looking for new scanner which one do you recommend?

[Tim Painter]

What connections does your system posses?

USB
Firewire
SCSI
(?)

[Steve Broughton]

Lots of dpi I guess if you’re outputting big digital stuff, I would have thought 300 dpi is plenty for images small enough for mugs, stick with your Agfa till it goes pop mate.

[Tim Painter]

For repro quality the higher the density the better 3.0 or greater.
Prices have dropped on many scanners and there is a gap in the market in the middle price ground now.

Software is also important.

Many Umax scanners are re badged by others.
Also speed is a factor. The type of connection has a baring on this.
Personally I would find a deal on something like a Powerlook.

Tim.

[jon vital]

1200 dpi for fifty quid.

http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products … _uid=42099

Can’t go wrong with that.

[Martin C]

I’ve got a brand new PC which has USB, not sure about Firewire though!!?

[Simon Clayton]

I bought an Epson 1250 scanner,
Only reason, I have an Epson 1290s printer and I thought they would work together well??? Not sure if that the case buti thought it a good idea!
Also I was told that there is not much difference in port types, firewire, usb and scsi as the scanner, scans at the same speed across the page.
I found there to be no real difference between my old scanner on parallel and my new one on usb

Simon

[Tim Painter]

They will tell you anything at PC World Simon.

[Bob Gilliland]

Having had to go through the “re-education” of scanners recently for some clients, I agree with Tim. I lost touch, so to say, with the market the past few years as I’ve been happy with my current scanner. However, I was being asked more and more on what scanner to purchase by new, and existing, clientele as they were upgrading workflow systems (or their scanners actual died).

Dmax is a very important factor (number one issue for me personally) that should not be overlooked, particularly for color reproduction. If doing nothing more then capturing in B/W for vectors, it isn’t as important, but still a consideration (in this case, you are after great edge detail). The next most import item, IMHO, is the software or interface that is included. Today, many lower end models don’t support vector formats direct from the scanning interface! 😮 Again, an issue to some, not to others, but a consideration none the less. Any scanner that offers a complete version of SilverFast from LazerSoft Imaging (not an LE package) is going to be a workhorse piece of kit (did this Yank use “kit” correctly?). If it comes with an LE package, give serious consideration in moving to the full scale package.

From a digital output perspective, anything that can be done to manipulate and enhance an image at time of capture is going to reproduce much easier with lower efforts (and lower costs) further down the line. Saving a little on the front end will cost more on the back end in a short time period with ANY amount of scanning being performed.

Simon, wondering if you’re sending the same amount of information through the USB interface as you were with the parallel connection? Could be that you’re capturing and sending more data that would have taken longer using your old connectivity method?

😛

[Simon Clayton]

Bob,
No, I don’t think so; I generally scan in around 300 dpi,

I upgraded to this scanner to archive family photos, but didn’t really see any difference in speed. I thought it would be 4-5 times as quicker,
As I don’t do photo image work, I cannot justify spending hundreds and hundreds of pounds,
(A designer friend has an umax that cost near on a £1000.00)

But then again I have upgraded my PC from a 450mhz to 2.6ghz and cannot see much difference; maybe I just get used to the thing to quickly and forget about the initial speed difference

Simon.

[John Singh]

Thanks for sharing this Bob
Most helpful

Q. I didn’t quite understand what you meant by:

quote :

Today, many lower end models don’t support vector formats direct from the scanning interface!

Could you elaborate a little more as I’m not much of a ‘techi’ 😀

John 😀

[Lorraine Buchan]

With my HP scanner at home i can select colour photo, grey scale photo, B&W photo or B&W line art.

The B&W line art option actually scans the image and produces it in vector lines stright from the scanner. No need to vectorise the scan.

[Bob Gilliland]

John, not to worry mate, I’m not a techie either; I just play one on sign boards! 😮 😀 😀

Lorraine identifies what I was speaking of. Some scanning interfaces allow for a Black and White “scalable” capture (also referred to as “Line Art”). Depending on what graphic software is being used, this can forgo an additional step or two in the production of artwork for signage. Gerber’s Graphix Advantage, and now the Omega software package, allows you to scan “vector” information directly into the program. However, the scanner interface/software needs to support this first. This allows you to choose the proper menu item with GA or Omega, Omega (or GA) launches the scanning interface, allows you to make any adjustments desired, then scan the “scaleable” capture directly into Omega (or GA). No need to scan a raster image and then convert it to line art after the fact.

I understand not all programs allow for this seamless transaction. However, more and more, I’m finding the essential piece of the equation, the scanner software or interface, doesn’t support the output option of “scalable” captures. If the scanning software supported this and your graphic program didn’t, you would still be able to “speed” production by capturing directly to .ai, .eps, or .wmf format (the more popular vector capable formats), then importing that piece into your graphics program. Again, forgoing any type of “vectorising” of a raster only capture inside a graphic program.

In my recent search, most lower end scanners and those that are part of the “multi function centers” (scans/prints/fax/copy in one unit) no longer support this. I have spoke with some of the actual programmers that write these programs for the various manufactures (not surprising most manufactures do not produce their own interfaces/drivers, they just make the specs), however, I’ve never been able to get a “real reason” why this operation has been dropped in recent history. In fact, when I mention the word “vector” to most customer service representatives, I usually hear nothing on the other end of the line. 🙄 That’s when I ask to go to an elevated service tech, often times that leads to a programming manger, then to an actual code banger. Somewhere between code banger/ programming manager to “managers at large” is the answer. I just haven’t been able to harvest that gem of info yet.

On the higher end models, it is “granted” that they will probably be used in a professional setting and that vector, or object based drawing, is a requirement and needs to be supported with the software.

Scanners are a “simple” piece, yet, a very important component to overall workflow and quality that is produced. As mentioned above, saving a few quid on the front end could cost a ton more on the backend. Meaning, it’s foolish economy to save 100 quid today only to spend 300 quid of labor time in the next three months to “correct” or “fix” problems a lower quality scanner produces. This is of course, all things being relative. If a scanner is not a major factor in the workflow at a given shop, it’s not necessarily a wise investment of coin to purchase a high end scanner. Like so many other things in a sign shop environment, it’s not always a clean and easy choice. Just read the post on the VersaCAMM as a case in point.

For anyone interested in the topic from a very knowledgeable source, get your hands on anything from Dr. Taz Tally. I would consider him one of the “best” in the field. Some of his publications and papers can be a bit dry and over the top, but still some good bits to be had.

[John Singh]

Bob!

I’ve got it now (-)

Really appreciate the time you took to explain 😀

Armed with more info now if I wanted to purchase another scanner

Cheers!

John 😀 😉