Scanners
What We Use
Most homes have a multi-purpose printer/copier/scanner that will do a reasonable job with photos. We wanted to offer something with a higher quality result that processes images at a faster speed.
As we reviewed different tools on the market we selected the highest quality pro-sumer-level tools that were able to meet our testing requirements.
Photo Scanner
For photographs we primarily use the Epson FF-640w scanner. This automatically scans the front and back of each photo at up to 1200 DPI (standard scan is 600) and a color bit depth up to 48-bit. This also allows for high speed processing at about 2 seconds for a 4x6 photo.
The software can provide an additional image that automatically enhances the photos for brightness, contrast, saturation, red-eye removal, and restoration of faded colors.
Slides and Negatives
We use the Epson v800 for any manual scanning, which is primarily slides and negatives (though we can use it for select high-quality prints). It offers:
- 6400 dpi optical resolution (output up to 12800 dpi)
- 48-bit color depth
- Dual lens system
- Digital ICE automatically removes dust, hair, scratches, and fingerprints
- Handles 35mm slides, 35mm strips, medium format film, and custom film up to 8x10".