In the brave new world of computers and other high-tech contraptions, activities such as writing, reading, solving math problems, and even creating music are getting done with the help of one or more of these machines.
It’s the same story with drawing and creating visual art.
Now, while the artwork you create you can edit, publish, and even sell online, in case you want to have a real-life copy of it, you can print it out.
But what if you have a real-life painting, for example, you want to ‘digitalize’?
You have two options – either take a picture of it or scan it.
This article will talk about option number two in more detail. We have also prepared a top 10 list of models so that you can find the best scanner for artwork for your needs.
Read on to learn more.
Our Favorite Best Scanner for Artwork
Top 10 Best Scanner for Artwork- Buying Guide
1. Epson – Perfection V600 Color Scanner
Coming from one of the most prominent scanners and printer manufacturers globally, this Epson Perfection V600 model can be a mighty asset for scanning all sorts of artwork in color and can be considered the best scanner for artwork in its price range.
The great thing about this scanner is that it can scan various visual materials.
So, it’s not just drawings and paintings that can fit underneath its lid that you can scan. Thanks to the clever design decisions from the guys at Epson, you can add various kinds of film to the roster of visual formats that you can scan with this model!
Here are the most important features of this model in more detail:
Digital ICE
When it comes to the quality of the digital images that you get when you complete the scans you want will largely depend on the state of the real-life photo or a piece of film you’re scanning.
Of course, due to various forms of damage, the age of the photo, as well as the negative effects of dust and other pollutants, these images often are of less-than-perfect quality.
One way to deal with this is to decrease the scanning resolution so that the offending details aren’t as clearly visible to the naked eye.
Alternatively, if high resolution is important for the quality of the digital image you want to create, you could try to edit the new digital file yourself.
Now, with a scanner such as this V600 model, you won’t have to resort to either of these two options – thanks to the digital ICE feature.
What this abbreviation stands for is ‘Image Correction and Enhancement,’ which pretty much tells you what its purpose is and how useful it is to have it as a part of your scanner’s software arsenal.
Versatility in Formats
… that are covered by this scanner is arguably one of the best features of this model.
The thing is, at its most basic level, this scanner can be used to scan A4 pieces of paper with some drawing or other form of artwork on them. These can be black-and-white pencil drawings or more complex colored digital prints – whatever it is; this scanner will capture it and create a faithful digital copy of it.
That said, if you’re a photographer (either professional or a rookie), this scanner gives you the option to scan various film formats up to 6×22 cm.
There are special film holders that you can use to arrange pieces of film in them and then scan them with ease, as they will be perfectly aligned with the scanner’s lining and thus scanned at a perfect angle in the first shot.
Excellent Software Support
While this scanner’s ICE technology will do quite a good job of getting you rid of most of the blemishes of the digital versions of your prints, and films, you will probably want to improve your images further.
To help you do this, the folks at Epson scanner have developed a special app called Easy Photo Fix that allows you to fix photos easily, as its name suggests.
This is editing software that you can make good use of to quickly get rid of some minor issues with the digital scans of your film, for example, especially in situations when you have to go through a lot of pieces of old film in a row.
Also, there is another interesting piece of software that may come in handy called ArcSoft Photo Studio, which specializes in color management so that you can get rid of the most hue-related issues on your scanned images relatively fast and easily.
Pros:
- LED light source
- ReadyScan technology (increased productivity)
- Can scan slides, negatives, as well as medium-format panoramic film
- Digital ICE for prints and film
- Epson Easy Photo Fix software
- No warmup time
Cons:
- Some users may not like the design of this model (looks a bit clunky)
2. Canon – CanoScan Lide 300 Scanner
Featuring a square design that’s different from most scanner designs currently on the market, this model from Canon also packs a hefty technological punch, so to speak, in addition to its curious design.
Regarding the formats of the documents you can scan using this gadget, you can count in business cards, receipts, photos, and common A4 documents, books, and other similar papers.
Here are some of the more exciting features of this model in greater detail:
EZ Buttons
… are a special breed of buttons that, as their name suggests, mean that you can access the most important functions of this scanner easily.
Four of these buttons correspond to a different function that you can use easily.
The first button automatically creates a PDF file of whatever document or picture you’re scanning.
The PDF that is created this way can immediately be transferred, as well as edited to your liking.
As for the second button, it’s called Auto-Scan. It allows you to automatically scan whatever you place on the scanning glass without performing complex pre-scanning preparations beforehand.
The third option is for copying, and the fourth is for sending the scanned document to a location of your choice.
Z-Lid
When it comes to tackling the scanning process for some of the other documents or pictures that aren’t as thin as a single piece of paper, for whatever reason.
For example, if you want to scan a picture attached to a frame, this special Z lid can come in useful.
Also, if you want to scan a large bundle of documents or a book, the Z-lid will allow you to extend the lid height to up to 21 additional millimeters, which gives you some space to work with.
So, if, in addition to scanning prints and single-sheet documents, you want to be able to scan some bulkier texts or pictures, this model can be just the thing you were looking for!
Single USB Cable
This Canon model uses a single USB cable to connect this scanner to a computer and power it up. (Meaning the scanner, not the computer.)
This means that you won’t have to have another cable just for powering this thing up, which is good news in the sense that you won’t have as much clutter around your work desk.
On the other hand, transferring data with this model is a piece of cake. This model thanks to this USB connectivity since most computers and other devices can be easily connected this way.
Pros:
- Comes with 4 EZ access buttons
- 2,400 x 2,400 dpi resolution
- Z-lid with additional 2.1 centimeters of clearance
- USB connectivity
- Can scan books, papers, pictures, books, documents, business cards, and other media
- Built-in PDF creation button
Cons:
- The scanning speed on this model could be faster
3. Epson – FastFoto FF-680W Wireless Scanning System
Possessing an appearance of a clunky printer, this wireless scanner can be an excellent choice for anyone in need of a scanning gadget that can take care of all of their scanning needs when it comes to transferring artwork from a real-life copy to a digital format.
In terms of connecting this model to your computer, tablet, or some other device, you can do it fairly easily by using the Wi-Fi option that comes with it. Using the different options that this scanner gives you is not only easier this way, but it also gives you means you can do away with all the annoying cables that you keep tripping over around your home art studio! (In case you do own a home art studio, of course.)
Here are some of the most prominent features of this model in more detail:
2-Sided Scanning
One of the reasons this scanner is so bulky is that it comes with high-tech equipment for two-sided scanning.
With this type of scanning, the great thing is that you can scan documents on both sides in a single go!
This makes scanning bundles of documents much easier because you don’t have to scan only one side at a time and then manually flip the pages so you can do the same for the other side.
Although this option may not be useful for scanning pictures and photos, if you need to scan the artist’s signature on the backside, or perhaps the date that someone wrote on the back of an old photo, this option can come in handy.
ADF
… or automatic document feeder represents a super-useful addition to any scanner, as it removes you as the one who needs to feed the pages into the machine one sheet at a time.
So, what this effectively means is that you can place a bundle of documents in this feeder, push some buttons to start the scanning process, and then watch this ADF mechanism feed the documents one by one – entirely on its own!
The thing is, this does not only means that you don’t have to do this yourself.
Another benefit of this technological addition would be a rather quick scanning speed that this scanner is capable of.
To be precise, when this thing is functioning at its full capacity, it’s capable of scanning up to one photo per second at 300dpi.
If you’re scanning documents and high-quality isn’t that much of a priority, the speed goes up to 45 ppm at 90dpi!
Wireless Connectivity
… represents possibly the biggest asset of this scanner.
As we already mentioned in the introduction to this product details, this kind of scanning takes any cables out of the equation, so you don’t have to worry about losing them in the sea of other cables – especially in case you work in a busy photo studio with plenty of chargers, USB cords, and other equipment.
Also, choosing the scanning option from your devices is a piece of cake when you do it via Wi-Fi, so you can set up a scanning process (provided you already placed the documents or pictures in the ADF) without being present in the room!
Pros:
- 1 pps printing speed
- Epson FastFoto app for quick editing
- Automatic document feeder
- Wireless connectivity
- Optical character recognition
- Two-sided scanning
- Scan-to-cloud function
Cons:
- Some users may not like the somewhat bulky design of this unit
4. Fujitsu – ScanSnap iX1600 Versatile Cloud-Enabled Document Scanner
Coming from one of the largest Japanese tech companies, this Fujitsu scanner can be used to quickly and easily scan documents and artwork and any other media that’s printed or painted on a piece of paper.
When it comes to connectivity, you can count on two different options – USB and Wi-Fi.
So, whether you want to connect this scanner to your computer or some other device the old-fashioned way via a USB cable or wirelessly – this Fujitsu iX1600 scanner model has got you covered.
Below are some of the most important features of this model:
Customizable Profiles
… that this model’s ‘brain’ allows you to make can help you quickly and efficiently.
The thing is, in case you often scan the same sort of print formats or document formats, having to pick the delicate scanning settings from the menu on this scanner every time can become a tad annoying after a while.
Now, to do this quicker, the folks at Fujitsu made it possible for you to pre-organize and save the scanning profiles that you use the most frequently.
This way, if you have another print that you want to scan in the same format as the prints you already scanned before, you can choose the profile you made for this type of print, for example, and the scanning process will be set off!
So, if you want a scanner with such software that you don’t need to think about setting the great many advanced scanning options every time you want to scan something, this model from Fujitsu can be just the thing for you.
Touchscreen Control Panel
… where you can access this scanner’s many different features makes navigating this model’s advanced software a piece of cake.
This touch-screen display is quite large as well, as it has 4.3 inches, so you won’t have any trouble picking between different options even if you have huge fingers.
Some of the features that you will encounter on this screen include a quick menu, scan to folder, scan to e-mail, and some submenus where you can choose the options regarding scanning different formats such as business cards and receipts, to name a few.
Multiple ‘Scan to’ Options
When it comes to the way, you can transfer the newly scanned images to your favorite cloud services, devices, or other media, with ease.
Some of the functions that you can choose from include scanning directly to e-mail, to mobile devices, to a local folder, to a printer you’re using, as well as different cloud services.
So, whatever your preferred destination of the scanned images happens to be, you can rest assured that this scanner model will help you get your files there fairly quickly.
Pros:
- Can scan a variety of formats (including receipt, postcard, photo, business card, and others)
- 4.3-inch touchscreen
- Wi-Fi connectivity option
- Can scan directly to e-mail, cloud, printers, mobile devices, a local folder, and other online and offline venues
- Automatic image rotation & color cleanup
- Fast scanning speeds
Cons:
- Fairly expensive
5. Canon – imageFORMULA R40 Office Document Scanner for PC and Mac
If you need a scanner that you can use to scan documents quickly and completely hands-free, so to speak, obtaining this Canon R40 scanner can be a great way to do it.
When we say ‘hands-free,’ what we mean is that this model features the so-called one-touch operation, which means that you can set off the scanning process by pressing just one big button instead of getting lost in a labyrinth of confusing settings.
Of course, those settings are still available for advanced users, but if all you need is to scan some pictures or documents here and there, then this one-touch operation might be the thing for you!
Here are some of the other features of this model in more detail:
Two-Sided Scanning
One of the most notable features of this model would be that it can scan documents, artwork, and whatever else you put in in that is in the format of either a business card, a letter, an A4 sheet of paper, or some other similar format – on both sides of the sheet.
This means that the scanning time for these two-sided documents is halved, which can be great news if you have a lot of documents or artwork that you need to scan in a short period.
Also, this means that you won’t have to flip the pages yourself after the scanning is complete on one side of the print or some document.
Energy STAR Rating
… recommends this scanner as one of the more energy-saving contraptions out there on the market.
The thing is, scanners can use up a lot of energy if they have to run continuously, and even though they don’t spend as much as an electrical heater, for example, the amount they do use can undoubtedly add up to something considerable on your electricity bill if you’re using the scanner on a day-to-day basis.
This model comes with an Energy STAR rating, which means that it will use as little energy as possible and reduce the amount of energy it wastes to a minimum.
So, if you run a business or perhaps a personal art or photo studio and you need to go through many documents or photos and art daily, getting this model will allow you to make high-quality digital prints and do it having wasted little to no energy.
Excellent Scanning Speed
… helps you scan many documents and art as quickly as you can say, Jack Robinson!
In part thanks to the automatic document feeder and the two-sided scanning addition, this scanner can go through 40 pages per minute.
Now, suppose you already imagine yourself feeding the sheets of paper into this scanner. In that case, you might want to know that the automatic document feeder on this document has the capacity of 60 sheets, so you won’t have to stand over the scanner while it’s working on adding new sheets.
All in all, the speed of scanning that this model is capable of combined with the low energy usage would be the two parameters that make this Canon scanner a great option for someone who needs to use a scanner regularly, as it can do the job quickly and not add a king’s ransom to your electricity bill every month.
Pros:
- 60-sheet automatic document feeder
- Canon CaptureOnTouch software
- One-touch operation
- Fast scanning speed (40 pages per minute)
- Energy STAR rating
- Direct scanning to cloud
- OCR technology
- Works on Windows and Mac systems
- 1-year warranty
Cons:
- This scanner is a bit bulky
6. Brother – ADS-1700W Wireless Document Scanner
Small in size and sporting some pretty exciting features, this Brother model comes with a wide variety of options and features that will make scanning prints and other documents a walk in the park.
Some of the document formats that you can scan this way include photos, receipts, business cards, and all kinds of artwork and other papers.
In terms of design, this scanner is one of the smallest models on this list, making it a perfect option if you want to use it as a Desktop machine.
Here are some of the other features of this model in more detail:
Wi-Fi Connectivity
Connecting this scanner with your computer or tablet or some other gadget is a piece of cake, thanks to the wireless technology that this ADS-1700W model comes with.
Once you’ve set up a wireless connection between this scanner and one or more of your devices, all you need to do is do some button-pushing, and you can get the newly-scanned image to upload to your cloud or some other online venue in no time!
This can be quite a useful asset in the hands of a person running a small business or perhaps an art or photography studio.
Also, if you work in a team, the benefits of this Wi-Fi connectivity are even more apparent, as you can easily share the new scans with your team members so that they can edit and fix them if necessary.
Touchscreen
… with icons representing different functions in color is there, so you can choose the scanning option you need quickly and easily, without having first to access the app or a program to make this happen.
A critical part of this touchscreen arsenal would undoubtedly be the option to use a premade scanning profile if you tend to scan a lot of documents or pieces of artwork of the same format.
Using this option of automatic scan start, you can pick one of the presets you’ve arranged earlier and start the scanning process without having to set all the parameters every time you want to scan a document, even though you’ve scanned a bunch of documents that look exactly like that one before!
Compact Design
… Advanced scanners typically tend to be bulky because they need to accommodate many different high-tech advanced features such as the automatic document feeder, for example.
That said, this model coming from the world-renown Brother company manages to retain a compact build and a larger chunk of the high-tech features that make it so attractive.
So, despite its small size, this model comes with a touchscreen function, an ADF, a dedicated card slot for business and ID cards, as well as with a micro-USB port.
Pros:
- Compact design
- Two-sided scanning
- ID card slot
- Wireless connectivity
- OCR technology
- Automatic Start Scan option
- ADF (20-sheet capacity)
Cons:
- This model is not as powerful as some of the bigger scanners
7. Brother – High-Speed Desktop Document Scanner
As our entry number seven, we’ve got yet another model that comes with a range of interesting features that can be useful to you whether you’re a photographer, small business owner, or an artist, so that it could be the best scanner for artists.
While this model retains the shape of many of the scanners that we’ve already featured on this list, in terms of size, it’s considerably smaller, which makes it suitable for desktop use.
So, if you want a scanner model that you can use by placing it on your desktop, this model from Brother can be just the thing for you.
Here are some of the most important features of this model in more detail:
ADF
… with a decent capacity of 50 sheets will make your life easier when it comes to loading the documents or artwork, as well as scanning a bunch of them in a single go.
Without the technical addition of an automatic document feeder, you would have to stand over the printer to feed in the pages one by one, which not only takes time but will become quite annoying after a while.
With an automatic document feeder, all you need to do is place a bunch of documents or pieces of artwork in the feed tray and see the scanner itself pull in and scan each of these by one.
Add to this the fact that this model can scan documents on both sides of a sheet simultaneously, and you can see how shaving down the time needed to scan a bunch of documents, for example, is a piece of cake with this scanner.
Nifty Added Features
… such as automatic de-skewing, blank page removal, and automatic image rotation will take some of the editing work on the newly-scanned pages off your hands.
The thing is, while editing a document or two every week is nothing too terrible to worry about, if you have a bunch of documents you need to ‘convert’ to a digital format from a real-life one, you probably won’t have enough time to edit and fix the layout and lighting on every single page you scan.
For this reason, having a scanner model such as this one where many of these small but time-consuming editing tasks are already done for you, can mean the difference between quickly scanning a lot of documents and wasting a lot of precious time on ensuring that your text documents don’t turn out tilted when converted to a digital form!
A Multitude of Supported Formats
… including business cards, ID cards, plastic cards, plain paper, inkjet paper, recycled paper, as well as receipts, and glossy paper, can all be scanned on this contraption with ease.
Thanks to the fact that this model can scan glossy paper and other sorts of unorthodox paper surfaces, you will be able to scan photos easily, pieces of artwork, and posters and pages ripped out of fashion magazines, for example.
Also, thanks to two-sided scanning, in case you need to scan an artwork that comes with a signature or a date on the backside of it, you won’t have to flip this artwork by hand, as the scanner will scan both pages. At the same time!
Pros:
- Automatic background removal
- Blank page removal
- 50-sheet automatic document feeder
- Works on Windows, Mac, and Linux
- Can scan two sides of a sheet simultaneously
- Multi-feed detection feature
Cons:
- A tad pricey
8. Epson – ES-300WR Wireless Color Portable Duplex Document Scanner
On the market for scanners, the models that come with a battery and can be used without plugging them in a computer or some other device are still a bit of a novelty.
This model from Epson belongs to this group, and if you are a sort of person in the line of work in which scanning a couple of documents or pieces of artwork on the go could change the way you do work – this little scanner could be a lifesaver!
Here are some of the most prominent features of this model:
Wireless Connectivity
The reason why this model can function without any cables is fairly straightforward – this model comes with Wi-Fi support. (At least when it comes to connecting it to your laptop, desktop PC, or some other device.)
So, as long as there is Wi-Fi around where you are, and the scanner has enough power left in its battery, you can press the ON button and start using this scanner right where you are – no connectivity cables, no power cables!
Of course, in terms of the circumstances of your workplace, allow you to use a USB cable to power on this model; you can also do that and save some battery power for those situations when there is no computer or power outlet around.
Compact Design
When it comes to the main idea of designing a scanner model such as this one, it’d be pretty safe to say that the folks at Epson wanted to make a portable scanner that you can use wherever you are.
Now, other than its wireless connectivity and the option to have this thing powered by a battery, one other thing that points to the direction of portability would certainly be the size of this scanner.
This model represents one of the smallest modern-day Epson models currently on the market, so if you happen to like this brand and you also need a scanner that you could take everywhere with you, you might want to consider obtaining this ES-300WR device.
It’s so tiny you can easily fit it in your backpack or even a lady’s purse!
Two-Sided Scanning
Despite its petite build, this scanner can scan both sides of a document, which means double the scanning speed compared to some of the older scanner models, which can only do one page at a time.
The great thing about this feature is that you can go through many documents quite quickly with this model on your side, as you won’t have to worry about having to flip the pages with your hands.
Add to this the fact that this scanner comes with an automatic document feeder, and you can see how the amount of work you need to do around the documents you want to scan is minimalized – in terms of preparatory work.
Pros:
- Wireless connectivity
- Two-sided document scanning
- Automatic document feeder (20-page capacity)
- Compact design
- USB connectivity option
- Works on Windows and Mac
Cons:
- Some users may not like the portable design of this scanner
9. Epson – Perfection V39 Color Photo & Document Scanner
As our penultimate entry, we’ve got another Epson model that can be used for all kinds of purposes – from scanning documents to scanning artwork, photos, and other media.
Similar to many other scanner models, what you can count on would be the four easy-to-use buttons, which you can use to quickly access the most often-used features on this scanner, such as scan-to-pdf, for example.
One thing that makes this model so useful for scanning artwork would also be the ability to scan larger pieces of art by scanning them one part at a time.
Below you can find some of the most important features of this model:
4 Button Shortcuts
As we already hinted at the beginning of this product details, this model comes with four different buttons that you can rely on to perform the most basic functions, such as scanning directly to a .pdf file, which can save you some button-pushing in case you need to perform this function quite often.
Let’s say, for example, that you tend to scan different prints and other media directly to .pdf quite often.
Instead of setting up these settings for making pdf files, you can press this button to get the best possible results quickly.
So, if ease of use represents an important part of a scanner’s arsenal, obtaining this model can certainly make your life much easier!
Removable Lid
Even though the lid of a scanner may seem like a second-rate kind of part that you don’t have to think about that often, having a model with a removable lid can be quite a handy feature.
The thing is, while the fact that this model’s lid can be removed isn’t that important when it comes to scanning a couple of pages at a time, or a print made on a sheet of glossy paper, what you may want to take into consideration here would be what you need to do if the paper or the documents you’re scanning are too big for you to fit underneath the lid.
For example, scanning a big book can be a problem because you would have to do it with the lid fully open to accommodate the book’s thickness.
Thanks to this option, when you encounter a situation such as this, you can remove the lid and put it on top of the thick object to get a perfect scan every time!
Oversized Artwork Scanning
… and this does not only apply to artwork, but also to civil engineering technical drawings, as well as any similar piece of paper that is too large to scan in a single go.
The thing about the vast majority of other scanner models currently on the market and this scanner right here would be that the majority of scanners look like printers and have the same mechanism for moving the paper that needs to be scanned.
The rollers ‘suck’ the papers and documents in so that the lamps can scan it (often both pages simultaneously), and then the paper comes out on the other side.
The problem with this design is that the size of the page is limited to A4 format or perhaps something slightly larger than that.
With scanners such as this model from Epson, you can scan larger pieces of artwork by placing different parts of the page once at a time so that you can rearrange the whole picture digitally afterward!
Pros:
- Can tackle documents and photos
- Can scan oversized pieces of artwork
- Removable lid (high-rise design)
- OCR technology (comes with special OCR software)
- Easy Photo Fix technology
- 4,800 dpi optical resolution
Cons:
- Some users may not like the design of this model
10. Plustek – A3 Large Format Flatbed Scanner for Artwork and Blueprints
Last but not least, this model from Plustek can be the best art scanner for printing large prints such as those of A3 format, as the descriptive name of this model suggests itself.
Thanks to its extra-large design, this model is suitable for libraries, small and medium businesses, as well as individual users who work with larger pieces of art that they need to digitalize.
Below are some of the most important features of this model in more detail:
No Warmup Time
Since this a3 scanner for artwork uses LED lamps to provide the light as the part of the lamp, you don’t need to wait for the lights to warm up so you can use this scanner.
As a result, you can scan your documents more quickly and get excellent results without previously counting the warmup time.
Another byproduct of this model that has a bunch of LEDs rather than a conventional lamp as the light source would be that you get to save energy this way because LEDs are well-known for their low energy usage.
At the same time, LEDs are also known and beloved for their long lifecycle and reliability, so that would be yet another benefit of obtaining this scanner over some other model.
Extra-Large Scan Area
As you could have seen from the name of this product in its description, the most important feature of this model would be its large scanning area.
To be precise, the biggest paper format that you can scan in this scanner in a single go would be A3, which is typically the stock format for many civil engineering projects and art projects, and different prints.
What’s more, another interesting thing you can do with this model is scan A4 scripts and book two entire pages simultaneously.
So, what tends to be a painstakingly slow process on a regular scanner becomes a piece of cake, a 10-minute task if you happen to own one of these Plustek models!
Fast Scanning
Despite its great size, this scanner can quickly go over even the largest paper format, which is A3.
To be precise, this large scanner for art can pull it off in 8 seconds, which is quite fast, considering the sheer size of the format the scanner is supposed to process.
So, if you fancy owning a scanner that can easily scan large pieces of artwork but also do it quickly – getting this Plustek gadget may be just the thing that you need.
Pros:
- 4 buttons for quick access
- Large scanning area (can scan A3 format in a single go)
- 8-second scanning time
- 1200dpi optical resolution
- OCR feature
- Removable hinges
- LED lamps
Cons:
- Some users may not like the size of this scanner
Best Scanner for Artwork Buyer’s Guide
Touchscreen Control Panel
An increasing number of modern-day office devices and gadgets now come with a touchscreen, which makes using them considerably easier.
Unsurprisingly, scanners are no exception to this rule, as the majority of the scanners on the top ten list we’ve prepared for you, too, also come with one of these screens.
They can be useful because they help you use the different features with ease without looking for them using the software you got for your computer. (Although you can probably access them this way, too.)
OCR Scanning Technology
When it comes to scanning images that have some text on them that you would like to extract and turn into a text file or documents made up of pretty much nothing but text, you can make good use of the OCR technology.
What OCR stands for is optical character recognition, a special feature that recognizes the text from a scanned document and turns it into a text document in a different format.
This can save you some type if you have to write something from a book you’ve scanned and use it for your seminar paper, for example.
Scanner Speed
While the speed of the scanner may not come across to you as the most important parameter if the primary reason you’re considering buying a scanner in the first place is to scan your art, getting a scanner that can scan relatively quickly can be useful for folks who plan to scan both art and documents and books alike.
The factors that contribute to fast scanning speeds would include the feature of automated two-sided scanning, an automatic document feeder addition, and an advanced lamp mechanism that can go from the top to the bottom of the document quite quickly.
Wi-Fi Compatibility
When it comes to the way you connect your scanner to a computer, tablet, or some other device, the manufacturers typically give you two different options – USB and Wi-Fi.
Of course, these two options are not mutually exclusive more often than not, so you can find plenty of different models that feature both of these connectivity options.
Some of the benefits of getting a scanner model with wireless connectivity would include easier saving to the cloud and scanning without even being physically present in the scanner room!
Removable Lid
This may come as a surprise to you, but many scanners nowadays don’t come with removable lids.
This can be a problem if you have a piece of artwork larger than the scanner’s glass area, as you can’t fit it well enough on it without damaging the scanner or the object of scanning.
So, if you often work with larger artwork than the surface area of the scanner’s glass, you may want to consider getting a scanner model with a removable lid.
How to Scan Large Artwork?
Scanning large artwork is not as difficult as you may think, but there are a couple of prerequisites to make it happen.
The most important one would be that you need a flatbed scanner to print a larger piece of artwork than the scan glass area.
So, what you need to do is scan one part of the painting (if it is a painting), then rotate it so that you can scan the other parts, too.
Once you’ve gathered all parts, you can then merge them in a program such as Photoshop or some other similar photo-editing software, and that’s pretty much it!
Frequently Asked Questions:
Is it Better to Scan or Photograph Artwork?
No matter how good your camera is, it’s almost always a better option to scan an artwork rather than photograph it.
The thing is, it’s not that there aren’t cameras out there that can take high-quality shots, but that using a camera for this purpose is tricky because you need to worry about lighting, positioning, and many other factors to create the perfect photo of your artwork.
On the other hand, scanners either come with lids or feature an enclosed part that the artwork can go through (similar to printers), so none of the abovementioned problems are present with scanners.
What is the Best Resolution to Scan Artwork?
There are several different levels of scan quality that are acceptable depending on the size and quality of the artwork itself.
That said, if you’re not sure which one to use, to be on the safe side, what you can do is always settle for a stock resolution of 300 dpi.
So, when buying a scanner for the specific purpose of scanning artwork, pay attention that the model you get can scan at least at 300 dpi quality.
How Do I Scan All My Old Photos?
There are several ways you can do this, and the simplest one would be to place your old photos on the glass of the scanner, set the scanning parameters to the highest quality, and hope for the best.
Alternatively, however, you may want to look for a scanner model that comes with one of those small plastic thingies that serve the purpose of holding various pieces of film or photos, so you can always scan them perfectly when you place these little holders on the scanner glass.
What DPI Should I Use for Scanning Artwork?
As we already pointed out in question number two, the best resolution would be 300dpi or higher.
300dpi means 300 pixels per square inch, which is a value that gives you high-quality, sharp images.
What is a Good Scanner for Old Photos?
Many different models feature special plastic holders for old film and photos and valuable software that can fix any minor problems such as fading and damage from old age that many old photos typically suffer from.
Brands such as Epson, Plustek, and Canon seem to have some of the best photo-friendly scanner models currently on the market.
Whether you’re a professional photographer looking to transform your photos to a digital format or a person looking to upload their carefully hand-drawn and painted art to their website or an online store, having a scanner to help you achieve this is always a better idea than photographing the art.
All in all, we hope that this article helped you find the best scanner for artwork for your needs, and we wish you plenty of success in turning your real-life art into its digital version.
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