The forces that are pushing them out of the graphics department and onto more desktops are cheaper photo-quality technology and the Web. Our goal was to sample the technology and the image quality now available across the full price range. All models were color scanners, but that was the only similarity. Bit depth refers to the number of bits assigned to describe the color of each pixel captured from the page. That means each pixel captured has three sets of color information adding up to a total of 30 bits.
Extra bits ensure greater color accuracy and detail.
A 30-bit scanner is capable of capturing 1.87 million colors. With the six extra bits, a 36-bit scanner can differentiate 68.7 million colors. The extra colors improve detail and realism. How the scanner connects to the PC can matter just as much as image quality. The three common connection types affect your budget, your results and your patience.