Scanner Recommendations?

[bigzero2201]

Hello!

Even though I use a Cintiq, I have found that I would also like to scan drawings on paper into TV Paint.

Does anyone have any recommendations for a scanner? I use Windows 7 and I do not need automatic paper feed.
(But if your scanner has an automatic paper feed and works well with TVP, please let me know about it.)

I would especially like to find a scanner that scans 11 inches X 17 inches that costs less than 1,000 dollars US.

I am looking at the Mustek A3 2400S. Has anyone used it?

Thanks for your help!

[slowtiger]

Haven't used this one, but 20 yrs ago we had a Mustek A3 scanner in the studio and it worked flawlessly. I'd say give it a go, for about 300.- € it's a bargain anyway.

[D.T. Nethery]

Epson WF 7720 - https://epson.com/For-Work/Printers/Ink ... C11CG37201

Best prices are on Amazon.

It has a Flatbed scanner and an Auto-Document Feeder .

[slowtiger]

I wonder if that scanner still works if the ink is running low ...

[neonnoodle]

I wonder if that scanner still works if the ink is running low ...

I assume you meant this as a joke but my Brother all-in-one does give me low-ink warnings, but the scan function is unaffected. It's silly that this would even be a question but it is!

[D.T. Nethery]

I've used Brother MFC 6490-CW All-in-One and the Epson Workforce WF-7720 All-in-One printer/scanners and both will scan with low-ink or no-ink.

[slowtiger]

Excellent! I've used smaller Epson scanners for years, always good quality.

[D.T. Nethery]

Epson WF 7720 - https://epson.com/For-Work/Printers/Ink ... C11CG37201

Best prices are on Amazon.

It has a Flatbed scanner and an Auto-Document Feeder .

Because this topic pops up again a few years later I thought I should mention that the Epson WF-7720 is discontinued now . The replacement is Epson WF-7820 or WF-7840 .

https://epson.com/For-Work/Printers/Ink ... C11CH67201

https://epson.com/For-Work/Printers/Ink ... C11CH78201

[Hironori Takagi]

Finding a scanner that supports ISO216 A3 paper size (420mm*297mm, about 17 inches long side) is a difficult task even in Japan.
Epson sells a non-graphics flatbed scanner called the DS-50000 that sells for a little over $1000 and can be found in a relatively large number of studios.
https://www.epson.co.uk/en_GB/products/ ... 00/p/11453

In recent years, the KODAK Alaris auto sheet feeder scanner i3000 series has been increasing the share of Japanese animation studios.
This scanner is not good at aligning the image size, position, and tilt, so there is also a background that Peghole Stabilize is enhanced in TVPaint.
This is difficult for individuals to purchase, and there are many cases where it is introduced in a lease agreement.
https://support.alarisworld.com/en-gb/i3450-scanner

The situation in Japan may be unusual.

[D.T. Nethery]

The Epson Workforce scanners I mentioned ( Epson WF-7820 or WF-7840 ) are not high-speed scanners (only about 16 - 25 pages per minute), but they work well enough. I'm not sure how well they would hold up under heavy animation production (scanning thousands of drawings over a long time).

At studios I have worked for in the past , the preferred high-speed scanners were made by Fujitsu. (NOTE: it has been announced that as of April 2023 all Fujitsu scanners will be rebranded as Ricoh products.) When purchased new these high-speed Fujitsu production scanners cost in the $3,000 - $6,000 (USD) range.

Fujitsu fi-5530C2 and Fujitsu fi-5750C are two models of high-speed scanner that I've worked with in the past. These were quite reliable (but required constant cleaning to keep the rollers from becoming dirty -- graphite dust from the drawings would tend to get caught on the rollers , which would produce grey streaks on the scans if the rollers were not kept clean) . They can scan between 60 -100 pages per minute, depending on the scanning resolution.

Used Fujitsu fi-5530C2 and Fujitsu fi-5750C can be found on eBay in the $180 - $300 range (some refurbished with a limited warranty, which cost more) , but I think keeping the scan drivers up to date could be a problem as these are no longer supported products by Fujitsu. (VueScan scanning software does support those Fujitsu models) Other scanners in the Fujitsu fi-6000 and fi-7000 series are similar. Be sure to double-check that the maximum scan size is A3 (17" x 11.7") . Some of the Fujitsu fi- series have max. scan size of A4 (11" x 8.5") . This is ok if you don't mind working on smaller letter-size paper , but for traditional industry-standard "12 Field' or "16 Field" paper you need the larger scan area. 12 Field paper is 12.5" x 10.5" . 16 Field paper is 16.5" x 13.5" , so to use 16 Field paper with these scanners you must trim the 16 Field paper so it loses about 2 inches off the top. This is fine if you are working in 16:9 aspect ratio.

https://www.hamrick.com/vuescan/fujitsu ... nformation

https://www.hamrick.com/vuescan/fujitsu ... nformation


Here is the Fujitsu fi-5750c scanner in action -

https://youtu.be/SHqEmCpB83o





This is the Fujitsu fi-5530C2 scanner in action -

https://youtu.be/4xAQZFYPYlM


(this video is comparing the speed of the scanner with capturing the drawings via digital camera on a downshooter,
seen in the upper left of the video)


.