As a creative person, your time shouldn’t be spent on figuring out the best scanners for art prints. Instead, you are better off using your time to make your drawings or illustrations. However, one of the major challenges that artists face is picking a good, reliable and quality scanner that can print their work while ensuring that every detail of their artwork is captured.

Making it in the arts field is already hard enough hence why you need the right equipment to ensure that the work you produce is stellar. But what is more important is to provide that you can have your work in a digital format whether it’s for safekeeping or you want to share or sell it. That said, to ensure you get nothing but the best scanner for your art prints without as much as a hassle, we have reviewed some of the best scanners for art prints that you can purchase. Read on.

1. Plustek A3 OS 1180 Scanner

Plustek A3

Intro

The Plustek A3 OS 1180 is the perfect large format flatbed scanner for artists who are keen on making art prints. What makes it more likable is the fact that it is affordable and can be used by both newbies as well as advanced artists.

Pros

  • Offers excellent value and is affordable
  • Perfect for making A3 scans
  • Ideal for scanning illustration books as it can scan two pages of a spread book, scrapbooks or magazines as well
  • The design has an LED light source allowing you to scan without the scanner having to warm up
  • The LED light also delivers high-quality images with each scan
  • Has a shorter scan time of 300DPI for both grayscale and color scanning with each scan time lasting 9 and 15 seconds respectively
  • Has a scan, OCR, PDF and email scan button which makes scanning really easy and simple
  • Optical resolution of 1200 dpi with a 48-bit color and 16-bit grayscale

Cons

  • The color accuracy passes as just okay
  • Has a basic software
  • While it is affordable and has some decent resolution, may not be the best scanner for serious artists

2. Fujitsu ScanSnap SV600 Overhead Scanner

Fujitsu ScanSnap SV600

Intro

The Fujitsu ScanSnap SV600 Overhead scanner is among the best scanners for delicate art prints that shouldn’t be scanned through traditional scanners. Its overhead design has a lot of benefits and allows you to scan more than just your art prints.

Pros

  • Comfortably scan your work without having to worry about damaging your art prints thanks to the overhead design
  • It has a page-turning detection that will come in handy for most illustrators given that you don’t need to hit the scan button as the scanner automatically detects a page turn
  • Has a software that offers various enhancement features
  • Ability to scan multiple documents at once
  • Its versatile imaging technology has a deep depth of field lens that allows for smooth and clean images
  • Ability to scan an artwork in just 3 seconds
  • Provides for the removal of fingers captured during scanning
  • A good quality scanner

Cons

  • The resolution isn’t the best when you want high-quality images
  • Color accuracy may not be the best for most people
  • The software enhancement features may in some instances worsen the scans given the low resolution

3. Epson Perfection V850 Pro

Epson Perfect V850 Pro

Intro

Epson is one of the well-known brands for years in the scanner space. Epson scanners are known for clear images and have a high dpi resolution which guarantees its customers quality images.

Pros

  • First off, customers get to enjoy using a scanner that is made by a reputable company
  • The scanner is able to pick on subtle details such as fine shadows
  • The design has a dual lens system which, depending on what is being scanned, will use the lens that will result in the best quality
  • Ability to automatically remove scratches and dust hence saving you time when it comes to making edits on programs such as Photoshop afterward
  • You don’t have to wait for the scanner to warm up as the LED light source enables you to scan faster
  • Users can also scan film easily given the four holders it has to accommodate the film
  • Comes with a software that controls shadows/highlights, sharpening, scaling, selective and global color, gradations among others
  • Boasts of a dpi resolution of 6400
  • High-quality images with stunning clarity

Cons

  • It is quite pricey
  • Compatible with some Windows and Mac OS operating system
  • Setup can be a bit challenging

4. Canon CanoScan LiDE220

Intro

Canon is another established player in the scanner business. The Canon CanoScan LiDE220 is even made more interesting thank to the scan to cloud feature that it comes with. It’s also packed with other amazing features that make it worth your money.

Pros

  • The Send to Cloud functionality incorporated allows you to easily upload and save your images in places like Google Drive, Dropbox or Evernote
  • The Auto Scan Mode feature means minimal input from you as it is able to discern whatever it is that you are scanning
  • Easily scan your color illustrations in just 10 seconds
  • Z-Lid expansion top means artists can easily scan thicker art prints
  • Automatic area correction is easily achieved with the Auto Document Fix that produces scans that are easy-to-view and beautiful
  • Compatible with most Windows and OS operating systems
  • Has the EZ buttons that make the scanning process easy and simple by letting you determine your preferred settings when scanning
  • Has a 4800 by 4800 dpi resolution with a 48-bit color depth and more than 281 trillion colors
  • It is affordable

Cons

  • Setting it up can be an arduous task due to the confusing/poor directions
  • The clarity isn’t as most people would like

Final Thoughts

Choosing a scanner can be confusing especially if you are not sure what to look out for. While there are affordable brands out there, some may not be able to meet your requirements especially if you are an advanced artist. That said, ensure that when choosing a scanner for your art prints you consider the maximum resolution, weight as well as size depending on the amount of space you have available.

References:

The Best Scanners for Artwork and Artists in 2020 | SecretAsianMan.com