What Are You Scanning?
Do you have 4-by-6-inch photos, 8-by-10-inch or larger photos, tiny transparencies, or negatives? Do you have all of these? If so, a flatbed scanner with a film adapter is for you. However, if you plan to scan transparencies only, you can buy a small transparency scanner.
You may need a letter-size or larger flatbed scanner if you plan to scan large photos or documents. However, if you have a stack of hundreds of transparencies or negatives, you may want to go with a scanner designed specifically for that purpose.
Clean your photos, negatives, or transparencies before you scan. If you don't, the scanner can pick up every dust speck.
Resolution Options
Scanner resolution is usually listed in dots per inch (dpi). In general, 300 dpi is sufficient for most purposes. For exceptionally high quality, 1200 dpi is necessary. If you plan to enlarge a digital scan at some point, 3200 dpi is a safe resolution unless you plan to cover the side of a truck with the image. However, if you plan to post photos on the internet, use a lower resolution—150 dpi should cover it.
Speed
If you plan to do a lot of scanning, the speed of the scanner factors into your decision. Manufacturer specifications typically include the speed of scanners on their websites. Check there and compare your favorites.
Types of Photo Scanners
Several types of scanners are available, each ideal for distinct scanning tasks. Knowing what you plan to scan, how quickly, and at what resolution will make it easier for you to decide what sort of scanner is right for you.
Drum Scanners
The best and most expensive photo scanners are drum scanners, but only specialized imaging bureaus can afford those.
Flatbed Scanners
High-resolution flatbed scanners meet most high-quality scanning needs. Not only do these scan at ultra-high resolutions, these scanners frequently come with a set of adapters for scanning transparencies, slides, film, and negatives, as well as photo-enhancing and correction software.
Budget Flatbed Scanners
Don't overlook the selection of budget flatbed scanners that are available for around $100. These aren't the largest or fastest and don't help scan transparencies. However, these scanners do the trick for daily photo and document scanning.
Sheetfed Scanners
Sheetfed scanners tend to be smaller than flatbed scanners and work as the name implies: You feed a document or photo into one end, and it pulls the page through to scan it. Unless it comes with an automatic document feeder (ADF), you'll have to insert every sheet manually. They aren't ideal for photos as they tend not to support higher resolutions, but a Sheetfed scanner could work if you want something simple that doesn't take up a lot of room.
All-in-Ones
If you have an all-in-one printer, you may have a scanner. Get out the printer documentation and find the scanner specifications. Many all-in-one printer scanners go as high as 1200 dpi. It may be able to meet your document scanning needs and photo needs.
Portable Scanners
Portable and pen scanners work fine for simple document and receipt scanning and often require you to move them over the item you're scanning manually. They aren't suitable for photos unless you have only a few small images to scan.
Scanner Variations
We can group some types of scanners—for example, drum scanners and roller scanners, or portable scanners and hand scanners—but there are even more variations.
Film Scanners
Film scanners specialize in scanning film and negatives. They're not a good fit for scanning documents, developed photos, or other images.
Keyboard Document Scanners
Some scanners are built just for documents (i.e., text), and some of those scanners are built into a computer keyboard. They don't offer any additional functionality over other types of scanners, but because they're inside your keyboard, they're always within reach and don't take up much desk space.
Scanner Apps
Many apps available for various smartphone models can effectively turn them (or rather, their built-in cameras) into a kind of scanner. Functionality and effectiveness will depend on the software, but some apps like Adobe Scan claim to be able to scan just about anything.
Orbital Scanner
Orbital scanners (aka planetary scanners) aren't as science fiction-y as they sound. They're very similar to any other image scanner, with one significant difference: They've been designed to work without making physical contact. And that's because they're most often used to scan rare, damaged, or fragile books that could be destroyed if placed in a more traditional scanner.
3D Scanners
These are not the best choice for scanning photos, but a much better option for three-dimensional objects. Not all 3D scanners are built the same and may approach the process differently, but if you need to import the digital likeness of something, it's the way to go.
Who Should Buy a Photo Scanner?
With so much imagery and writing being created digitally, it's unlikely that most people will need a photo scanner. However, while their usefulness can be very situational, they're also definitely good to have around if you need them.
Anyone who might find themselves in a situation where they'll need to digitize multiple photos for an extended period (or even just in a creative field) should consider getting a photo scanner. Art students, librarians, research graduates, science majors, crafters, reporters—if one or two trips to a publicly available scanner or scanning service won't cut it, think about getting your own.
What to Do After You Buy a Photo Scanner
The first thing you'll want to do after getting your photo scanner is set it up and test it out. Play around with the settings on the scanner and the software you're using. Doing this will give you an idea of its capabilities and help you figure out what kind of configurations work best for what you need.
More Tips
Keep an eye on your files. When hooked up to a computer, many scanners will save the raw scanned images separately, leading to the hard drive filling up much faster than expected.
Transfer your scans from time to time. Digital scans can take up a lot of room—especially if you're scanning at a very high resolution. If able, you should periodically copy the scans you want to keep (but don't necessarily need to use all the time) to external media like a DVD or USB thumb drive.
You probably don't need max settings. Tempting as it may be to scan everything at the highest dpi and resolution your scanner will allow, that's usually not necessary. High resolutions are vital if you want to preserve important photos, but unless you're designing a billboard, you won't need to save something at 2000+ dpi. Around 600 dpi is preferable for saving pictures, with higher values best saved for either professional print projects or archival purposes.
FAQ
How do I scan photos without a scanner?
If you don't have a scanner but you need to digitize a photo, you can use your phone instead. There are several photo-scanning apps available on both Android and iOS, and most modern smartphones can scan documents on their own.
How do scanners work?
Different types of scanners function a little differently, but most use the same methods to capture and digitize data for photos and documents. Some scanners use complex electronics to turn light into electrical charges, which pass through an assortment of lenses, filters, and mirrors. Less expensive or more compact scanners may use hundreds of sensors that capture the image as the LED lights pass over it instead.
Why are my scanned images being cut off?
If your scanned images are incomplete, that means they're being cropped incorrectly. The specific steps to adjust crop settings may differ based on the scanner model and manufacturer, but you'll want to make sure the document size is correct. Some scanners also have an automatic detection feature for page sizes.
How do I add a watermark to a scanned image?
Some scanner models have a built-in watermark feature you can use to automatically add a watermark to anything you scan. You can also manually add a watermark to scanned images after they've been scanned by using image editing software.
The explosion of e-commerce sites has changed how we shop today, providing access to millions of online stores with almost unlimited selections.
Just as you would take basic precautions in a brick-and-mortar store — perhaps hiding your PIN number while paying and making sure the business is legitimate — you should also practice safe shopping habits online.
Here are eight ways you can avoid fake websites and other online scams and ensure that you’re dealing with legitimate companies and safe online stores.
One of the best ways to tell if an online store is legit and avoid debit and credit card scams, domain name and subdomain name takeovers, and other problems is with a free and effective download like McAfee WebAdvisor.
This smart tool helps you surf and shop with confidence, protecting you from malicious sites that can contain:
Adware:
Pop-ups
that might be infected with
malware
Spyware:
Software downloaded without the user’s consent, perhaps passing on sensitive personal information to advertisers or cybercriminals.
Viruses:
Pieces of code that can copy themselves and typically have a negative effect, such as slowing down your system or destroying data
Phishing
scams
:
When
hackers
send duplicitous emails designed to trick people into falling for a
scam
to reveal financial information, system credentials, or other sensitive data
McAfee WebAdvisor is a free browser extension that downloads quickly and installs easily, working in the background automatically to protect you from malware and phishing as you surf, search, and enjoy online shopping.
McAfee WebAdvisor works with Windows 10, 8.1, 8, and 7 (32- and 64-bit) computers and is compatible with these browsers:
Internet Explorer 10.0 or later
Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based)
Microsoft Edge (Windows 10 only; Fall Creators Update required)
Mozilla Firefox
Chrome
Here are other ways to make sure you know when you’re dealing with scammers online.
When checking an e-commerce site’s credentials, start with the address bar. Often, hackers will use URLs that are very close to the real site’s URL but not quite the same. Look for typos or use Google to see if a search takes you to the same page. Also, look for a padlock icon in the address bar.
Click the padlock and look at the drop-down menu that provides information, such as if the site has a valid certificate like SSL (verifying that the web address belongs to the company), how many cookies are in use, other site settings, and whether your information is safe when sent to this site.
The protection is pretty good but not perfect since some cybercriminals have been able to replicate these padlocks or take over legitimate sites that have them.
Trust seals, such as the TrustedSite certification, are stamps created by a certificate authority (CA) to confirm the legitimacy of a site. A trust seal tells visitors that they are on a safe site and the company that displays the mark prioritizes cybersecurity. Click on it, and you should be taken to a webpage that verifies the authenticity of the trust seal.
Google’s Safe Browsing technology crawls through billions of web addresses every day on the lookout for unsafe websites. The technology discovers thousands daily — often legitimate sites that have been compromised. Warnings for unsafe sites pop up in your browser and on the Google search engine. You can also search specific URLs to see if a site has been compromised.
It’s worth checking a company on social media to see if they appear to have a genuine following and legitimate posts. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) also has suggestions for spotting fake social media accounts, including those on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You should look for:
Accounts with poor or no content and stock or recycled images
Poor engagement with followers
Lack of transparency about who runs the account
Phony reviews
Links to
phishing
scams
and
malware
Another way to test the legitimacy of an online retail store is to check its contact information. Does it have a physical address, phone number, and email contact? Does the email address on the contact page have the company domain name in it, or is it generic (like a Gmail address)? If you send an email, does it get delivered?
Check to see if the e-commerce site looks as if it has been professionally produced or whether it has been thrown together with slapdash results. Are there typos, grammar errors, poor-quality images, and a sloppy design? Does it have a poorly worded return policy or no return policy at all?
All the things that undermine the professional appearance and authenticity of a site should be red flags and convince you that you’re on a scam website.
If the online company is a legitimate website (not a scam site) and has been around for a while, there should be authentic third-party reviews from previous customers. Review sites include Google My Business, Amazon, and Yelp.
If the reviews are uniformly bad, on the other hand, you have another type of problem to confront.
Since virtual shopping is fast becoming the new norm, it’s important to guard against cybercriminals that are increasingly targeting retailers and their customers. A great way to shop with confidence is to use McAfee WebAdvisor, which is available as a free download.
The web browser extension works tirelessly in the background to protect you as you browse and buy. Think of it as a gift to yourself so you can use the internet to its full potential while keeping your information protected.
Try McAfee+ today for worry-free, all-in-one online protection for your privacy!
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