What is a scanner? (2024)

What is a scanner?

A scanner is a device that captures images from photographic prints, posters, magazine pages and similar sources for computer editing and display.

Scanners work by converting the image on the document into digital information that can be stored on a computer through optical character recognition (OCR).

This process is done by a scanning head, which uses one or more sensors to capture the image as light or electrical charges.

The document scanner moves either the physical document or the scanning head, depending on the type of scanner. Then, the scanner processes the scanned image and produces a digital image that can be stored on a computer.

Scanners usually attach to a computer system and come with scanning software applications that let you resize and otherwise modify a captured image.

If a printer is hooked up to the computer, you could print a second hard copy of the scanned image and store it in digital format.

What types of scanners are available?

Modern scanners come in handheld, feed-in and flatbed types and are for scanning black-and-white only or color.

  • Flatbed scanners are the most common type of scanner. They are called "flatbed" because the document is placed on a flat surface for scanning. Flatbed scanners can scan documents of various sizes and are generally more versatile than sheetfed scanners.
  • Sheetfed scanners are designed to scan documents fed into the scanner one at a time. Scanners with automatic document feeders are smaller and more portable than flatbed scanners and are often used in home offices or small businesses.
  • Handheld scanners are portable scanners that are smaller than flatbed scanners. They are designed for scanning documents on the go, such as newspaper articles or printed photos.
  • 3D scanners are a bit different than traditional scanners in that they collect distance point measurements from a real-world object and translate them into a virtual 3D object.

However, it's also worth noting that scanners are embedded in other devices such as photocopiers, barcode scanners and fax machines used to make copies of documents and images.

In addition to the intended purpose of a scanner, a buyer will also need to know the type of image resolution they need from the scanner.

What is a scanner? (2)

What is scanner resolution?

Image resolution refers to the number of pixels captured by the scanner sensor and is measured in dots per inch (dpi). The higher the dpi, the greater the scanner's ability to capture detail.

For example, a scanner with a resolution of 1200 dpi can capture 1200 pixels per inch of an image.

Very high-resolution image scanners are used for scanning for high-resolution printing, but lower-resolution scanners are adequate for capturing high-quality images for computer display.

The scanner's resolution is determined by the number of sensors in the scanning head.

Manufacturers of scanners

Some major manufacturers of scanners include Epson, Hewlett Packard, Microtek and Relisys. These companies offer a variety of scanner types and resolutions from which to choose.

For example, Epson offers flatbed and handheld scanners, with resolutions ranging from 300 dpi to 12800 dpi.

Hewlett Packard offers sheetfed and flatbed scanners, with resolutions ranging from 1200 dpi to 4800 dpi.

Microtek manufactures only flatbed scanners, with resolutions ranging from 1200 dpi to 3200 dpi.

Relisys manufactures both sheetfed and flatbed scanners, with resolutions up to 2400 dpi.

When choosing a scanner, consider the type of scanner you need as well as the image resolution you require. Pricing varies depending on the brand, type, resolution and whether it is intended for personal or business use.

Decide on a budget first, then compare the features offered by different manufacturers to find the scanner that best meets your needs.

See also: 2D barcode, document reader, document capture, enterprise document management, TWAIN

This was last updated in April 2022

Continue Reading About scanner

Related Terms

3D (three dimensions or three dimensional)
3D, or three dimensional, refers to the three spatial dimensions of width, height and depth.Seecompletedefinition
augmented reality (AR)
Augmented reality (AR) is the integration of digital information with the user's environment in real time.Seecompletedefinition
DRAM (dynamic random access memory)
DRAM (dynamic random access memory) is a type of semiconductor memory that is typically used for the data or program code needed ...Seecompletedefinition
What is a scanner? (2024)

FAQs

What is a scanner question answer? ›

A scanner is a device that captures images from photographic prints, posters, magazine pages and similar sources for computer editing and display. Scanners work by converting the image on the document into digital information that can be stored on a computer through optical character recognition (OCR).

What is a scanner in simple words? ›

A scanner is a device that allows you to digitize physical documents, images, or even objects, and convert them into a digital format that can be viewed, edited, and stored on a computer. It's like a digital photocopier that captures the content of a document or image and saves it as a file.

What is a scanner good for? ›

Whether used at home for personal purposes or at work for business, scanners are considered multi-functional devices that improve workflow and limit paper documents.

What are 4 functions of a scanner? ›

The scanner's primary function is to scan or take pictures of a document, digitize the information, display it on your screen, and store it on your connected computer.

What are 4 types of scanners? ›

The Computer Revolution/Peripherals/Types of Scanners

The information will include; cost, and how its used The four common scanner types are: Flatbed, Sheet-fed, Handheld, and Drum scanners. Flatbed scanners are some of the most commonly used scanners as it has both home and office functions.

What is a scanner an example of *? ›

It is considered an input device because the flow of information is always from the scanner to the computer. Hence, a scanner is an example of input device.

How does a scanner work? ›

Scanners work by shining light at an image, document, or object. In simple terms, the reflected light is then directed onto photosensitive technology via mirrors and lenses, then converted into electronic data that is used to form a digital copy of the original.

What is scanner method? ›

It was introduced in Java 1.5 release. The Scanner is mostly used to receive user input and parse them into primitive data types such as int, double or default String. It's a utility class to parse data using regular expressions by generating tokens.

Is a scanner an input device? ›

A scanner is considered an input device since it provides information to the computer in the form of scanned images. It will take anything that is physically present, such as a paper or a picture, and convert it into a digital form before transferring it to your personal computer.

What are 3 types of scanners? ›

What are 3 types of scanners? There are three types of scanners available: drum scanner, flatbed, and handheld scanners. The publishing industry primarily uses drum scanners to print high-quality images, while flatbed scanners are generally used in schools and offices.

Which scanner is good? ›

  • Fujitsu Image Scanner fi-800R. For fast, accurate scanning. Average Amazon review: ...
  • Canon CanoScan LiDE 400. Best scanner for photos. Specifications. ...
  • Epson ES-C380W. Perfect for low-volume tasks. Our expert review: ...
  • Brother DSmobile DS-940DW. A portable scanning powerhouse. ...
  • Brother ADS-4900W. Highly accurate and fairly fast.
Feb 19, 2024

What not to do with scanner? ›

Do not place or store the scanner outdoors, in a car, near excessive dirt or dust, water, heat sources, or in locations subject to shocks, vibrations, condensation, high temperature or humidity, direct sunlight, strong light sources, or rapid changes in temperature or humidity.

What information does a scanner input? ›

scanner, computer input device that uses a light beam to scan codes, text, or graphic images directly into a computer or computer system. Bar-code scanners are used widely at point-of-sale terminals in retail stores.

Which type of device is a scanner? ›

A computer scanner, often known as a digitizer, is a type of input device. It takes data from a document or a photograph and converts it to digital data. A scanner, like a printer (which is an output device), cannot receive data from the computer and can only give data to the computer.

What is the purpose of scanning on a computer hard disk? ›

Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors will perform a search for areas of the hard drive that may be damaged or unusable. If found, this tool will mark those areas as "bad" and prevent your computer from using them in the future.

What does a scanner see he asked himself? ›

What does a scanner see? Into the head? Down into the heart? Does it see into me, into us?

What is a scanner called? ›

An image scanner—often abbreviated to just scanner—is a device that optically scans images, printed text, handwriting or an object and converts it to a digital image. Commonly used in offices are variations of the desktop flatbed scanner where the document is placed on a glass window for scanning.

How do you do a scanner? ›

How to scan a document
  1. Step one: Ensure your scanner is turned on and connected. ...
  2. Step two: Open your scanning software. ...
  3. Step three: Place the pages you want to be scanned into the scanner. ...
  4. Step four: Scan document. ...
  5. Step five: Check scan preview. ...
  6. Step six: Save scanned document.
Feb 26, 2024

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