A scanner is a device that captures images from photographic prints, posters, magazine pages, and similar sources for computer editing and display. It works by converting the image on the document into digital information that can be stored on a computer through optical character recognition (OCR). The scanning head uses one or more sensors to capture the image as light or electrical charges, and the document scanner moves either the physical document or the scanning head, depending on the type of scanner. Scanners usually attach to a computer system and come with scanning software applications that let you resize and otherwise modify a captured image.
There are different types of scanners available, including handheld, feed-in, and flatbed types, and they can be used for scanning black-and-white or color documents. Handheld scanners are portable scanners that are smaller than flatbed scanners and are designed for scanning documents on the go, such as newspaper articles or printed photos. 3D scanners are a bit different than traditional scanners in that they collect distance point measurements from a real-world object and translate them into a virtual 3D object.
Scanners are used for various purposes, including copying, sharing photos, and digital archiving. They can be used to make multiple copies of a poster, brochure, worksheet, or other document so that it can be printed as many times as necessary. Scanners can also be used to share hard copy photos with friends and relatives through the internet. Digital archiving is a technique for creating and storing digital copies of hard copies of documents, including business records, tax paperwork, personal documents, and family letters.
In summary, a scanner is an electronic device that reads and converts documents such as photos and pages of text into a digital signal that can be viewed and edited on a computer. It is a crucial piece of computer hardware that uses light sensor technology to scan and transform a physical image or document into a digital one that can be read by a computer.
