A photo scanner, also known as the digitizer, is a device that transforms printed images into digital data and saves your photos, hence the name. They have two types: flatbed scanners and the latter photo scanner with feeder. A flatbed scanner uses a manual input method for the scanning of images while a photo scanner with feeder can be loaded with the stack of photos to be scanned. These loaded images are then scanned, one at a time. In a flatbed device, there is a probability of human error, such as you might place the image improperly or inverted. Photo scanner with feeder resembles more like a printer with the paper tray and less like an image scanner. Apart from being automatic, it is compact and has many features that can’t be ignored:
Ease of use
It is easy-to-use and operate. All you need to do is bundle up the images and load them into the feeder tray. Even a layman can load the feed tray so you don’t even have to pile up the images in the correct manner. An image that is placed in the wrong manner is automatically corrected in the digital memory. Furthermore, the instructions list is stickered onto it in case you need help or need to understand different buttons.
Portability
It is light in weight, weighing only about 3-4kg. Therefore, it can easily be moved from place to place with much less effort. The glass used in it is replaced by a clear plastic plate instead which reduces the weight further.
Color Fidelity
Color fidelity is the accuracy of Xerox the same colors of the image. The color fidelity of a Photo scanner with feeder results in crystal clear boundaries between lights and darks. Hence these are capable of differentiating between 16 million colors creating dynamic digital copies.
Connectivity
They have multiple connectivity options. It can either be cord or cordless. The cords are usually shorter in length which restricts the movement. The cordless devices, supported by Bluetooth, are more In-market because they can be instructed from a distance either a smartphone or a laptop. You can demand it to scan the images on the feeder and as a result, it sends the scanned copies to your connected device.
Automatic Feed
The automatic input method is what makes it unique. A typical feed tray can hold about 250 images but again this capacity varies from the device to device. If your tray capacity is small, you can definitely buy a new tray attachment.
Duplexing
If the image is printed on both sides, then you don’t need to turn the image upside down to get scanned. It comes with a duplexing feature in which both sides of the picture get scanned, provided one of the sides is not blank; therefore, making this process time-efficient.
Resolution
Resolution is simply the amount of detail that can be seen. A photo scanner with feeder can interpret and digitalize each and every detail of the picture no matter how fine it is. The resolution automatically adjusts to 720p, 1080p or even 1920p as per the resolution of the picture. If a picture is only 360p it adjusts itself so it uses less memory and vice versa.
Versatility
As the set of instructions is given to it and it operates them in much less time. On average, a photo scanner with feeder can scan 35 images per minute which is relatively faster than the manual feeding. It can save the image in any of your desired formats: PDF, Word, Adobe, etc. The LED present in it casts light before the image scanning to make sure each and every detail is captured.
Customization
Some devices even have a digital screen instead of a panel of buttons. With this digital screen, you can enlarge your picture or even snip away any unnecessary part. Furthermore, you can control the color intensity, brightness, and saturation. It also displays the number of images scanned and the resolution of the picture.
Flat-bed vs photo scanner with feeder
As it is clear that the one with the feeder is more convenient, efficient and reliable in use. If the image is of high quality, then you may require a special adapter with a flat-bed scanner. A flatbed device can scan about 20 pages per minute whereas this one can scan 35 pages per minute. A 24-bit flatbed scanner can differentiate between 256 colors of red, green and blue which blend to give about 16 million colors. But this is only possible if the adapter is used. Flat-bed devices often lack digital ICE technology. Digital ICE cleans dust and scratches and makes sure it is not printed. It has a low-quality image processing program that blurs and over sharpens the image thereby reducing the resolution.
Is an photo scanner with a feeder always better?
The creased photo can be stuck in the roller of the one with a feeder, hindering its function. If the picture has to pass the roller it needs to have no creases or bent corners. The artwork on canvas and illustration board can only be scanned with the flat-bed scanner as the tray is not thick and wide enough; running them through can crack the rollers. Even a book cannot be scanned in it because it can scan only the stash if images; a book is too thick for tray too. A flatbed scanner can also scan large size images in 9 folds, which later are joined and saved whereas a feeder scanner has only one side of the tray.
