Scanner Terms

When shopping for a new computer scanner, you may encounter a few terms or jargon that's confusing. However, these cryptic terms are often the most important aspects of a scanner that you need to understand in order to make an informed decision. Following is a brief guide that explains some of the most popular (and confusing) computer scanner terms.

Types of scanners

Flatbed scanner – A flatbed scanner is the most popular type of scanner. This scanner design is the one that most likely pops in your head when you think of a computer scanner. It consists of a main scanning area—the bed—with a hinged lid on top. These scanners are ideal for copying media of varying size, able to scan something as small as a photo or as large as a newspaper, depending on the model's size.

Portable scanner – A portable scanner (sometimes called a handheld scanner) is one that is designed to be easily carried with you throughout your workday. Some portable scanners are designed with a handle and scanner head. Others resemble small printers. The most cutting-edge portable scanners today look like wands or large pens, and they just need to be swiped over the material you need to scan.

Slide scanner/ Film scanner – A film scanner and a slide scanner are sometimes the same thing. Just as the name implies, they are specifically designed to scan film negatives or slides. Many professional photographers use these scanners instead of using a photo lab to develop the film after processing. As mentioned, some scanners feature the ability to scan both slides and film, while others only scan one or the other.

Miscellaneous scanner terms

DPI – DPI stands for "dots per inch." This is a unit of measurement that represents how detailed the scanner is able to reproduce media. In other words, the higher the DPI, the higher the resolution, which means higher quality scans.

Interpolated resolution – When a manufacturer claims a certain DPI or resolution as an interpolated resolution, take notice. An interpolated resolution does not reflect a scanner's true resolution; it represents an emulated resolution that can be achieved with the help of the scanner's software. As a rule of thumb, use optical resolution—the scanner's true resolution—when comparing scanners.

Color depth – The color depth of a scanner measures how accurately it will be able to reproduce the original color of the media. Modern scanners should offer at least 24 bits of color depth. High-end scanners may offer 48 bits.

USB – USB simply refers to how the computer will connect to the scanner. The majority of today's scanners will use a USB connection, which is more than likely compatible with your computer if it was made within the last five years.

More information on scanners