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What is an Image Scanner?

Erika Peterson
Erika Peterson

An image scanner is a device which scans pictures, text or objects and converts them to digital images. The basic types of image scanners are flatbed, hand, film and drum scanners. Flatbed scanners are what we call Xerox machines, in which an object or document is placed on a glass pane and an opaque cover is lowered over it. A sensor and light moves along the pane, reflecting off the image placed on the glass. The cover prevents other light from interfering and the image becomes visible to the detector.

Once an image is scanned into an image scanner, the data must be processed and sent to a computer. Most scanners read red-green-blue color from the color array. The depth of color depends on the array characteristics, but is typically 24 bits at least. Higher quality models have a color depth of 48 bits or more. The pixels per inch measures the resolution of the image.

There are three main types of image scanners. These are hand scanners, film scanners and drum scanners. A hand image scanner comes in document or 3D forms. These are used to be manually moved across an object or image to be scanned.

Specialized scanners are able to reproduce digital images from photo slides.
Specialized scanners are able to reproduce digital images from photo slides.

The scanner produces light from green LEDs which highlight and scan the image onto a computer to be viewed. An image scanner can also be 3D, and these scanners are now the most popular form of hand scanners on the market today. These image scanners are able to compensate for the uneven movements of the hand by relying on placement of reference markers to mark correct positions.

Flatbed scanners are one of the most common types of image scanners.
Flatbed scanners are one of the most common types of image scanners.

Film scanners are used in photography and slides. The slide or negative film is inserted in strips of six or less frames or four mounted slides into the film scanner, and is then moved across a lens and censor to capture the image. In inexpensive and flatbed scanners, image information is caught using charge-coupled device arrays.

Drum scanners use photo multiplier tubes rather than CCD arrays. While a flatbed scanner can produce excellent reflective images, a drum image scanner can gather image information from both transmissive and reflective originals. They are mounted on an acrylic cylinder that rotates while passing the object in front of precision optics which then transfer the image information to the PMTs.

Photocopiers use flatbed scanner to capture an image, then it can be reprinted.
Photocopiers use flatbed scanner to capture an image, then it can be reprinted.

Most drum scanners use three matched PMTs that can read red, blue and green light. The light of the object being scanned is separated into red, blue and green beams. Drum scanners are not as widely produced now that more quality flatbed scanners are available, but drum scanners are often used for high-end applications of film. Compared to CCD flatbed and film scanners, the drum image scanner is a considerable financial investment.

Discussion Comments

Wisedly33

I do wish I had a film scanner. I have a lot of negatives and slides that really need to be scanned, but I don't have the equipment to do it. I have an all-in-one flatbed scanner like Scrbblchick, but I really need a film scanner, too.

My mom has a lot of slides she made of the family in the 1960s that I would love to have scanned. I know some family members who would like to have prints from those slides.

It's pretty amazing that you can buy photo paper for printers, and do your own prints. I also like the scanner feature that allows me to scan a document as a PDF and then I can fax it online to a company, which is great if you don't have access to a fax machine, but need to get the documents somewhere, and they want them faxed.

Scrbblchick

I have a flatbed, multipurpose scanner. It can scan, copy and print, all in one. It wasn't any more expensive than a regular printer. Now I can scan in old photos and save them to a more stable storage format. I can also print them out, if I want to.

Of course, my machine will also print from the computer, and will do everything you expect a regular computer printer to do. I really like the copy feature, which allows me to make regular copies without having to do it at work, or go to an office supply store to do it.

It can't do a high volume of copies, but that's not the point of having it, anyway. Most people don't need a home printer to do 500 pages in one session.

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    • Specialized scanners are able to reproduce digital images from photo slides.
      By: herreneck
      Specialized scanners are able to reproduce digital images from photo slides.
    • Flatbed scanners are one of the most common types of image scanners.
      By: Konstantin Shevtsov
      Flatbed scanners are one of the most common types of image scanners.
    • Photocopiers use flatbed scanner to capture an image, then it can be reprinted.
      By: Gianluca Rasile
      Photocopiers use flatbed scanner to capture an image, then it can be reprinted.
    • Image scanners can help make copies of special photographs.
      By: Mat Hayward
      Image scanners can help make copies of special photographs.