Large Format Scanners – What Kinds of Documents?

Large Format Scanners – What Kinds of Documents?

Some large format scanners are designed to handle very specific types of documents properly, while some other large format scanners offer higher degrees of versatility and the ability to scan just about anything. Before you purchase a large format scanner, consider what kind of documents you need to scan or copy.

Some of the types of drawings you may need to scan include:

• Technical Drawings
• Maps
• Photos and Artwork

Technical drawings, including CAD plots, sketches, planning maps, or other documents with line information are the most common documents scanned, as most manufacturing, design, and construction plans are designed in large format. So logically, most wide format scanners can capture this type of content. But don’t forget that the media type is also very important. Many old drawings are printed on anything from plain paper to linen to long-life materials like Mylar. They are also commonly stored rolled, folded, or hanging to save space in the pre-digital age.

Since maps are also the commonly simple large format in size, most scanners can scan handle these documents very well. But the same rules apply as above – the media type and condition are very important. When scanning maps for data or feature extraction, the accuracy of the scanner is often criticized as well. Some maps are also more photographic – with smooth color transitions and high color detail. As with technical line drawings, you may also have maps with very fine lines and text that require a higher quality scan to reproduce accurately.

Photos, Artwork, and other graphics-based documents are often the most demanding of a scanner’s versatility as they cover a wider range of media types and usually require high levels of color accuracy to preserve the detail of the original. A versatile large format scanner can handle very thick or very thin media while preserving correct colors and shading and capturing fine lines just as well.

Don’t forget to consider your primary use for the scanner; If you need to serve customers that span across different industries, with different documents, you also need a more flexible solution to keep their business or expand your services. However, if your office is only scanning plain paper CAD plots with some color markup, then you don’t need the added capability to “scan it all”.