How to Buy a Scanner

Modern office equipment has come a long way from the humble fax machine that not so long ago represented the cutting edge of office technology. Nowadays there is no shortage of gadgetry out there to make your office equipment suitably responsive to your needs in the twenty-first century. A fantastic development has been the rise in availability and fall in price of scanners. These have revolutionised the way documentation can be sent from one place to another by cutting out the need for fax machines or postal service and allowing users to email important documents to each other instantly. Another huge benefit of scanners is the way they allow small businesses to make and retain electronic records of invoices and important documents electronically, thereby saving space compared to conventional paper filing.

However, the rapid increase in availability has led to a huge increase in the models to choose from, such that selecting the right scanner for you can seem a daunting task. However, by thinking about your own specific needs or those of your business, it becomes easier to identify the right model for you.

Before beginning your search, think about how often you will need to use the scanner, whether you will be using it with a PC or a Mac and the types of documents you will want to scan. The most common type of scanner is an A4 flatbed scanner. These are widely available and range in price from the economical to the astronomical, depending on the specifications. Most users will find this type of scanner useful for their needs as they are very flexible with regard to the range of items you can scan.

When choosing a scanner, think about the resolution you will need; this is the number of digital dots captured per inch (dpi) of material and the higher the resolution, the higher quality the scanned image. So if you need your scanner for high quality photographic images, you will want to pay a little more for a higher resolution model. The most common resolution for printing is 300 dpi so if you want a scanner primarily to reproduce an image or document for printing then you would not need to go above this resolution in your scanner. Another specification to consider is the operation system. You must make sure that your scanner comes with a driver to allow it to operate in conjunction with your computer’s operating system, such as Windows XP. Some older models may not be compatible with your computer and it is essential to check this before you buy.

When it comes to brands, the top brands in the scanner world are HP, Cannon, Epson and Fujitsu. Within each of these brands is a range of models at different positions in the price spectrum so if you have a preferred brand of hardware you should be able to find a model that meets your needs.  

As long as you can identify your own specific needs, the huge range of scanners around today can be a source of positive choice rather than dazzling confusion.