Past And Present Document Image Scanners
There are many things we easily take for granted in this day and age. Scanning is one of them. We now have the ability to preserve even very old photographs, documents, and even textiles in digital copies so not only we but future generations can benefit. Image scanners have become a common household item along with personal computers, laptop computers, and digital cameras. You can find decent scanners today for around $100. We view it as a relatively recent household addition, but scanners actually got their start decades ago.
A Little History of Image Scanners
Drum scanners were the first scanners. The original drum scanners captured the images and printed them using a complicated setup involving analog signals and telephone lines. Newspapers especially used these devices for decades, up until around the 1990s. Because color was more costly, they rarely used it. In 1957, Russell Kirsch developed the first of many image scanners to come. Today, we have a variety of flatbed color scanner, much in part to the innovation of these first scanners.
Image Scanners Today
Drum scanners were the beginning of it all but now we have multiple image scanners to choose from with advancements in quality being made constantly. Unlike the past, scanners are also available to the common public. They're no longer an item that's only for professional use. Businesses as well as individuals make good use of this technology to archive photos, scan checks and licenses, scan illustrations for commercial use, and preserve historical documents. Scanners come in all shapes and sizes these days. Here are some examples:
Drum scanners still exist and are in use. However, these image scanners are a bit more costly than flatbed scanners and therefore are not as common anymore. For high-quality image reproduction, though, drum scanners are still used for archiving photographs and even for high-end books and magazine advertisements.
Flatbed scanners are more commonly found image scanners today. The graphic arts industry and other industries requiring high-quality image scans have moved onto flatbeds for the most part. As the technology has grown so have the end results. The flatbed scanner is good for everyday use, even when you don't need high resolution and pristine reproductions. A plain document image scanner works for most of us, and flat bed scanners are cost-effective and plentiful and include image scanner software that's user-friendly.
Film and negative scanners make up a niche for those who want to preserve older photographs, even slides. While you would have had to send off these items a while ago, today you can scan them yourself with these specialized image scanners. Well-known companies such as Canon make quality film scanners that are easy to use and compact.
All-in-one units today often include a scanner, printer, copier, and fax. For those who have minimal space or who want to save space, these image scanners are a good way to have everything. Many brands make quality all-in-one scanners that are perfect for everyday scanning purposes.
From the first grainy, black and white drum scans to the high-quality image scanners we have today, scanners have played a role in business for years and now also have a place within our personal lives.
