Scanner buying guide - features to look for

Finding the right scanner is much easier when you know what to look for. The information below was designed to help you quickly understand scanner features and find the best scanner for your needs.
	Things to consider when buying a scanner
When buying a scanner, it's important to analyze and understand your present and future needs so that you know which features are most important to your business. The following questions will walk through your needs to help you know what scanner features to focus on.

Do you plan to primarily scan documents, photos (images) or both?

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  I will be scanning documents

	Are you scanning documents that need to lie flat to scan? • Yes. You need a flatbed scanner that enables scanning from the bed of the scanner and optionally (based on the volume of documents you needs to scan), through the automatic document feeder. • No. A sheet fed scanner is the best choice, which only enables scanning through a document feeder.
	Will you be scanning a large number of documents per day? • Yes. Then speed should be your main consideration. You should consider a dual-head duplex scanner with a higher capacity automatic document feeder (ADF) which operates at faster speeds (simplex & duplex). • No. You don't need to be as concerned with the speed of a scanner, or with the capacity of the automatic document feeder (ADF).

  I will be scanning photos/images

	Will you be making color prints of the image? • Yes. You want above-average resolution. Look for a scanner with at least 2400 dpi and up to 4800 dpi (dots per inch) resolution. • No. A resolution of 300 dpi (dots per inch) is usually sufficient for viewing the images on a monitor.
	Do you scan large numbers of photos, slides or negatives at a time? • Yes. You should consider a scanner with a larger transparent media adapter (TMA). • No. A scanner with a smaller TMA is fine.

  I will be scanning both documents and photos/images

When the scanner will be used for image and document scanning look for the scanner that delivers the best combination of features from the image and document scanning perspective: ADF speed and capacity, image quality features and TMA capabilities for photos, slides and negatives.

New advances in technology

Scanners can be an essential tool for document management, improving business communications and productivity, and allow you to archive and preserve images. Today's HP scanners offer innovations for any office environment that give you the following benefits:

• Simplicity: One-touch, programmable buttons on the front panel speed up the scanning and filing process for documents and images. • Faster speeds: Scan and file images to individual files in as little as 24 seconds, or documents at up to 70 images per minute (35 ppm) using automatic document feeders. • Image quality: Higher resolutions at up to 4800 dpi (dots per inch) deliver true-to-original reprints. Included Kofax VRS image clean-up software ensures high-quality document scanning. • Multimedia scanning: Quickly scan documents, photos, negatives, slides and other materials. Legal-size, landscape-oriented scanning beds accommodate a variety of paper sizes. • Scanning software: HP Smart Document scanning software increases ease of use by allowing you to create custom document workflows (profiles) and assign those to buttons on the scanner for reliable, consistent scanning results. HP's Photosmart software offers user-friendly ways to edit and enhance scans, save and organize photos by category and create unique projects.

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