Purchase advice: Document scanner emphasizing quality...

[James Rowe, Sr.]

Hello...

I am looking to scan documents at home and want to buy a scanner for
this purpose. I don't need an ADF and honestly I don't even care if
it's color, because I am not planning to scan photos. I just want to
be able to get crisp duplicates of the original documents to make into
PDFs.

I've tried using higher end HP ScanJets at work, and the quality just
isn't right despite how much fiddling I do. I've had better luck with
a home HP OfficeJet with a lot less effort. Nevertheless, I think I
can probably do better with a new scanner, so any tips on what to buy
are greatly appreciated.

My first impression from researching it led me to either an Epson
Perfection 2480 or a Canon CanoScan LiDE 80, but I'd be ok spending
more money if you think it would suit my purposes. Also, are any
software packages recommended?

Thanks,
Jim

 

[CSM1]

Hello...

I am looking to scan documents at home and want to buy a scanner for
this purpose. I don't need an ADF and honestly I don't even care if
it's color, because I am not planning to scan photos. I just want to
be able to get crisp duplicates of the original documents to make into
PDFs.

I've tried using higher end HP ScanJets at work, and the quality just
isn't right despite how much fiddling I do. I've had better luck with
a home HP OfficeJet with a lot less effort. Nevertheless, I think I
can probably do better with a new scanner, so any tips on what to buy
are greatly appreciated.

My first impression from researching it led me to either an Epson
Perfection 2480 or a Canon CanoScan LiDE 80, but I'd be ok spending
more money if you think it would suit my purposes. Also, are any
software packages recommended?

Thanks,
Jim

The trick to getting good crisp B&W scans of Documents is Scan at 300-600
DPI in B&W mode sometimes called Bitmap or Text mode. Adjust the threshold
level to just make blacks without the dots from the dirt on the paper.

I other words use the Manual settings of the scanner.

Start reading here.
http://www.scantips.com/basics4f.html