HP scanner types
Here’s a look at three types of scanner. Understanding the benefits of each will help you choose the one that’s best for your needs.

• Flatbed scanners look and work like small copy machines: You lay the object you want to scan on a pane of glass. Flatbed scanners are versatile, as they can scan photos, books, documents, and even three-dimensional objects.
• See-thru vertical scanners are ultra thin and feature an easel for vertical storage and placement. You can see what you’re scanning, and can scan large items that other types of scanners can’t handle.
• Sheet-fed scanners are excellent for scanning large numbers of loose, individual sheets, but they cannot handle bound documents or photographs.

General HP scanner features
When shopping for a scanner, consider these features:

• Optical resolution: Optical resolution refers to the number of pixels per inch (ppi) that a scanner can capture. The higher the resolution, the sharper and clearer your images.
• Interpolated resolution: Sometimes called enhanced resolution, this number refers to how well a scanner can enhance an image after capturing it. A scanner captures dots, then adds more dots between them to yield a higher resolution.
• Bit depth: This refers to the number of bits used to capture each dot. A 24-bit scanner will be suitable for scanning photos, drawings, and text, while a 36- or 48-bit scanner is best for scanning film or transparencies.
• Speed: If you're planning to scan large batches of images or documents in a single session, speed might be a major consideration.

Digital photography features
HP scanners also come loaded with special features for digital photography enthusiasts. Take a look:

• HP Image Zone software helps you organize, edit, enhance, and save photos, as well as create photo projects. HP Instant Share makes sharing photos via e-mail easy for both the sender and the recipient.
• Automatic photo feeders streamline the process of scanning stacks of photos.
• Optical character recognition (OCR) software “reads” paper documents and then converts them into editable text that can be manipulated in a word processing program.
• A negative and slide adapter allows you to convert 35mm slides and negatives into easy-to-store digital files.
• HP Real Life technologies make it easy to remove red-eye and brighten dark areas in your photos.

Finding the right HP scanner for you
With the wide selection of HP scanners available, you’re sure to find one that’s right for you.

If you’re a beginning photographer or just want to scan the occasional slide or negative, check out the HP Scanjet 4370 photo scanner. You can use it to organize, edit, enhance, and save photos, as well as create photo projects. And HP Instant Share software lets you e-mail your pictures with ease.

The HP Scanjet 4850 photo scanner allows you to scan up to four slides or six negative frames at once. And with built-in HP Real Life technologies, you can enhance photos by restoring faded color, removing red-eye, dust and scratches, and more. You can also edit text from scanned documents using the included OCR software.

If you’re serious about photography, consider the HP Scanjet 4890 photo scanner. It’s the fastest HP scanner, and the built-in adapter can handle up to 16 slides or 30 negative frames (plus other film sizes). It also offers excellent resolution (4800 x 9600 dpi), so you get true-to-original reprints.

Beyond scanners
Multifunction products (or all-in-ones) combine an inkjet printer, a scanner, a copier, and sometimes a fax machine, in one compact unit. They also include special features such as photo proof sheets, making them ideal photo printers. Find out how to choose an all-in-one for digital photography.

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