For those unfamiliar with a high speed scanner, a high speed scanner is a mechanical and electronic device capable of turning printed pages into digital copy that can be read by a computer. Hi-speed scanners have become an important part of the office over the last few years.

The basic principle of a scanner is to analyze an image and process it in some way. Image and text capture (optical character recognition or OCR) allow you to save information to a file on your computer. You can then alter or enhance the image, print it out or use it on a intranet or web site. There are four major types of document scanners: flatbed, sheet-fed and hand-held.

Unlike days past, the hi speed scanner of today can turn these pages into digital matter in just a few minutes. Some scanners are capable of converting up to 60 pages of print and 30 pages of photographs into scanned material in under one minute.

There are many types of high speed scanners on the market. Prices vary for each scanner based on the extras that come with them, including software bundles, types of rollers used and types of inks. Before choosing your own hi speed scanner, there are three considerations.

1. What type of requirements does your system have? You will need a different type of scanner for home use than you would need for heavy business use. For example, most home computers are now equipped with 64-bit technology, such as Windows 7 and Windows Server 2003. A 32-bit scanner, such as those used with office servers such as Windows XP, 2000 and ME will not work with 64-bit applications.

2. Know the four features most scanners are classified by. These include:

• Resolution- Normal resolution for home use is generally in the 1200-dpi range. While some businesses may use this resolution range, those who scan high resolution photographs, such as photography studios, web and marketing firms and printers, will need a higher resolution for their business.

• Color-Depth- Commonly called bit-depth, the color-depth refers to the quality of color images produced by scanners. Those who produce 30-bit and 36-bit color-depth produce a higher color range and depth than those scanners who produce 24-bit. 24-bit is the most common color-depth and is generally used in home scanners.

• Dynamic Range- The dynamic range of a scanner is the range of tones the scanner is capable of producing. The higher the dynamic range, the sharper the image, for both print words and photographs.

• Speed- A high speed printer should be able to produce a vast amount of pages in under one minute.

3. Know the amount of money you have to spend. Fit your scanner into your budget. If the scanner you are considering purchasing is out of range, try to see which area you can make a compromise. For example, if you are not in a business where you will be needing high-resolution photographs, you can cut back on your color-depth.