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Scan to Go!

Editorial Type: Review     Date: 09-2015    Views: 6095      








Colortrac's new portable scanner, the SmartLF Scan!, is being hailed as a revolutionary step in large format scanning

Imagine you are on-site, and have been discussing the drawings that the builders have been working on, leading to a number of mark-ups being made to bring the model in line with a couple of necessary modifications to the building.

You could, of course, roll the drawings up and take them back to the office, where they could be scanned in and used to modify the model there, but with time pressing you want to update it as soon as possible. You also want to share them with the client, who is keen for a progress update. It’s not a problem though if you happen to have a SmartLF Scan! portable scanner in the back of the car!

Able to fit in an aluminium case that’s about the size of a slim bag of golf clubs, the SmartLF can be unpacked in minutes, and then it’s just a matter of feeding in your A0 documents. These are then captured on the scanner’s solid state memory, ready for download to your laptop. As the scanner features onboard document processing it means that you don’t even have to connect it to your computer to perform the scans.

The SmartLF Scan! is the first truly portable large format scanner, based on Colortrac's patented SingleSensor technology, and works just like a camera, saving scans to its internal memory. Besides providing scanning capabilities for those on the move, it also gives users reliable and affordable scanning capabilities in the office, connecting via plug and play USB.

SELF-CONTAINED SCANNING
Simple operational menus are available, displayed clearly on a small screen to the right of the scanner, each function accessible through simple touch controls. At around half the size of comparable large document scanners, the SmartLF Scan! easily fits on a desk.

With an additional network connection available through a standard Ethernet cable you can place the scanner in the office wherever you want it, positioning it where it's most convenient, and if more than one of you needs to connect to the scanner, that's fine, as it will operate like an office printer with everyone linking directly to the scanner rather than working through a dedicated PC

It also comes with its own tough, wheeled carry case for easy transport, foam-lined to provide additional support for its contents.

TECHNICAL DETAILS
The SmartLF Scan is available in two sizes, with maximum scanning widths of either 24" or 36". Scans are processed and stored in either TGIFF or PDF format, which can be stored in the scanner’s internal solid state memory and transferred to a PC later, stored directly on a USB stick, or transferred via wired Ethernet directly to a network or PC. When it is connected to a PC, additional black and white binary files are available.

Scan files can be viewed using any native Windows app, and a small Windows programme is supplied to receive live or stored scan files from the scanner - which is not required, however, for scanning to USB sticks.

The maximum resolution is an optical resolution of 600dpi, and the scanner uses the DocLogic intelligent image-optimisation system. An A1 scan of drawings or rendered images at 600dpi, with a scanning accuracy of 0.2% or 1 pixel, is a suitable maximum resolution for CAD purposes. Any higher resolution and file sizes would be excessive.

As it stands, the 6Gb of solid state hard drive can hold 8 scans, an adequate number for a day’s work, and if attached to a PC the capacity of the drive is immaterial, as scans can be rotated in and out of memory at will.

The single sensor is a full width straight line contact image sensor, which uses digital imaging technology, illuminated by a bidirectional, long life LED light system for optimal object illumination and instant-on scanning capability. It operates in a 24bit RGB colour space, with greyscale capabilities, and at 200dpi can scan at 4.5 inches per second in greyscale, and 3 inches per second in colour.

WEIGHT AND DIMENSIONS
So just how portable is the scanner? When you see it alongside the more traditional scanners it is extremely portable, with the 24 inch model weighing in at a mere 11.5 lbs, and 34.3 x 6.3 x 5 inches. The aluminium carrying case is only another 11 lbs, and 4 inches or so longer and wider. The 36 inch scanner comes at 15.4 lbs, and is 46.3 x 6.3 x 5 inches, and double the weight with the case. Both scanner cases are wheeled at the trailing end for even easier transportation.



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