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Scanners
Home » Computer Hardware » Computer Peripherals » ScannersThe scanner is a device that analyzes a physical image such as a photograph or document and converts it to a digital image. This allows you to save this information to a file on your computer. Once on your computer, you can alter or enhance the image, print it out or copy it to other media forms such as a website. The amount of data generated by a scanner can be very large and can be generated in a matter of seconds. Scanners vary in resolution and sharpness.
The following are types of scanners:
• Flatbed scanners – This is the most commonly used type of scanner. It is also called a desktop scanner. Most flatbed scanners have a true hardware resolution of at least 300x300 dots per inch.
• Sheet-fed scanners – Similar to the flatbed except the document is fed through the scanner. This type of scanner resembles a small portable printer.
• Handheld scanners – Similar to the flatbed except the user must move them instead of using a motorized belt. This type of scanner does not normally produce a very good quality but is handy for capturing text quickly.
• Drum scanners – Typically used by the printing industry to capture images with a great amount of detail. This is performed through a process called photomultiplier tube in which the document is mounted on a glass cylinder which contains a sensor that splits light bounced from the document into three beams. Each beam is sent through a color filter into a photomultiplier tube where the light is changed into an electrical signal.
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