If you're wondering how to digitize those shoeboxes full of photos sitting in your attic, a leading option is a personal photo scanner. Photo scanners can be faster than other options, such as flatbed scanners, and you don't need to use a computer to scan—while you're sitting in the living room watching a movie, you can convert your photos into JPEG files. And once your photos are digital, you can share them via e-mail, post them on Facebook, and back them up online for good measure.
The all-in-one photo HP OfficeJet Pro 8710 is perfect for small businesses who need a high-volume printer, but don’t need an expensive device designed for dozens of people. The OfficeJet Pro manages 22 pages per minute for black and white prints and up to 18 pages per minute for color print.
There are other methods to digitize your photos: You can send them out to services that scan them for you and return them, though that method may make you nervous if you're letting go of the only existing copy of a precious shot. All-in-one home printers can scan photos, too. (See our.) Some people even try to take digital photos of their paper photos—but that requires a good deal of setup and skill, or the results can be pretty unsatisfactory. A personal photo scanner offers the advantages of speed and portable convenience. For this story, we tested four pass-through photo scanners designed to convert photos into JPEG-format files.
They can all store the files directly onto memory cards, which you can then use in devices such as computers and electronic picture frames. The tested models are the GiiNii NuLife GN-5LS ($95), Kodak P460 ($100), Kodak P570 ($97), and Pandigital PANSCN05 ($79). We also compared their use and results to that of a conventional flatbed scanner, the Epson Perfection V300 Photo Color Scanner ($79). Each of the photo scanners came with a plastic sheath to protect pictures as they are fed through, though each scanner also worked without its sheath.
The GiiNii came with a sheath for picture 4x6 inches or smaller, but it can handle pictures up to 8.5x11 inches and also features a 2.4-inch LCD screen. The Kodak P460 and Pandigital scanner can each scan photos up to 4x6, and the Kodak P570 can handle sizes up to 5x7.
All the tested models scan photos at a resolution of 300 dpi (dots per inch, a measure of resolution), but both Kodak models can scan at 600 dpi as well; the higher resolution is most noticeable when you're printing enlargements from digital files. The Kodak P460 and the PanDigital can also scan strips of negatives and color slides that are removed from their holders, at 1,200 dpi. The Epson flatbed scanner we used for comparison can scan at up to 4,800 dpi, which is useful when you're cropping images or printing large images from smaller pictures. Is a photo scanner a worthwhile investment, or should you use a home printer, flatbed scanner, or scanning service instead?
We found that the speed and portability of photo scanners are offset by frequently iffy results. The photo scanners can be fast; as you might expect, they're slower when scanning at higher resolutions and faster at lower resolutions. We were able to scan 4x6 photos at 300 dpi in about 10 seconds each if we did not use the plastic sheaths, and in about 30 seconds each if we used the 600 dpi mode with the plastic sheaths. Using the sheath slowed things down because it requires two extra steps: inserting the photo into the sheath and removing it before inserting the next photo. The sheaths also collected scratches over time, and they also collected dust and fibers, which were difficult to remove and could become noticeable on the resulting scans. Scans of negative filmstrips and positive slide frames at 1,200 dpi (by the two models that could) were relatively fast: a little more than 40 seconds for four frames. In comparison, the flatbed scanner averaged about 30 seconds to scan a photo at 300 dpi, and we had to interact with a computer throughout the process.
With all the photo scanners, we saw two major defects beyond color fidelity, saturation, and dust, which are issues with any scanner. First, for some photos with dark backgrounds or sections, the photo scanners' auto-image-cropping algorithms chopped off large portions of the picture (see the image below). Because the picture is scanned directly to the memory card (and the GiiNii's display is too small to be useful), we didn't notice the cropping until we viewed the files on a computer. We tried rescanning, but because the algorithm can't be altered, the dark sections were cropped off again. The second big problem we discovered was the appearance of white lines on some of the scans, apparently caused by dust or paper fragments settling on the sensor elements.
Like the auto-cropping, the white lines were not apparent until we viewed the file on the computer. (The plastic sheaths sometimes developed scratches, which could also be seen on the scans, a separate but subtler problem.) We tried cleaning the scanner with provided tools, but that did not always remove the source of the white-line problem. While photo scanners are convenient and easy to use, the results were uniformly disappointing for all the tested models. And these scanners are no less expensive than more flexible and less-error-prone flatbed scanners. If you can live with possible cropping errors and occasional white lines or need to scan negatives or unmounted slides, then a pass-through photo scanner is worth considering. The portability and speed may also make photo scanners worth consideration if, say, you need to go over to Grandma's to scan her photos, because she refuses to let them leave the house.
The convenience of using a photo scanner may also mean that you'll actually get that scanning done. We would recommend the Kodak P460, as it had the least issues with over-cropping.But if you want high-quality scans that are suitable for cropping and printing, you'll be better off using a flatbed scanner that's attached to a computer.
The top reason people are becoming interested in a new scanner for their home is because they want to take their old pictures and have them transferred onto the computer. You may think your pictures are perfectly safe because they are stored away in boxes, but the truth is that they are vulnerable to fading or diminishing in quality quickly over time. By looking into the variety of high volume photo scanners for sale, you will be able to pick one for yourself and transfer all of your old pictures onto the computer. This ensures you don’t spend a lot of money for no reason at print stores for the job and that you can have your pictures available at your fingertips.
In order to get the best scanner, you need to figure out what you’re looking for exactly and take your budget into account as well. Considering Your Specific Needs It is so important that you look into what features you consider crucial. A lot of people will make their decision of what scanner to buy based only off of how much it is.
When you choose to do this, you will often end up with a model that is disappointing in performance and not capable of giving you the right results. Just by putting in the time to see what is out there and the features different high volume models possess, you will be able to make a better educated decision of what to buy. Instead of making the mistake that so many people do of selecting a scanner without any research, you should consider what is the most important to you and pick a scanner based off of what you decide. Taking the Time to Determine Your Budget Whether you have a lot to spend on a new scanner or you are trying to stick to a low budget, you need to spend some time looking into the options in your own specific price range. A lot of people will begin their search for a new scanner blindly and it often results in them spending more than necessary on a particular model. In order to get the best fit for your budget, you should look into all of the options which are available and choose accordingly. This will ensure that you know what is out there and that you aren’t being tricked into spending more that you can afford.
By sticking to your budget and looking into the options around it, you will be able to get the best model possible. As you look into the different scanners out there that are capable of transferring high volumes of pictures at once, you will likely find a large range of prices as well. A lot of people don’t put in the proper time researching and comparing prices and it will generally end up with them getting a model that is just disappointing.
In order to avoid this, you need to look into all of the options which are available and save yourself the money from making a random purchase. Since you will be making this purchase as a way to keep your pictures preserved, you are going to need to make it a priority to get a model which can preserve the clarity and vibrancy of the pictures with ease.
This will save you money from visiting a print store for the job and make it much more convenient as you can do the job in your own home. Recommendations Epson WorkForce Pro GT-S50 Document Imaging Scanner The document image scanner offers an amazing value with its remarkable reliability, powerful performance and easy-to-use features. With a daily duty cycle of up to 1200 sheets, plus a 75-page feeder, it’s ready to tackle any task in busy office environments. Scan everything from business cards to rigid ID cards and documents up to 8.5×36. The easily scans both sides of one sheet in just one pass — in color, grayscale or bi-tonal. It’s never been easier to electronically capture critical documents. Whether you need a faster way to access shared documents, a more affordable way to comply with government mandates or a better way to maintain the integrity of important documents, the is the perfect place to start.
Designed by Epson, a leader in digital imaging, the GT-S50 offers robust paper handling capabilities and quality you can depend on — all from a compact, desktop scanner. Available at Epson at a retail price of $400, but on Amazon, you may be able to get it at around $330. HP Scanjet G4050 Photo Scanner HP’s was designed to conveniently, quickly and easily preserve old photos, slides, and negatives with outstanding color accuracy.
Through its 96-bit scanning, you can capture real colors with high-definition photo and film scans, using up to 4,800 x 9,600 dpi resolution. It has a built-in dust and scratch removal tools, allowing you to clean the old photos and film negatives, and come up with high resolution photos. You can likewise edit text from your scans.
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The allows you to scan up to 16 35mm slides or 30 negative frames at once. Task speeds vary: a 10 x 15 cm (4 x 6 in) color photo to file: less than 30 sec (single image), less than 11 sec (multiple image); color photo to share/e-mail: less than 28 sec; 35 mm slides to file: less than 32 sec (single image), less than 11 sec (multiple image); 35 mm negatives to file: less than 45 sec (single image), less than 14 sec (multiple image); OCR Letter/A4 text page to Microsoft Word: less than 25 sec; PDF to e-mail: less than 60 sec. The is Microsoft® Windows® 7 ready (For more information go to Some features may not be available). Compatible with Windows Vista®, Windows® XP (32-bit and 64-bit), Windows® XP, Windows® 2000, Mac OS X v10.3.9, 10.4.11, 10.5, 10.6, the scanner is backed by a 1-year manufacturer’s limited warranty. Weighing in at just over 11.5 pounds, the scanner measures 20 x 11.93 x 4.25 inches. You may avail of the at a retail price of $219, but checking out Amazon, you may be able to purchase it at much less.
Brother Printer DCP7060D Monochrome Laser Multi-Function Copier with Duplex The is one of Brother’s cheaper and more affordable multi-function copiers that are great for making quick copies, scanning or printing text-based documents. It allows you to perform automatic duplex printing that can produce professional two-sided documents with ease. Its scan glass provides convenient, walk-up copying and color scanning, allowing you to scan documents to image, file, OCR or E-mail. It offers good quality scans using up to a maximum interpolated resolutions of up to 19200 x 19200 dpi, and optical scan resolutions of 600 x 2400 dpi. It includes document viewer and OCR software such as Includes Scansoft PaperPort® SE with OCR for Windows® and Presto!® PageManager® for Mac® that makes editing scans a virtually easy task. Currently available at the Brother site for the retail price of $160, but you may be able to buy it at around $110 only on Amazon.