and white only. You will not be able to scan books or anything other than a single sheet of paper at a time. Photos may be damaged while running thru the paper path inside the machine. Once you've decided which type of scanner you need, check the resolution on the unit you are wanting to purchase. There will be two sets of numbers, the optical resolution and the interpolated resolution. Optical is the "real" resolution. Interpolated is the end result after the software smooths and refines the image. Most flatbeds should have a minimum of 9600x9600 interpolated these days. If you want to post your pictures on the web, save them in .JPG or .GIF format and in a smaller size so it will transmit over the modem faster. For printing, you'll want the higher resolution for detail. If you are in doubt (and have the extra drive space to spare) save them in the larger format, you can always downsize them later. You can also scan documents and fax them to standard fax machines using your modem. OCR or optical character recongition software will translate a scanned page into typed text with an 85-95% accuracy rate. A scanner is a multipurpose add-on that is well worth the price. Drop by our website and send us a link to your photos when you get them online! |
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