How to Use Your Personal Scanner at Home

A scanner is something everyone should consider owning. This piece of computer hardware may not be used all the time, but it is a very useful piece of hardware to have on hand. Take for instance if you do not own a fax machine and need to send a document or photo to someone: All you need to do is scan that document or photo into your computer, resize it and email it. Here's how to use your scanner around the home.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Personal Home Computer
• Personal Home Scanner
• Documents or Photos to Scan

Scanning can be Fun!

1. 
   Document on Scanner, Right Justified

   Turn on your scanner. Open the top of your scanner and position your document or photo to be scanned, right justified.

2. 
   Scanner Welcome Window

   Push the first button on your scanner, which brings up a window. At this window, click on "Next."

3. 
   Scanner Preferences

   The next screen will show you scanning preferences such as color pictures, grayscale pictures, black and white pictures or text and custom. When you click the "Preview" button, the document or photo on your scanner shows up in the "Preview" window.

4. 
   Screen Where Image Will Show up on Your Computer

   Wait for your document or picture to show up correctly in the "Preview" window and click the "Next" button and go to the next window.

5. Click the "Next" button. This takes you to the next window, where you should click the last "Next" button. Clicking on this button will complete the final copying of your document/picture to its computer destination, such as your desktop or preferred file folder.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure the scanner is warmed up for a while. Otherwise, when you click the "Preview" button, your scanner may make a very loud noise. If this happens, take out both cords at the back of the scanner, re insert them and click on the first button on your scanner once again. This could happen more than once.

[grouch]

on 1/11/2008 I like the idea of saving the old for the new. I have CDs made from pictures that are not around any more it is so awesome that I get to pass them to my children without worring if they will still be around by then.

[CCrock]

on 12/27/2007 ps-it is great to be able to use a home scanner to scan old photographs of grandparents and great grandparents. Those photos keep deteriorating and now it's so easy to preserve them this way.

[CCrock]

on 12/27/2007 great article. Don't you just love being able to take screen shots? :)