Scanner

In short: A scanner digitises paper documents or photos.

In more detail: Flatbed scanners scan the original with a sensor line, sheet-fed scanners pull sheets through.

In Depth

Technology

Resolution in dpi (300 dpi for text, 600 dpi or more for photos), colour depth, interface (USB, LAN). With OCR, text is recognised and becomes searchable.

Related

Barcode scanners, 3D scanners and fingerprint readers. See peripherals, printers.

See also: Peripherals, Printer, USB