Also referred to as a handheld scanner, a portable scanner is a device used to scan documents and transforms them into the high-resolution digital formats of the same documents that users can edit, email, transfer and even store them digitally. The portable scanner works similarly to the flatbed scanner with the key differences being the ease of moving the scanner from point a to b and the size of the devices.
A portable scanner is much smaller than the flatbed scanner. Typically, the portable scanners are usually shaped like a bar and run on batteries. Like with the flatbed scanners, most portable scanners are fitted with control buttons and a display screen on which users can choose the mode that they wish to work in.
If you are looking to pick up a portable scanner of your own, you should read our comprehensive guide: The Best Portable Scanners (Rechargeable and Battery Powered)
How It Works
Like the flatbed scanners, portable scanners work by changing electronic signals produced by the device into digital data. A detector array forms the core of the scanner, and it is fitted with several small light sensors which run across the length of the scanner and illuminate a document that is being passed through the scanner. While the document is being passed through the scanner, the text, as well as images on it, are picked up as a set of light points that are converted into grayscale and color signals to create the digital data. To maintain the correct image scale, the scanner’s rollers measure the length of the documents as it passes through. The conversion of light points into grayscale and color signals mentioned above can be attributed to the scanner’s electronic circuitry. For every color combination level, i.e. RGB or gray colors, the scanners circuitry assigns a numeric value and stores the numbers as digital data records in a secure digital card or any other portable storage device.
Scanner Software
Portable scanners typically function with the help of two different software and internal inbuilt software and external software. The internally installed software ensures every internal aspect of the device, such as memory organization is running smoothly. The software ensures that the scanner delivers the best scan quality, prompting users to rescan documents in case issues are detected during the scan. The internal software also conducts other activities such as processing images captured by the detector array into file readable formats such as JPEG amongst others.
The second internal software is what users install on their computers and acts as an operational interface between the two devices. The external software facilitates users to conduct additional processing tasks such as cropping, color correcting, editing, brightening, and fixing contrast issues on the digital files. Different portable scanners have different operational capabilities, and while some only conduct the basic processing functions, others can perform more complex tasks such as an image to text conversion and OCR type processing.
Conclusion
Portable scanners function exactly as their desktop versions, with some even exceeding the basic functions of some of the larger counterparts. If a portable scanner is something you were considering and you were worried about the functionalities, you can rest be assured that you’ll not be shortchanged as far as functionality goes.