With people using the most modern communication devices, it might be surprising to learn that many never had the opportunity to learn how to scan. Here is a practical beginners guide with some explanations and tips to get started.
Start by becoming familiar with the scanner hardware. This could be a standalone flatbed scanner or the second most common type is those that offer a combination of printer, copier and scanner within one piece of equipment. This is frequently referred to as a multifunctional or MFD device found frequently in the office and home environment. Less common are the hand held types not discussed here.
The majority of modern devices come with good help yourself guides that take new users step-by-step through the scanning process. Usually these will be on the discs containing the device drivers but if not, search the internet and a tutorial or some self help guide will turn up.
Next learn how to address different job types. This involves deciding what file format and resolution to use and the eventual destination of the scanned picture. For documents the most practical format to use is PDF. This stands for portable document file and they do exactly that. They can be emailed as attachments, saved on a memory stick, printed or stored away on a hard disk.
Higher resolutions are not required for documents and frequently users waste disk space or clog up network traffic by setting this too high. Resolution is normally defined in dots per inch or DPI, which crudely described, refers to the density of ink or toner, and thus the eventual quality, when printing. For text a setting of 150 DPI is sufficient. For more complex documents containing images, color or diagrams, try a setting of 300 DPI.
Another use is scanning printed photographs. Here it is advisable to begin with a JPEG file format as these take less space and allow editing later. Named after the creators, the Joint Photographic Experts Group, the system involves compressing a complex color image file into manageable proportions. Higher resolutions may produce better images here, so begin at around 300 dpi and adjust up to 600 dpi for high quality results.
Be careful not to overly emphasize the role of adjusting resolution. It is not possible to improve poor quality photos simply by increasing these settings. Another issue is that larger sized photo images require additional processing power from the host computer and those with smaller processors may be slow in doing this.
A final introductory tip is to give each scanned file a unique name. Most scanners, especially multifunctional devices, that automatically place files in mail boxes or predefined folders on a PC, will automatically assign random alpha numeric file names to scans, if users fail to assign their own. If a large number of images have been scanned, recognizing the right file can be difficult.
This advice is aimed to get new users up and running with their scanners and capable of performing the basics. Making the effort to learn how to scan correctly creates a platform from which improved technique and information about additional formats can be acquired.
Start by becoming familiar with the scanner hardware. This could be a standalone flatbed scanner or the second most common type is those that offer a combination of printer, copier and scanner within one piece of equipment. This is frequently referred to as a multifunctional or MFD device found frequently in the office and home environment. Less common are the hand held types not discussed here.
The majority of modern devices come with good help yourself guides that take new users step-by-step through the scanning process. Usually these will be on the discs containing the device drivers but if not, search the internet and a tutorial or some self help guide will turn up.
Next learn how to address different job types. This involves deciding what file format and resolution to use and the eventual destination of the scanned picture. For documents the most practical format to use is PDF. This stands for portable document file and they do exactly that. They can be emailed as attachments, saved on a memory stick, printed or stored away on a hard disk.
Higher resolutions are not required for documents and frequently users waste disk space or clog up network traffic by setting this too high. Resolution is normally defined in dots per inch or DPI, which crudely described, refers to the density of ink or toner, and thus the eventual quality, when printing. For text a setting of 150 DPI is sufficient. For more complex documents containing images, color or diagrams, try a setting of 300 DPI.
Another use is scanning printed photographs. Here it is advisable to begin with a JPEG file format as these take less space and allow editing later. Named after the creators, the Joint Photographic Experts Group, the system involves compressing a complex color image file into manageable proportions. Higher resolutions may produce better images here, so begin at around 300 dpi and adjust up to 600 dpi for high quality results.
Be careful not to overly emphasize the role of adjusting resolution. It is not possible to improve poor quality photos simply by increasing these settings. Another issue is that larger sized photo images require additional processing power from the host computer and those with smaller processors may be slow in doing this.
A final introductory tip is to give each scanned file a unique name. Most scanners, especially multifunctional devices, that automatically place files in mail boxes or predefined folders on a PC, will automatically assign random alpha numeric file names to scans, if users fail to assign their own. If a large number of images have been scanned, recognizing the right file can be difficult.
This advice is aimed to get new users up and running with their scanners and capable of performing the basics. Making the effort to learn how to scan correctly creates a platform from which improved technique and information about additional formats can be acquired.
About the Author:
This website www.howscan.com contains step-by-step instructions on how to scan with a scanner. To find out more info, please go directly to the main homepage right here on http://www.howscan.com.
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