Flatbed scanners can scan a wide variety of items such as single page documents, photographs, pages within a book, passports, IDs as well as any item that can lay flat on the scanner’s surface. These devices can connect to Windows, Mac and Linux systems and come with user-friendly scanning programs. Hewlett-Packard, Epson, and Canon are some examples of different brands of Flatbed scanners.
SCANNING SIZES
Generally flatbed scanners can either be classified as A4 scanners or A3 scanners. These devices are capable of scanning documents up to 8.5 inches by 11.7 inches if they are A4 scanners and up to 16.5 inches by 11.7 inches if they are A3 scanners. You can also scan multiple 8.5 inch by 14-inch documents at a time if you are using an Automatic Document Feeder, also known as an ADF.
NON-MOVEMENT
Documents lay flat on the device’s glass platform and remain motionless throughout the entire scanning procedure, because of this there is no risk of the documents being damaged or getting caught and torn by the rollers like in other types of scanners that physically move the papers to be scanned. Delicate and vintage pictures and books or documents which can be easily torn should preferably be scanned with flatbed scanners.
SCANNING RANGE AND ATTACHMENTS
By using an optional ADF unit, Flatbed scanners can capture both sides of a document and do not require you to manually turn the page. Furthermore you can scan multiple pages at a time by placing all the documents on the ADF and it will automatically pickup one page at a time and scan it for you. Some devices also have an optional ethernet card if you require network scanning.
These are also capable of scanning film negatives through a Transparent Media Adapter that is recognized as a TWA. Glass negatives can also be scanned by it.
SPEED AND PRODUCTIVITY
Scanning speed differs from model to model and will depend on whether you are scanning in B&W or colour and what DPI (dots per inch) setting you are using. Generally the higher the DPI setting, the better the quality of the scanned file but the larger the file size and the longer it will take to complete the scan. You can expect scan speeds from 70 ipm up to 170 ipm on the Sheetfed Scanners with an ADF unit depending on the model you choose.
SCAN QUALITY
Resolution settings are different from model to model and some flatbed scanners are capable of scanning at a resolution as high as 1,200 DPI. However for most use cases this is too much and generally a 300 DPI setting is more than enough to have a very clear digital copy for archival purposes. The DPI rating can be adjusted manually through the device’s application program as well as changing the device’s bit color depth.
Conclusion: Flatbed scanners are useful for larger document sizes and for delicate and vintage documents as well. With an attached ADF, scanning speed can be as high as 170ipm while still delivering high quality digital scans. Contact NPC if you want to buy Flatbed scanners for your business or call on 971 26222911 for more details.
