The situation is that when I write on a sheet of paper and then scan it, the one from work comes out dark and legible and the one I have at home is substantially lighter. (The scanner at work probably cost between $400 and $1,000. Mine was maybe $125 and is so old I don't recall when I bought it.)
I use the slider set all the way to dark to improve the image, but it's not enough. When my scanner's bulb wears out, I am going to replace it with a new model but it sure won't be expensive. How do I insure that my newest scanner will produce crisp and dark letters for private tutoring? And for that matter, can I improve the image I am now getting on my home scanner?
Here's an old trick my Mom taught me. She used to be a printer for the state. Get a sheet of yellow transparency. Put it in front of the text and lay it face down on the glass. When you scan (be sure you are scanning in black and white or text mode) or xerox, the yellow sheet makes the black really stand out. Many times I have been able to get an outstanding copy of a handwritten page by doing this.
Do you have the quality of printing put on high - don't use photo quality, as that will produce the variations you DON'T WANT. There is also a way from transforming a scanned document into a TEXT document....I wish I could remember the details - I think you save it as "text" - my husband has used it - so try to research that.
Do you have the quality of printing put on high - don't use photo quality, as that will produce the variations you DON'T WANT. There is also a way from transforming a scanned document into a TEXT document....I wish I could remember the details - I think you save it as "text" - my husband has used it - so try to research that.
Most scanners on the market nowadays are designed for photos so they tend to scan text poorly. They are looking for all the gradations. You could probably use a graphics program to change the contrast after you scan it but that would be more work. You might also make sure that you have your scanner set to a "text" mode. Depending on your scanning software, you might have a simple mode and a more advanced mode. Or sometimes it is under document type.
I'm a little confused as to why you are scanning them in and using them for tutoring. Are you scanning and then printing them out using your printer? If you are just looking for nice dark text, a photcopier would be the best way to go. Inkjet printer ink is very expensive and laser printer toner is better but not by much. You might want to keep track of how much it would cost to take them to a copy shop versus how many prints you get out of your cartridge. Most printers keep statistics about how many prints or have average prints per cartridge with the other specifications.
If you need more info, feel free to contact me directly through ThriftyFun. I worked for Kinko's for 10 years and have been using scanners longer than that.
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