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These days, scanners are not just for scanning: They provide a world of digital photography possibilities right at your fingertips. From editing photos to sharing pictures with friends and family, you can do nearly anything with this photo-friendly tool. Let’s take a look.
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Types of scanners
To know what kind of scanner will provide the best tools for your digital photography needs, , you should first assess all the ways you're going to use it. Is it solely for converting prints into digital photos, or do you also want to enhance your home office productivity? Do you need to scan three-dimensional items? Will you use it for creative projects? Here are two types of scanners; choose the one that best suits you:
- Flatbed scanners look and work something like small copy machines: You lay the object you want to scan on a pane of glass or put a stack of photos in the digital photo feeder. Flatbed scanners are versatile, as they can scan photos, books, documents, and even three-dimensional objects.
- Sheet-fed scanners are excellent for scanning large numbers of loose, individual sheets, but cannot handle bound documents or photographs.
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Digital photography features
HP scanners come loaded with special features for digital photography enthusiasts. Here's a sneak peek:
- HP Photo and Imaging software is a great asset for any shutterbug. You can enhance and correct photos, restore image color, access creative projects, share pictures, and more. HP Instant Share makes sharing photos easy for both the sender and the receiver, while HP Memories Disc Creator lets you create photo slideshows set to music and more.
- Panorama Maker software lets you scan larger photos in sections, which are then automatically “stitched” together to create one big picture.
- Automatic Photo Feeders let you scan a stack of 3 x 5 or 4 x 6 photos. * A negative and slide adapter allows you to scan 35-mm negatives or slides in a flash … so you can bring your traditional photos into the digital world.
- HP's portable photo scanner features a compact design that makes it possible to scan professional-quality images from almost anywhere.
- One-touch photo correction makes it a snap to instantly enhance your pictures.
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Other features
When buying a scanner for digital photography, be sure to take into account the many available features. Here's a handy reference:
- Optical resolution: Resolution is a measurement in dots per inch (dpi) of the sharpness and clarity of an image. A scanner with 300-dpi resolution can capture an image with 90,000 dots per square inch. In general, 300 dpi is adequate for scanning, especially if it's for the web. But if you plan to print what you scan, look for a scanner with a higher dpi, such as 600 or 1200.
- Interpolated resolution: Sometimes called maximal, or enhanced, resolution, this number refers to how well a scanner can enhance an image after capturing it. A scanner will capture dots, then add more dots between each one based on their value, yielding a higher resolution for your scanned image. Interpolated resolution can enhance your final output, but optical resolution remains the true measurement of a scanner's capacity.
- Bit depth: This refers to the number of bits used to capture each dot. The higher the number, the more color gradations will be visible. A 24-bit scanner will be suitable for scanning photos, drawings, and texts, while a 36- or 48-bit scanner is best for scanning film or transparencies.
- Speed: Unless you're planning to scan hundreds of pages at a time, speed should not be a major consideration. It is well worth a few extra seconds to get a quality image the first time.
- Ease of use: This feature is more important than numbers. After all, it doesn't matter how high a resolution your scanner has if you can't figure out how to use it. Features such as one-step buttons (which allow you to complete routine tasks in one step) and user-friendly software greatly contribute to ease of use.
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Beyond scanners
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Printable version
