Scanners: How to buy
Should I buy a scanner or an all-in-one?
Consider a scanner that can scan slides and film
All-in-one printers combine a scanner, printer and copier in one device (see our printers review for Best Buy all-in-ones). They tend to appeal to those who are short of home office space.
While buying an all-in-one can work out cheaper than purchasing separate peripherals, you’ll probably find a good-quality separate scanner will produced better quality scans than the one that comes bundled with an all-in-one.
It’s also possible to buy a standalone scanner that can scan slides and film. Few all-in-one scanners are able to do this.
Where should I buy my scanner?
Shop around online and you’ll probably find you can get a good deal on a scanner. Remember to include the price of postage in your cost calculation, though. It’s well worth a visit to your local computer shop first, to see your chosen scanner in the flesh before you buy.
What features do I need on my scanner?
It depends what you plan to use your scanner for, but there are several useful features to look out for:
OCR software
If you’re planning to scan lots of text documents that you’d like to be able to edit on your computer (in Microsoft Word, for example), look out for a scanner with optical character recognition (OCR) software. This identifies the text in a scanned document and converts it into an editable format.
Slide and/or film scanning
Many of us have boxes of slides stashed away that never get to see the light of day. Fortunately, it’s possible to find scanners that’ll turn them into digital images ready for editing or printing out as photos.
Some scanners have an extra light in the lid which enables them to scan slides and film. You’ll also get special holders which suspend the slide above the scanner’s glass plate so that the light can shine through.
Image-editing software
Once you’ve converted your photos or slides to digital images, you may want to make changes: removing red-eye, for example, or making them brighter. Some scanners come with image editing software which allows you to spruce up your scans.
Height of scanner with open lid
If space is at a premium, check you’re able to position the scanner so you’ll be able to open the lid. Some scanners’ lids have a hinge with a partial stay, meaning you can open it part way without it falling back closed. The lids of other scanners won’t stay open unless you open them fully.