What is a scanner and what is it for in basic computing

There are different types of scanners, which differ in design and function. If you want to know how they are classified, we invite you to continue reading this article.

But this is not the only thing we will talk about, we will also show you how it works when a document or images are digitized. In addition, we will introduce you to the best scanner manufacturers. Do not miss anything.

What is a scanner and what is it for on a computer?

A scanner is a piece of hardware that is used as a computer peripheral to digitize documents or images by means of light. At present you can choose so that the result is in color or black and white.

Anyone can access the digitized files, since no special programs are needed for the computer to read this information. Its use is frequent when it is necessary to share paper documents with other users by means of a file in PDF format.

To install it, a CD or a link is required to download the software that executes the functions of the scanner. Then, you will need to plug it into the electrical current and connect it to the computer through a USB port.

What are all the types of scanners out there and how are they different?

These are:

By hand: they are characterized by having a small size that can be dragged by the image to be digitized. In this way, you will be able to scan documents or any other 3D object, you only need to press the start button, cover the entire surface and keep your hand as stable as possible so that the result is optimal.
Flatbed scanner: this type of peripheral is the best known. It has a system in which the sheet or image must be deposited with the content facing down and then lower a lid to avoid visual discomfort due to strong light. Its size can include sheets, legal or letter.
Rotary: this type of scanner is used for professional jobs that are aimed at graphic design. They are characterized by having a much larger size than the previous models and the graphic resolution of the digitized results is of high quality

How do scanners work to digitize documents and images?

If you want to know how scanners work to digitize images or documents, read on. We show it below:

Image scanning

When an image is scanned, the peripheral sends an RGB image to the computer via a cable connection, which can be edited by other photo manipulation programs, such as Photoshop.

The scanner applies a certain algorithm and resolves the color depth through a scanned reader to provide an image larger to smaller than 24 bits. This will result in sorting into small or large images.

Then, it is sent to a predetermined file on the computer so that the user can work with the digitized image. The transfer rate can reach, in the most modern equipment, up to 60 megapixels per second, so the process of obtaining results is practically fast.

Document scanning

To digitize a document you can do it with any common scanner, since the resolution of the files is between 150 to 300 pixels per inch. They are generally done in black and white, but this does not imply that they cannot be done in color.

The average speed is up to 60 pages every 60 seconds, with the possibility of scanning each sheet on both sides. OCR technology is used so that they can be editable in TIFF format, but they can also be in JPEG, PDF and PNG format.

In this way, when light is reflected on the document, it transforms it into electrical signals so that the paper is registered in the file.

Date update on 2021-03-29. Date published on 2021-03-29. Category: Computer class Author: Oscar olg Fuente: internetpasoapaso