Understanding Scanners

These documents build on each other. You should read them in order.

The documents on this page are provided to help you understand basic concepts of scanning. Some of them use language and terminology you may not yet be familiar with. We suggest that you print and retain them for further study offline. If you have one or two simple questions concerning material in these documents, our Technical Support personnel will be happy to assist you; however, we request that you not ask for numerous detailed explanations of this material over the telephone. For additional study, look for books on scanning and image editing in the book section of your local computer store.

Understanding TWAIN Drivers

Understanding Scanner Mechanics, Scan Modes and Interpolation

Understanding File Formats

Understanding OCR

Resolution and Color Depth Issues (24-bit vs. 30-bit)