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A3 / 11 x 17 flatbed scanner

Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2014 12:35 pm
by Captain Ned
Title says it all. Google only finds very spendy graphics arts units and two horribly-reviewed Mustek jobs (given how many are on FleaBay, the reviews are probably on-target). Anyone got any ideas? Not adverse to an AIO as long as it has the requisite scanner size and will run as a scanner without ink installed (I need 2 printers like I need another teenager). New is not necessary.

EDIT: Looking to digitize in high quality this little slice of Cold War history. 'Twas my father's back when he was in the silo. It's got a bunch of 11x17 foldouts. The red margins are the "emergency" section. And yes, I verified with Dad that the classified sections are still in the silo.

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Re: A3 / 11 x 17 flatbed scanner

Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2014 12:57 pm
by TheEmrys
Made a post on Dyxum for you. I figure a bunch of photographers may have better ideas than most. They sure print A3's enough......

Re: A3 / 11 x 17 flatbed scanner

Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2014 7:05 pm
by JustAnEngineer
All of our copiers at work are 11x17" scanners and network printers as well. I toss 11x17" pages onto the document feeder, press the fax/scan button, then select my e-mail address from the touchscreen and press start. 15 seconds later, it's in my inbox as a .pdf file.

What would Kinkos charge you?

Re: A3 / 11 x 17 flatbed scanner

Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2014 9:02 pm
by continuum
Epson Expression 10000XL's are what we normally recommend, but yeah those are $2k a pop at least.

DIY book scanners using a stand and a camera might be more what you need...

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/02/ ... you-think/

Re: A3 / 11 x 17 flatbed scanner

Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2014 9:07 pm
by Usacomp2k3
Do you think they'd go through an ADF? I'm in the same boat as JAE. I use the one at work. Scans at ~30 11x17 pages/minute. If you want to send it my way I'll be happy to run it through my machine after work one day. Seems silly to buy a scanner for a 1-time deal.

The other option would be to check around your local historical society. I know the one my mother-in-law helps manage will scan historical stuff for free as long as you let them add it to their archive as well.

Re: A3 / 11 x 17 flatbed scanner

Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2014 10:13 pm
by Flying Fox
Those networked copier/printer/scanner usually only goes up to 600dpi, no? I would have thought for this historical archival purpose we would want something higher?

Re: A3 / 11 x 17 flatbed scanner

Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2014 10:40 pm
by Usacomp2k3
Flying Fox wrote:
Those networked copier/printer/scanner usually only goes up to 600dpi, no? I would have thought for this historical archival purpose we would want something higher?

Yup, ours is only 600dpi.

Re: A3 / 11 x 17 flatbed scanner

Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2014 2:35 am
by Airmantharp
continuum wrote:
Epson Expression 10000XL's are what we normally recommend, but yeah those are $2k a pop at least.

DIY book scanners using a stand and a camera might be more what you need...

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/02/ ... you-think/


This is where I'd be going with it. Most 50mm macro lenses were designed with very flat fields of focus for this purpose specifically, and if you're consistent, the processing side can be made to go very quickly (or at least hands-off).

Re: A3 / 11 x 17 flatbed scanner

Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2014 5:23 am
by Captain Ned
Flying Fox wrote:
Those networked copier/printer/scanner usually only goes up to 600dpi, no? I would have thought for this historical archival purpose we would want something higher?

I'd have tp flip through every page but aren't any color pictures or other half-tone stuff, just line drawings, so 600 or 1200 my be all I need to get the job done. 99% of the thing looks like it came off an old manual typewriter (which the production copy most certainly did).

Re: A3 / 11 x 17 flatbed scanner

Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2014 2:15 pm
by Flatland_Spider
I bought the A3 2400S for work, and it works fine. The software is very basic, it doesn't have TWAIN support, and Linux support is awful, but it works without having to spend $4,000.

Re: A3 / 11 x 17 flatbed scanner

Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2014 2:25 pm
by Captain Ned
Flatland_Spider wrote:
I bought the A3 2400S for work, and it works fine. The software is very basic, it doesn't have TWAIN support, and Linux support is awful, but it works without having to spend $4,000.

I presume you're talking about the Mustek?

Re: A3 / 11 x 17 flatbed scanner

Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2014 2:39 pm
by cynan
Flying Fox wrote:
Those networked copier/printer/scanner usually only goes up to 600dpi, no? I would have thought for this historical archival purpose we would want something higher?


Not sure why you'd need >600 dpi for this kind of work. Besides, using one of those camera-based book scanners, you'd be lucky to get much over 300dpi, and that's with a >18MP sensor. For example, at 11x17, the 16.6 MP sensor in a Canon 1D will get about 295dpi

Re: A3 / 11 x 17 flatbed scanner

Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2014 2:56 pm
by Flatland_Spider
Captain Ned wrote:
Flatland_Spider wrote:
I bought the A3 2400S for work, and it works fine. The software is very basic, it doesn't have TWAIN support, and Linux support is awful, but it works without having to spend $4,000.

I presume you're talking about the Mustek?


Yes.

Re: A3 / 11 x 17 flatbed scanner

Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2014 5:05 pm
by Captain Ned
Just checked. Straight early 60's typewriter & line art, much like most of the early NASA stuff. 600x600 will be all this needs and I found an HP AIO A3 that does 1200x1200 (though only 300x300 from the feeder, which will be OK for the typewriter pages). Don't need the printer but a colleague tells me it will scan without the ink carts installed, it's got a document feeder, and it's the same price as the Mustek (which has no feeder). A few flip-outs are really big and will have to go to Kinko's or a local blueprint house I've an in with, but I think I'm on my way.

http://www.amazon.com/HP-OJ-7610-Wirele ... ds=hp+7610

At that price with Amazon Prime (I could be a real dick about this) I think I have a winner. I may even decide to keep it.

Re: A3 / 11 x 17 flatbed scanner

Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 12:22 am
by Starfalcon
YMMV but I bought one of those HP all in ones 3 years ago for my mom. She used the printer maybe 3 times and the scanner not at all in 2 years. It basically broke when she used the printer the 4th time and was completely DOA. Out of warranty at that point, and was an expensive paperweight.

Re: A3 / 11 x 17 flatbed scanner

Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 12:37 am
by Captain Ned
Starfalcon wrote:
YMMV but I bought one of those HP all in ones 3 years ago for my mom. She used the printer maybe 3 times and the scanner not at all in 2 years. It basically broke when she used the printer the 4th time and was completely DOA. Out of warranty at that point, and was an expensive paperweight.

I have no intention of removing the print head or the ink carts out of the box, as I'm told the unit will scan without them. Got a perfectly good Brother color laser and won't spend on ink-jet again ever for printing. Got 30 days on an Amazon Prime return as long as I don't touch the consumables.

Re: A3 / 11 x 17 flatbed scanner

Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 12:43 am
by Airmantharp
Starfalcon wrote:
YMMV but I bought one of those HP all in ones 3 years ago for my mom. She used the printer maybe 3 times and the scanner not at all in 2 years. It basically broke when she used the printer the 4th time and was completely DOA. Out of warranty at that point, and was an expensive paperweight.


Bought a Canon for the same price, MX882, still going strong :).


(though I would expect better from HP than what your mother experienced)

Re: A3 / 11 x 17 flatbed scanner

Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 11:02 pm
by the
Owner of a Mustek A3 2400 here and haven't had any problems. Quality is generally better than all-in-one solutions. I'm pretty sure there is a TWAIN driver for it.