Comments on: Scanners, Part 1: Buying Tips

By: akira yama

akira yama — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 01:32:56 +0000

@MaggieL
your request for the printer is more about scanning technique, nearly all REASONABLE priced scanners (£30 and up but less than £100) will do this job very well due to the 16000- 240000 DPI scales… however you wont need it this high. ensure you are using grayscale modes, then ensure you can use software to your advantage. things like photoshop are excellent for this job as you can modify the settings of the scan to suit the ideal look, then fine tweak in photoshop after you have printed. of course doing this will require a decent RAM on your machine, so perhaps look into getting some mor eif it does this slow. ONLY and ONLY then should you decrease your DPI, as detailed graphite can actually look darker in high end resolutions due to how the spectrum of light works. note that tthis will differ. this is more aobut setting the right settings, and technique than actual scanner quality, but having a decent scanner will aid in the process.

By: Theresa

Theresa — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 05:12:13 +0000

Thanks for your tips, Dani (I love your art, too).
I am currently shopping for a scanner and would prefer something bigger than a 8.5″ X 11″. There’s not much out there unless you can pay the big bucks. I asked the copy folks (I figured they’d know better than the sales guys on the floor) at Staples today and they recommended the new Brother MFC-6490CW which is an all in one but has 11″ X 17″ scanning surface. It is around $300 and has a 1200 X 1200 dpi. Has anyone else used this scanner and are you happy with it?
Thanks, Theresa

By: Dani

Dani — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:40:34 +0000

MaggieL – I don’t have much experience with a lot of different types of scanners. Most current scanners will do the job you are describing fairly well. I would recommend looking up some reviews on the web if you are concerned about comparing specific models.

By: MaggieL

MaggieL — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 16:27:48 +0000

I’m looking for a scanner for my detailed graphite pencil drawings. The last scanner I had (an old model Epson) made the pencil look chunky and like pen more than pencil. Most of the scanners I’ve looked at cater to color, which I don’t use. My drawings are typically 9″x12″ or smaller depending on how much of the page I take up. What would you recommend for me?

By: Amy Roemer

Amy Roemer — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 23:30:39 +0000

Dani-
Thanks for your information! I’m looking for a scanner to scan the pages I am painting for a children’s book, this is perfect!

:)Amy

By: Dani

Dani — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 17:48:49 +0000

Judy – Just about any consumer scanner you find on the market today will be just fine for the purposes you’re describing. Just find a decently priced one, and I think you’ll be ok. I think Tony’s suggestion will work nicely (thanks, Tony!).

By: tony

tony — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 17:08:14 +0000

Judy, I would recommend the flatbed scanner by canon, the “canolide” or “canoscan”, you can get a very nice resolution and it only costs about a hundred bucks. Perfect if you draw small as you say.

By: judy holder

judy holder — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 21:57:42 +0000

I want a scanner just for copying my small sketches, monotypes and possibly small paintings or photographs. Probaly all under 9 x12 inches. I have a mac os desktop. What whould you recommend? thanks