Scanning Documents

Lunch and Learn: April 20, 2005

Considerations

What are you scanning and what will be done with it? Graphic or Text Printer, E-Mail, Web, Text Editor

All of the above dictate the settings for your scan.

Definitions

Resolution is the word we use to describe how big and how clear an image is.

Since we’re talking about a computer interpreting the scanned object, resolution is directly related to dots per inch (dpi).

The more dots you have, the more clear your scanned object is.

The higher your resolution, the bigger the file size is.

Definitions

The specific dpi you use will depend upon what you’re doing with the object you want to scan. For monitors (including projectors),

anything greater than 96 dpi (72 in older monitors) will appear identical in quality to 96.

For printers, anything lower than 150 dpi will not give you the quality you want. Ideally, use 300 dpi for printouts.

Procedure

While different scanners and scanning software packages vary in specifics, here is the basic process for scanning a document.

Procedure

Place your source document on the scanner bed and close the lid.

Launch your scanning software. Determine the resolution you prefer to

use and change the software settings as needed.

Choose between scanning as a picture and scanning as editable text (OCR).

Run the scan function.

Procedure

Preview the scan and make any adjustments as needed (e.g., scan area, brightness, contrast).

Finish the scan. Save with an appropriate name in a

location you will remember. Adjust the final product in software that

meets your goals (e.g., photo editor, text editor).